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(Washington, D.C.) – The Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, released a new publication today to help faith-based and secular community organizations better understand how to access national and community service resources.
Titled National Service: A Resource for Faith-Based and Community Groups, the new publication provides descriptions of the various Corporation grant programs and resources, as well as information on how to access them. It also highlights examples of how the Corporation and its programs have helped a variety of faith-based and community organizations meet critical community needs and work together effectively.
“Today, more Americans volunteer through religious organizations than through any other type,” said David Eisner, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer. “Through our Faith-Based and Community Initiative and this new publication, we are committed to reaching out to new groups – both faith-based and secular – to educate them on the valuable asset of human capital that our programs offer.”
The resource guide was released at the second annual Faith and Community Institute Day, a national forum featuring leaders of faith-based organizations involved in volunteer service that was held in conjunction with the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. The conference is bringing together nearly 3,000 leaders of America’s volunteer and national service sector to gain skills and develop strategies to engage more Americans more effectively in volunteer service to meet pressing social needs.
The Corporation for National and Community Service has a long history of working with faith-based and community organizations, and has increased its outreach efforts as part of the Bush Administration’s faith-based and community initiative. In 2004, nearly 14 percent of available Corporation grant funding went to faith-based organizations. Over the next few years, the Corporation will devote special attention to faith- and community-based efforts to mentor children of prisoners, help youth and adult ex-offenders re-enter society, and strengthen families.
The new publication features stories of several current Corporation grantees, including Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, who with the help of AmeriCorps members turned a fledgling literacy program into a national model; an Idaho RSVP program that has helped meet the various needs of vulnerable children in the state; and the Jewish Youth Philanthropy Institute, a service-learning program engaging hundreds of Maryland teens in service to their community.
Corporation grantees and project sponsors are encouraged to utilize the new publication in their outreach to faith-based and community partners. To order copies, e-mail fbci@cns.gov or call (202) 606-6733. To view a copy online, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/faith_based_booklet.pdf.
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
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