The California Service Corps is recruiting thousands of paid positions statewide, including hundreds in the Inland Empire, officials announced Wednesday.
The initiative comes as federal cuts threaten similar national service programs, according to Josh Fryday, CEO of California Service Corps and California Chief Service Officer.
"At a time when D.C. is firing, California and the Inland Empire is hiring," Fryday said at a press conference held at Feeding America Riverside. "At a time when D.C. is leading a cynical conversation for our country, the California Service Corps is bringing us hope."
The program offers paid positions in tutoring, food bank operations, climate action, and other community services, while providing participants with college funding and career development opportunities, Fryday said.
Since launching in 2023, the program has placed 144 fellows across 17 departments in Riverside city government alone, Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. Fourteen participants have secured permanent city positions ranging from council assistant to human resources specialist.
"For a long time, it's been my goal—and the goal of many mayors before me—to create more workforce development opportunities for our young residents," Lock Dawson said.
The initiative includes three distinct programs:
- AmeriCorps California for adults serving two to 12 months in various organizations
- CaliforniansForAll College Corps for full-time students serving during the academic year
- California Climate Action Corps for emerging climate leaders working on environmental projects
College Corps includes eligible AB540 California Dream Act students, according to program materials distributed at the event.
At Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino, which distributed 35 million pounds of food last year, Service Corps members have strengthened operations across multiple departments.
"These programs provided a consistent, passionate cohort of volunteers helping in every corner of our operations," said Carolyn Fajardo, CEO of Feeding America Riverside-San Bernardino.
Fajardo highlighted Jose, who began in a part-time food sourcing role and has since secured a permanent position with the food bank. The program has also helped expand their senior mobile pantry and fundraising capacity, she said.
Fryday, who serves in Governor Gavin Newsom’s Cabinet as head of the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement, emphasized that the program creates more than immediate employment.
"We're not just making an impact today—we're making college more affordable, we're making job training more accessible, and we're building communities," Fryday said. "We're actually planting the seeds for long-term social change."
The California Service Corps is part of a broader initiative endorsed by the "Big 13" mayors of California’s largest cities, according to Lock Dawson, who called the program participants "the bedrock of my office."
Despite recent federal funding cuts to national service programs, Fryday affirmed California’s commitment to maintaining and expanding these opportunities.
Interested candidates can apply at CAServiceCorps.com.
