During National Volunteer Month, Senators Collins, King Announce $2.8 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for Maine
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced that Maine has received $2,862,247 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps and other national service programs. These grants will support 249 AmeriCorps members serving the following Maine organizations: LearningWorks, Maine Conservation Corps, Healthy Acadia, and the University of Southern Maine (USM)’s Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship. Funding will also support AmeriCorps members of Maine-operated locations of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England.
“For more than twenty-five years, AmeriCorps members have been selflessly serving the people of Maine and the nation,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “Coinciding with National Volunteer Month, these grants will make sure both these members and the organizations have the tools they need to continue their important work, so they can keep making a difference for communities in need.”
In addition to the funds provided directly to the organizations, the grant includes $747,912 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards that will be provided directly to Maine AmeriCorps members. After completing a full term of service, the AmeriCorps members will receive an award of approximately $6,000 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans.
The funding is distributed as follows:
· LearningWorks in Portland has been awarded $287,259 in new funding, and $121,449 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
· Maine Conservation Corps in Augusta has been awarded $660,224 in continuous funding and $299,590 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
· Healthy Acadia in Ellsworth has been awarded $283,768 in continuous funding and $125,189 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
· USM’s Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship in Lewiston has been awarded $177,893 in continuous funding and $79,783 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
· Goodwill Industries of Northern New England’s Maine headquarters in Gorham has received $121,900 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
· The Maine Commission for Community Service, the state counterpart to CNCS, has received $705,191 in non-competitive formula funding, which in turn will be awarded to Maine organizations to support additional AmeriCorps members in the coming months.
In March, Senators Collins and King cosponsored a senate resolution recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni to the lives of the people of the United States. In April, Senator King visited with community service advocates, non-profit leaders, and volunteers at the University of Southern Maine (USM) Lewiston-Auburn Campus to discuss how AmeriCorps and similar programs strengthen Maine’s communities.
Every year, 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve through 21,000+ schools, nonprofits, and community and faith-based organizations across the country. These citizens have played a critical role in the recovery of communities affected by disasters and helped thousands of first generation college students access higher education. They also tutor and mentor young people, connect veterans to jobs, care for seniors, reduce crime and revive cities, fight the opioid epidemic, and meet other critical needs. Since the AmeriCorps inception in 1994, more than 1 million Americans have served, providing more than 1.5 billion hours of service and earned more than $3.6 billion in education scholarships, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student debt.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts.
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