Washington D.C. — The Corporation for National and Community Service today announced $5.3 million in grants to 18 organizations that help individuals and communities rise out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. The grants will support 400 AmeriCorps*VISTA members, who will serve full time for 12 months with a range of community organizations dedicated to fighting illiteracy, creating businesses, strengthening families, improving homeland security, and helping seniors live with dignity.

The grants continue AmeriCorps*VISTA's nearly 40 year history of providing full-time, year-long volunteers to faith-based and community organizations to develop lasting solutions to the problems of poverty. Living in the communities they serve, members develop programs, recruit volunteers, raise funds, and manage projects to increase the self-sufficiency of the nation's poor.

The 18 organizations receiving the grants range from the cities of St. Paul, Minn., and Lincoln, Neb., to local affiliates of national nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and Communities in Schools, to small faith-based and community organizations. See list of grants.

"AmeriCorps*VISTA members help communities make real, lasting changes in fighting poverty, improving education, and developing their economies," said David Caprara, director of AmeriCorps*VISTA. "I salute the spirit of service and idealism of AmeriCorps*VISTA members and the organizations that support them as they help to renew our most impoverished communities."

Examples of the organizations include:

• Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona will have 20 AmeriCorps*VISTAs in their "Elderbuilders" project to create jobs, expand technology, and increase independent living for low-income seniors in six rural Arizona counties.
   

• The Business Resource Group in Los Angeles will use 24 AmeriCorps*VISTAs to recruit volunteers, develop credit education tools, conduct outreach to sources of new capital; and enhance relationships with financial institutions to help minority-owned and women-owned small businesses.
   

• The American Red Cross North Central Florida chapter in Gainesville will receive 20 AmeriCorps*VISTA members to develop and strengthen community disaster preparedness and prevention programming by expanding the current volunteer base from 300 to 1,000 community volunteers, and identifying health and safety instructors to educate 10,000 people.

The grants announced today resulted from two competitions. The first was a national competition for organizations working with low-income people in the areas of financial asset development, welfare to work, seniors in poverty, children and youth, and homeland security. Fifty-seven organizations applied and 13 were selected to receive a total of $4,186,938 to support 314 members. The second competition was for organizations in nine southwestern states working in the areas of homeland security and seniors in poverty. Fourteen organizations applied and 5 were selected to receive a total of $1.2 million and support 85 members.

"President Bush made a special call for Americans to serve their communities," said Rosie K. Mauk, Director of AmeriCorps. "The members in these programs will not only be answering the President's Call to Service but will be helping individuals and communities lift themselves out of poverty," Mauk said.

AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve full time for a year in nonprofit groups, public agencies, and faith-based organizations throughout the country, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create and expand businesses, increase housing opportunities, and bridge the digital divide. Approximately 5,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA members serve in more than 1,100 local programs. AmeriCorps*VISTA is part of AmeriCorps, a national service program which engages Americans of all ages each year in intensive service to meet community needs. To learn more or to join AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.org or call 1-800-942-2677.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. It is part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility, and help all Americans answer the President's Call to Service. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.org.

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