Volunteer Florida Announces $8.8 Million in Grants for Florida

FOR RELEASE: August 13, 2014
CONTACT: Erin VanSickle, (850) 339-3184

TALLAHASSEE – Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman today announced that 31 Florida AmeriCorps programs have been funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) for 2014-2015. These programs, funded by $8.8 million in federal CNCS grants and $7.6 million in local matching funds, will engage over 1270 AmeriCorps members in direct service to local communities. They will mentor students, create job opportunities, support non-profits, and provide local response during disasters.

“Volunteer Florida is proud to administer these excellent AmeriCorps programs across the state,” said CEO Spellman. “We are grateful for CNCS’ investment in our state, and we look forward to working with our subgrantees as they meet measurable, effective outcomes in Florida.”

In addition to this funding, Florida’s AmeriCorps members will be eligible for $6.4 million in college scholarships upon their successful graduation, resulting in a total federal investment of $15.2 million. Most AmeriCorps members attend college in the area in which they serve, providing a direct investment in Florida’s colleges and universities.

AmeriCorps members dedicate a year of their life to meeting critical community needs through service. By participating in AmeriCorps, young people entering the workforce after their year of service are much more likely to find a job in Florida.

This year, Volunteer Florida is emphasizing job readiness and job placement to help Floridians get back to work or enter the workforce for the first time. Additionally, Volunteer Florida is focusing on mentoring and tutoring high-risk students by placing AmeriCorps members directly in schools and nonprofits across the state. 78 percent of Volunteer Florida’s AmeriCorps funding is focused on education, including after-school tutoring and summer school programming. Other AmeriCorps programs administered by Volunteer Florida focus on protecting Florida’s natural resources, disaster services, healthy futures and economic opportunity.

A complete list of 2014-2015 grantees can be found here.

 

Volunteer Florida is the Governor’s lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida. Volunteer Florida grants funds to educational foundations, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations to administer AmeriCorps and National Service Programs. Volunteer Florida leads Florida’s national days of service, including September 11 and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. During disasters, Volunteer Florida is the lead agency for volunteers and donations. For more information, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org.

 

AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 15,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Since 1994, more than 820,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps.