Volunteer Tennessee Announces $5.6 Million in AmeriCorps Funding
Volunteer Tennessee Board Announces $5.6 Million in AmeriCorps Grants to 18 Tennessee Organizations
959 AmeriCorps members to meet state and local needs
NASHVILLE, TN – Volunteer Tennessee, Tennessee’s governor-appointed commission on volunteerism and service, today announced that Tennessee has received nearly $5.6 million 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 support 959 AmeriCorps members across the state to serve with 18 organizations. AmeriCorps members will tackle critical challenges in Tennessee, including tutoring and mentoring children, providing health services, restoring the environment, increasing economic opportunities, and recruiting and managing volunteers.
“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the toughest problems facing our state,” said Tina Hodges, Board Chair of Volunteer Tennessee. “These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs and strengthen communities as they develop civic and leadership skills to last a lifetime. I congratulate these outstanding organizations and thank all those who serve their communities through AmeriCorps.”
Of the $576 million awarded nationally, $5.6 million will be granted to Volunteer Tennessee, which in turn will award grants to nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the state. The law creating AmeriCorps gave a key role to states in determining how national service resources are used and in promoting service and volunteering to meet community needs.
AmeriCorps’ unique model means that the grants announced today will leverage an additional $17.7 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources – further increasing the return on the federal investment.
CNCS will provide over $5 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 over 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.
AmeriCorps is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service, which recently marked its 25th anniversary. Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1.1 million AmeriCorps members have served the nation, providing more than 1.6 billion hours of service and earning nearly $4 billion in education awards to pay for college or pay back student loans. In Tennessee, more than 15,000 AmeriCorps members have served more than 29 million hours and earned more than $56.2 million in education scholarships. Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/Join.
For the full press release with a list of programs visit https://go.usa.gov/xwMpz.