FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 14, 2003
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Corporation for National and Community Service
Contact Sandy Scott
202-606-5000 x255
sscott@cns.gov |
Senior Corps Launches New Volunteer Projects in Six States |
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Washington D.C. — Senior Corps, a program of
the Corporation for National and Community Service, today announced six grants
totaling more than one million dollars to support senior volunteers in new
Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent projects in Iowa, Mississippi,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah.
"Older volunteers are a tremendous untapped
resource for our society," said Leslie Lenkowsky, CEO of the Corporation, which
oversees Senior Corps. "These new projects will help local nonprofits meet
critical needs in their communities while using the talents of some of our most
talented and skilled citizens," Lenkowsky further stated.
The new grants will expand the nationwide
Senior Corps program and help the following local organizations:
- Handicare, Inc., Iowa – $113,500 to support
Foster Grandparents who will serve at-risk teens and children of teen parents
in Johnson County.
- University of Southern Mississippi at
Hattiesburg – $209,815 to support Foster Grandparents assigned to children and
youth in the Hattiesburg Public Schools, South Mississippi Children's Center,
the school for language disorders, and PACE Head Start Program.
- Family Service of Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania – $210,000 to support Senior Companion volunteers who will help
terminally ill hospice clients, adult day care clients, nutrition and support
clients and respite care clients.
- East Bay Community Action Self Help, Rhode
Island – $210,000 for Foster Grandparents to help children in the communities
of East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton, Little Compton, and
Middletown.
- Community and Senior Services of Midland,
Texas – $205,000 for Senior Companions to help adults with in-home care,
safety and accident prevention, serve adults in hospice and rehabilitation
centers, work with the Alzheimer's Association and others.
- Volunteers of America of Utah – $210,000 to
help support Foster Grandparents who will serve in Head Start Centers in
Carbon, Emery, Grand, Tooele and San Juan Counties to provide homework
assistance, and reading and language skills.
"President Bush made a special call for
America's seniors to serve their communities," said Tess Scannell, Director of
Senior Corps. "The volunteers in these programs will not only be answering the
President's Call to Service but will also be part of an ever-growing cadre of
Senior Corps volunteers who are making a difference in their communities,"
Scannell said.
Volunteers in the Senior Companion program help
adults who have difficulty with daily living tasks to remain independent in
their homes. These volunteers serve an average 20 hours a week and provide
services such as bill paying and grocery shopping. They also help provide
respite to caregivers and alert doctors and family members to potential medical
and other problems. Companions receive monthly training and help an average of
two to four adults.
Volunteers in the Foster Grandparent program
mentor and tutor children and youth who have exceptional needs. They help
children who have been abused and neglected, mentor troubled teens and young
mothers and help care for premature infants or children with physical and mental
disabilities. They serve an average 20 hours a week in schools, hospitals, drug
treatment centers, correctional institutions or other locations where children
need help.
Senior Corps engages more than half a million
Americans age 55 and over in volunteer activities that meet community needs in
such areas as education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and
others. In addition to the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs,
Senior Corps includes RSVP that engages adults age 55 and over in projects such
as renovating homes, assisting victims of natural disasters, helping local
police with safety patrols and others. Last month, Senior Corps launched a new
public relations campaign called Ask a Friend, Share Your Volunteer Spirit to
encourage volunteers to recruit their friends as volunteers for activities that
serve their communities. The campaign's website is
www.volunteerfriends.org.
Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation
for National and Community Service, which also oversees AmeriCorps and Learn and
Serve America. Together, these programs engage more than two million Americans
each year in meeting critical needs in areas like education, the environment,
public safety, and homeland security. The Corporation and its programs are also
part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of
citizenship, service, and responsibility. For more information, visit
www.nationalservice.org.
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