FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 25, 2003
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Corporation for National and Community Service
Contact: Siobhan Dugan
202-606-5000 x151
sdugan@cns.gov |
National Service Agency Announces Grants to Support 400 AmeriCorps*VISTA Members to Fight Poverty |
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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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