Herb Jackson was looking for ways to follow his passion and give back to his community when he joined YWCA Central Alabama’s “Building Communities, Bettering Lives” AmeriCorps program a few years ago.  Turns out, he found a new career.

The 53-year-old veteran is one of 50 AmeriCorps members whose service commitment has turned into full-time employment at the YW or one of its partner agencies since the program began in 2009. After serving for a year at Workshops, Inc., a job training organization for people with disabilities, Jackson was hired as the agency’s community relations coordinator.