DENVER - Tuesday, May 19, 2020- Serve Colorado, which administers Colorado's AmeriCorps program, announced today the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awarded $4,047,000 in federal grants to place over 600 AmeriCorps members to serve in the following organizations:
- City Year Denver: 85 members will provide full-day academic and afterschool services to students in public schools in the City and County of Denver.
- Colorado Reading Corps: A program of Colorado Youth for a Change, Colorado Reading Corps places 95 members at partner sites who deliver evidence-based literacy interventions to Pre-K through third-grade students identified as at risk of not reading at grade level by the end of third grade. The program serves Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.
- Colorado Youth Corps Association: 451 members will conduct disaster mitigation and relief, conserve and steward public lands, and conduct energy and water weatherization and retrofitting in low-income households across 48 counties in Colorado.
"Colorado is the proud home to 2,169 Americorps members each year and we are grateful for all the work they are doing in communities across our state. I am thrilled our state has secured this impactful funding which will enable members to provide critical tutoring support and important maintenance for our public lands and trails for the enjoyment of generations to come," said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera.
CNCS will provide an additional $1,809,341 in Segal Education Awards for the AmeriCorps members under these grants who successfully complete their term of service. The education award can be used to pay education costs at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans. While in service, members receive a modest living allowance, student loan deferment, and professional development. Full-time members are also eligible for health insurance and childcare.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, AmeriCorps members in these programs have adapted their service to help meet the critical needs of their communities, including:
- supporting students and families with technology needs while schools are closed, including helping to sanitize and distribute laptops,
- providing online tutoring and instruction for students while schools are closed, and
- serving at community organizations, food pantries, food banks, and homeless shelters that are responding to community needs.
"For more than two decades, Americans have answered the call to serve by pledging to 'get things done' as AmeriCorps members," said Chester Spellman, director of AmeriCorps. "Through their dedication and sacrifice, I know our nation is in good hands. We are so pleased to be supporting more AmeriCorps members in Colorado, where their service will help to create a brighter tomorrow. I salute all of our AmeriCorps members - past, present, and future - and thank those who help make their service possible."
This funding is provided by CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering, civic engagement, and national service programs like AmeriCorps. For more than 25 years, over 1 million dedicated Americans have joined AmeriCorps and pledged to 'get things done.' This year, the 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving in schools, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, will do the same as they rebuild communities, support veterans, fight the opioid epidemic, prepare students for success, foster economic opportunity, and more. Those interested in serving can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/join.
CNCS provided an additional $2,624,711 in AmeriCorps funding which Serve Colorado will award to nonprofit organizations throughout Colorado in July. In 2019, over 780 AmeriCorps State members served at 180 service sites. To learn more about Serve Colorado visit www.colorado.gov/servecolorado