Connect with us

Georgia News

Georgia receives $3.3M in AmeriCorps Funding

AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Georgia including education, economic opportunities, healthy futures, veterans and military families, homelessness, people living with disabilities, financial literacy, and environmental issues.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced that Georgia has received $3,341,944 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps and other national service programs.

These grants will put more than 500 AmeriCorps members on the ground to serve with 19 organizations. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Georgia including education, economic opportunities, healthy futures, veterans and military families, homelessness, people living with disabilities, financial literacy, and environmental issues.

The following organizations were awarded grants for 2019-2020 to implement AmeriCorps programs in Georgia.

  • Communities in Schools of Georgia AmeriCorps Foundations Tutorial Program: $195,364
  • City of Roswell AmeriCorps After School Project: $76,150
  • Clayton State University AmeriCorps Program: $144,784
  • Covenant House Georgia AmeriCorps: $149,544
  • Extra Special People AmeriCorps Program: $82,113
  • Georgia Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs Inc.: $150,017
  • Georgia State University TEEMS AmeriCorps: $194,796
  • Hands On Atlanta: $462,767
  • Jekyll Island State Park Authority/Georgia Sea Turtle Center: $337,068
  • NAMI Georgia, Inc.: $86,954
  • New American Pathways – AmeriCorps Project RISE: $227,858
  • Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership, Inc. AmeriCorps: $88,836
  • One World Link: $150,101
  • Relay Graduate School: $37,500
  • Teach for America: $63,500
  • The Scholarship Academy – AmeriCorps Financial Aid Awareness Program: $90,852
  • The University of Georgia – Georgia 4-H AmeriCorps Project: $486,144
  • United Way of Metro Atlanta/AmeriCorps Project Health Access: $104,716
  • Youth Villages Inner Harbour Campus – Youth Villages AmeriCorps Program: $212,880

AmeriCorps’ unique model means that the grants announced today will leverage an additional $3 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources – further increasing the return on the federal investment.

“Building on a strong tradition of neighbor helping neighbor, AmeriCorps members will change lives, improve communities, and build a safer, stronger, and more united Georgia,” said Chester Spellman, director of AmeriCorps. “For 25 years, the AmeriCorps members who pledge to ‘get things done’ have represented the best of America while demonstrating the great promise and ideals of our country. I salute all the AmeriCorps members who will join them, and thank those who help make their service possible.”

In addition, CNCS will provide over $2 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members receive an award of approximately $6,000 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans.

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.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps. 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.

The Corporation for National and Community Service 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 NationalService.gov.

This is a press release from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *