We would like to nominate Kori Redepenning, Director of the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship (MPF), for a National Service Impact Award. Kori has been dedicated to serving the communities of Massachusetts through AmeriCorps since the start of her professional career in 2002 when she served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member in Boston with Peace First, a non-profit dedicated to educating young people about conflict resolution. She continued her service in 2003 as an AmeriCorps member with MPF. MPF is a statewide AmeriCorps program that places members at partner non-profit organizations across Massachusetts to create, lead, and manage youth development projects. In her year of service, Kori established the groundwork for an innovative member training program and played an instrumental role in the Massachusetts Intercorps Council, a statewide collaborative of AmeriCorps members that worked to build community across all programs in the state. Following her year of service, Kori was hired full-time by MPF and began what has become a nine year commitment to supporting AmeriCorps members through their service experience, working with organizations to increase the services they provide to youth, and promoting the value of AmeriCorps and National Service to individuals and organizations around the Commonwealth.

Each year MPF places members at partner organizations to design and lead mentoring programs, create leadership and service opportunities for young people, provide academic enrichment opportunities, and facilitate college and career readiness programs. Kori has been committed to expanding the opportunity for organizations to partner with the program and for individuals to serve with MPF. In her career with MPF, Kori has led the program’s expansion from 30 to 40 members. Under her leadership MPF has served over 70 host sites in over 30 different communities across Massachusetts and the 290 AmeriCorps members she has supported have contributed over 490,000 hours of service to young people in the state.

Kori has played a key role in establishing a unique culture of community within the program. When individuals join MPF, they become part of a supportive family that expands beyond the staff and their peers to the hundreds of alumni throughout the country. This support and camaraderie merge from the example Kori sets each day in her interactions with her corps members. Kori has been a consistent coach and cheerleader to each of the members that she has worked with and is committed to their success. Elizabeth J. Pimentel, an MPF Alumni shared, “Kori supported me personally and professionally during two years as an MPF member and continues this commitment. She worked with me to build a future of work and study in social justice and has been an inspiration to me as a leader in community-based work.” Kori’s dedication to member success is illustrated in her tremendous efforts towards the creation of partnerships that benefit the members during their year of service, including the strengthening of a twelve year relationship with Northeastern University that has provided members with a wealth of resources.

Kori’s dedication to increasing opportunities for others to serve is illustrated in the establishment of two annual MPF sponsored days of service. On MLK Day and Global Youth Service Day, MPF mobilizes hundreds of volunteers for these national days of service. Both opportunities provide young people with leadership opportunities.

Thanks to Kori’s amazing contributions, MPF has made a tremendous impact on Massachusetts and will continue to transform the lives of individuals for years to come.