Georgia Dept of Community Affairs/Georgia Serves: $4.5 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for Georgia

Georgia received $4,531,101 in AmeriCorps funding from AmeriCorps, a federal agency. With the agency’s unique model, the grants announced will leverage an additional $4 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources – further increasing the return on the federal investment.

The grants will put 565 AmeriCorps Members on the ground to serve with 21 organizations. AmeriCorps Members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Georgia including education, economic opportunities, healthy futures, homelessness, people living with disabilities, financial literacy, and environmental issues.

In addition, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will provide close to $3 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the AmeriCorps Members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, full-time AmeriCorps Members may receive an award of approximately $6,345 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans. Awards vary based on members’ status such as full-time or less than full-time.

The following organizations were awarded grants for 2021-2022 to implement AmeriCorps programs in Georgia.

• AmeriCorps Covenant House Georgia                                                                       $162,700

• AmeriCorps Georgia Relay Teaching Residency                                                        $64,000

• Breakthrough Collaborative AmeriCorps Program                                                   $180,494

• Central Georgia Council, Boy Scouts of America                                                       $137,733

• Clayton State University AmeriCorps Program                                                         $97,878

• Communities in Schools of Georgia – AmeriCorps Reading Tutorial Program       $191,995

• Extra Special People AmeriCorps Program                                                                $239,030

• Georgia State University Research Foundation T.E.E.M.S. AmeriCorps                  $198,896

• Girls Scouts of Historic Georgia-AmeriCorps Planning Grant                                   $40,178

• Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers AmeriCorps Program                          $119,658

• Greater Valdosta United Way AmeriCorps Planning Grant                                      $63,377

• Hands On Atlanta AmeriCorps                                                                                    $1,062,668

• Harmony House Domestic Violence Shelter Planning Grant                                   $26,422

• Jekyll Island State Park Authority dba Georgia Sea Turtle Center AmeriCorps      $358,433

• New American Pathways – AmeriCorps Project RISE                                               $274,830

• One World Link AmeriCorps Project                                                                          $259,940

• Teach For America – Metro Atlanta                                                                           $140,000

• The Christian City AmeriCorps Planning Grant                                                          $ 75,000

• The Scholarship Academy, Inc. – AmeriCorps Financial Aid Awareness Program  $178,596

• The University of Georgia – Georgia 4-H AmeriCorps Project                                 $423,800

• Youth Villages-Inner Harbour Campus AmeriCorps Program                                  $235,473                                                          

TOTAL    $4,531,101

Every year, 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve through 21,000+ schools, nonprofits, and community and faith-based organizations across the country. These citizens have played a critical role in the recovery of communities affected by disasters and helped thousands of first-generation college students access higher education. They also tutor and mentor young people, connect veterans to jobs, care for seniors, reduce crime and revive cities, fight the opioid epidemic, and meet other critical needs.

Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1 million Americans have served, providing more than 1.5 billion hours of service and earned more than $3.6 billion in education scholarships, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student debt. Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/Join.

AmeriCorps is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit AmeriCorps.gov.

About the Department of Community Affairs

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) partners with communities to build strong and vibrant neighborhoods, commercial and industrial areas through community and economic development, local government assistance, and safe and affordable housing. Using state and federal resources, DCA helps communities spur private job creation, implement planning, develop downtowns, generate affordable housing solutions and promote volunteerism. DCA also helps qualified Georgians with low and moderate incomes buy homes, rent housing and prevent foreclosure and homelessness. For more information, visit www.dca.ga.gov.