FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 18, 2003
|
Corporation for National and Community Service
Contact: Siobhan Dugan
202 606 5000 x151
|
National Service Agency Announces $3 Million in Grants for 80 Senior Corps Organizations |
|
Washington D.C. — The Corporation for National and Community Service today
announced grants totaling more than $3 million to help 80 Senior Corps programs
expand their volunteer forces. The grants will support more than 2,500 new
volunteers in 37 states serving in the RSVP, Foster Grandparent and Senior
Companion programs.
Volunteers will carry out a wide range of projects, including caring for the
frail elderly, tutoring and mentoring children with special needs, conducting
safety patrols, helping communities prepare for disasters, and mentoring
children of incarcerated parents. More than 250 organizations applied for the
“Programs of National Significance” grants, which were evaluated by Corporation
staff and outside reviewers.
Click here to read the list of grants.
"These new volunteers will be part of a large and growing Senior Corps that
is helping solve problems and meet vital needs across America,” said Leslie
Lenkowsky, CEO of the Corporation, which oversees Senior Corps. “President Bush
has made a special call to America's seniors to serve their country, and we're
delighted these new volunteers will be answering his call."
Senior Corps engages more than half a million Americans age 55 and over to
meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland
security, and other areas. As part of his call to service, President Bush has
challenged Senior Corps to recruit 100,000 new volunteers. Last month Senior
Corps launched the “Ask a Friend” campaign and
website to
encourage current volunteers to recruit their friends as volunteers.
"People age 55 and over have so much to offer, and we want them to put their
skills and experiences to good use in tackling serious social problems in their
communities," said Tess Scannell, Director of Senior Corps. “These grants will
help existing Senior Corps projects increase their reach and effectiveness in
meeting local needs.”
Examples of the grants include:
- The RSVP Program at Central Alabama Community College received a $15,000
grant to support volunteers to help the college expand its disaster
preparedness activities into an additional county. The new volunteers will
assist the Emergency Management Agency to create a local Citizen Corps
Council, provide public education on disaster preparedness, and identify
vulnerable community members for inclusion in a database to ensure their needs
are taken into account in the event of an emergency.
- With its $46,000 grant, the YMCA of Grays Harbor, Washington, will support
additional Senior Companions to serve with Senior Services for Sound South and
Puget Sound Health Care. They will provide respite care, access to services,
and personal care for chronically ill adults in a currently unserved area,
Thurston County. Approximately 35 to 50 clients will be served through a
comprehensive network of support.
- Catholic Charities of San Diego is receiving a $36,000 grant to engage
additional Foster Grandparents to provide mentoring, tutoring, and nurturing
support for 200 youth who are juvenile offenders or in foster care, with
emphasis on youth who have parents in prison or an intergenerational history
with the criminal justice system.
Senior Corps consists of three programs: RSVP, Foster Grandparents, and
Senior Companions. RSVP engages people 55 and over in organizing neighborhood
watches, tutoring children, renovating homes, assisting victims of natural
disasters, and other projects.
The Foster Grandparent Program is for people 60 and over, whose incomes are
limited, to serve as extended family members to children and youth with
exceptional needs. The Senior Companion Program, also for people 60 and over
whose incomes are limited, provides assistance and friendship to adults who have
difficulty with daily living tasks. RSVP volunteers may receive reimbursement
for meals and transportation, while Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions
receive a modest stipend for 20 hours of service per week.
Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community
Service, which also oversees AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. Together,
the programs of the Corporation engage more than two million Americans each year
in meeting critical needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland
security, and other areas. The Corporation and its programs are 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.
###
|