Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester celebrate $1.4 million in AmeriCorps funding for Delaware
Press Release
Senators Carper and Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-DE) announced that Delaware has received $1.4 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs.
"AmeriCorps volunteers make a difference in our communities and help change lives for the better," said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. "I'm proud to join our Congressional delegation to congratulate the Delaware organizations that received AmeriCorps funding and to thank the scores of AmeriCorps volunteers in allamericorps logo three counties who dedicate their lives to serving others. Today is a day to be thankful because this relatively small federal investment will help many Delaware families and children in a big way. I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention that President Trump's budget proposal calls for the elimination of AmeriCorps. I will continue to urge Republicans and Democrats in Congress to stand up for our values and to protect AmeriCorps from these harmful and misguided cuts."
"This is outstanding news for Delaware and for the organizations involved," said Senator Coons. "I've seen firsthand AmeriCorps' positive impact in Delaware and across the country and in addition to addressing critical community needs during their time of service, AmeriCorps members are undoubtedly left with a strong connection to their community after participating in the program and often pursue public service careers later in life."
"In Delaware, we see the broad impact that engaged volunteers have on our state every single day," said U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. "This funding provided by the Corporation for National and Community service for AmeriCorps will help to ensure that we are matching the right resources to the most impactful programs. The organizations receiving these resources deserve recognition for their outstanding initiatives and I am confident that AmeriCorps volunteers will continue to make Delaware proud."
The federal investment includes five grants totaling $800,537, which will support 142 AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Delaware, teaching students in rural and urban schools, supporting environmental stewardship efforts, leading summer reading programs, and supporting workplace development and housing services.
CNCS will also provide up to $588,915 in education scholarships for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training, or pay back student loans. The federal investment is projected to generate an additional $2.3 million in local support to increase community impact and return on federal investment.
The federal investment announced today also includes $644,966 for the Delaware Governor's Commission on Community & Volunteer Service. Later this summer, this state service commission will make additional grants to support AmeriCorps programs in the state.
This year's AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, with a continuing level of strong demand by nonfaith and faith-based organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. The 2017 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, governor and mayor initiatives, veterans and military families, disaster services, and initiatives to build safer communities.
Below is a listing of 2017 AmeriCorps competitive grants in Delaware:
Ministry of Caring: AmeriCorps members will address the ongoing challenge of homelessness through workforce development and housing services in Wilmington. (20 AmeriCorps members)
Delaware Habitat AmeriCorps: Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps members will serve to invigorate neighborhoods through building and repairing homes, empowering families through education, managing home improvement stores and donation centers, and recruiting and managing volunteers. (31 AmeriCorps members)
AmeriCorps State Parks Partners: Veterans, serving as AmeriCorps members, will eradicate invasive species from park lands and trails throughout Delaware. (15 AmeriCorps members)
Teach For America Delaware: AmeriCorps members will serve as full-time teachers, serving low-income students in nine rural and urban Delaware schools. (36 AmeriCorps members)
The Summer Learning Collaborative: AmeriCorps members will lead reading intervention programs in community-based agencies' summer programs located throughout the state. (40 AmeriCorps members)
Last fall, AmeriCorps celebrated a major milestone when the program surpassed one million members pledging to "Get Things Done" for America. AmeriCorps engages more than 80,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 21,600 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.
Since 1994, more than 1 million men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service and earning more than $3.3 billion in scholarships to pay for college, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student loan debt.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads volunteer initiatives for the nation. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.
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