The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is recruiting an additional 100 AmeriCorps members to serve in its COVID-19 Containment Response Corps as the state faces a new peak in the pandemic.

The members will serve nine month terms over the next year, supporting case investigation, contact tracing, resource coordination, test result notification, isolation and quarantine monitoring in Colorado.

“The CCRC is an important part of Colorado’s COVID-19 response and the addition of 100 AmeriCorps members will help boost capacity,” said Gov. Jared Polis.

Polis said CCRC will help fight the spread of COVID-19 going into the holiday season, especially with services like isolation and quarantine monitoring.

In Colorado, COVID-19 cases have surpassed 130,000 and hospitals are beginning to reach capacity. Polis urged all Coloradans to cancel their social plans for the month of November to help slow the spread.

“(CCRC) owes a huge part of our success to our AmeriCorps members,” said Sarah Tuneberg, team lead. “During this unprecedented time, they have been essential to assisting the State of Colorado and the COVID response.”

CCRC was created in June by AmeriCorps, CDPHE, Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service and Gary Community Investments.

Since June, more than 470 AmeriCorps members and 165 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have served in CCRC.

“We are so proud of the service AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors have provided, and will continue to provide to the State of Colorado,” said Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera. “These individuals stepped up to provide critical support during a challenging time.”

Each AmeriCorps member will receive a living allowance and an education award of $4,336.50 upon completion. The members will serve remotely and be recruited by the Conservation Legacy and Community Resource Center.

Priority will be given to candidates who apply by Friday to start on Nov. 30 or apply by Dec. 13 to start on Jan. 6.

More information and applications are available at colorado.gov/servecolorado.