AMERICAN RECOVERY & REINVESTMENT ACT MONEY WILL FUND 10 PROGRAMS
HARRISBURG – More than 500 additional AmeriCorps positions in 10 community-based programs will be created over the next year by $2.8 million in grants Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today from the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.
“This is a positive, strategic investment to put people to work at the grass roots level of citizen service,” said Rendell. “This money will reach across the state, into rural communities and cities, and act as a catalyst for academic achievement programs, job skills training, home weatherization projects and as much-needed support for nonprofit and human services agencies.”
The economic stimulus grants were awarded by PennSERVE: The Governor’s Office of Citizen Service, which administers and distributes approximately three-quarters of AmeriCorps grant funding in the state.
Since 1994, more than 28,000 Pennsylvanians have given more than 35.8 million hours of citizen service through AmeriCorps in locally focused projects devoted to at-risk youth, seniors, neighborhoods and housing, education, victims of crime and natural disasters, environmental cleanup and training new members.
PennSERVE will distribute $1.6 million in AmeriCorps State Competitive Recovery Grants to City Year Philadelphia, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center, which serves nine counties from its headquarters in Knox, Clarion County. More than 400 AmeriCorps member positions will be created through these grants.
PennSERVE also will distribute $1.2 million in AmeriCorps State Formula Recovery Grants to seven programs. These grants will support the work of 140 new AmeriCorps members.
Currently, there are approximately 3,200 AmeriCorps members serving more than 200 organizations in Pennsylvania. Upon the completion of their service, members receive an AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school or to pay qualified student loans. During their service, members may receive a living allowance, health coverage, child care, training and student loan deferment. Members who serve part-time receive a partial education award.
Positions funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including the AmeriCorps positions mentioned in this news release, will be posted on the PA CareerLink Web site. Individuals interested in becoming AmeriCorps members can contact the programs listed below for more information on these opportunities.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A list of grant recipients follows:
AmeriCorps State Competitive Recovery Grants: Pennsylvania receives $1.6 million
Allegheny, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango counties
• $789,745 – Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center
The grant will support 76 AmeriCorps members, who will address rural community needs such as academic tutoring, job skills training, youth mentoring and assisting overburdened nonprofits and human service agencies.
Phone: (814) 797-1184
Philadelphia County
• $253,000 – City Year, Recovery City Year Greater Philadelphia
The grant will support 200 AmeriCorps members who will focus on improving academic outcomes and high school graduation rates of students in the Philadelphia School District.
Phone: (215) 988-2118, Ext. 222
Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango counties
• $549,534 – Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Connector Corps
The grant will support 134 AmeriCorps members, including students from Slippery Rock University, who will provide home weatherization services and energy audits to low-income families, academic enrichment and structured recreation activities for children, and augment capacity of community-based agencies.
Phone: (724) 738-2273
AmeriCorps State Formula Recovery Grants: Pennsylvania receives $1.2 million
Allegheny County
• $276,827 – Allegheny County Department of Human Services, KEYS Service Corps
The grant will support 27 AmeriCorps members, who will provide meals to children in distressed communities, assist with community revitalization and development, and serve as youth mentors to promote academic improvement and conflict resolution.
Phone: (412) 350-5227
Allegheny, Armstrong, Clarion, Crawford, Indiana, Jefferson, Mercer and Venango counties
• $112,714 – Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center
The grant will support 30 AmeriCorps members, who will provide extra capacity to agencies that focus on skills training and mentoring of children and youth.
Phone: (814) 797-1184
Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties
• $209,103 – Appalachia Intermediate Unit No. 8, Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps.
The grant will support 31 AmeriCorps members, who will assist rural organizations and local nonprofits. Members will serve as mentors for at-risk youth, assist in development of a dropout-prevention program and help improve the availability of mental health services in rural communities.
Phone: (814) 472-7690
Butler County
• $99,623 – Family Services of Butler Memorial Hospital
The grant will support six AmeriCorps members, who will assist community agencies in meeting demand for services in the areas of support to veterans, health education, transitional housing and mentoring of children and at-risk youth.
Phone: (724) 284-4894
Clinton and Lycoming counties
• $168,232 – Lycoming-Clinton Counties Commission for Community Action (STEP)
The grant will support 10 AmeriCorps members, who will assist agencies that work with families on employment assistance, home renovations and weatherization, and foreclosure mitigation.
Phone: (570) 326-0587
Philadelphia and Chester counties
• $231,870 – Communities In Schools of Philadelphia
The grant will support 31 AmeriCorps members, who will assist youth, families and schools in economically challenged communities.
Phone: (267) 386-4600
Union and Snyder counties
• $101,631 – Union-Snyder Community Action Agency, CORE Susquehanna
The grant will support five AmeriCorps members, who will provide service to local agencies that address rural community needs in financial literacy, academic improvement and mentoring of children, youth and families.
Phone: (570) 374-8938
