Volunteer Florida Announces 2011 “6 Days 6 Ramps” Grant Award Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 26, 2011
CONTACT: Jayme O’Rourke, 850-414-2974
TALLAHASSEE – Volunteer Florida CEO Wendy Spencer today announced three disability inclusion organizations who are each being awarded a $3,200 grant for participation in “6 Days 6 Ramps,” a multi-site collaborative service project between the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Volunteer Florida), the Florida Department of Health Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program, organizations that serve persons with disabilities, and AmeriCorps programs in Florida.
This year’s 6 Days 6 Ramps project is May 14-21, 2011, in conjunction with National AmeriCorps Week. The grants are awarded for construction materials that volunteers will use to build wheelchair ramps for residents with disabilities whose income will not support the cost of building a ramp.
Recipients of the 2011 grants are:
· disAbility Solutions for Independent Living, Inc., Daytona Beach
· Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, Inc., Orlando
· Ability 1st, Tallahassee
“I am excited to partner with these grant recipients for 6 Days 6 Ramps, which helps Floridians with disabilities to lead independent lifestyles and actively participate in our communities,” said CEO Wendy Spencer. “It also highlights the impact national service projects like this can have, both by helping our communities and recruiting additional volunteers and resources.”
6 Days 6 Ramps seeks to: strengthen existing volunteer efforts to remove barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating in their community by building wheelchair ramps; bring attention to the need for barrier removal so persons with disabilities can remain independent; and exemplify and expand the role of persons with disabilities in national service and volunteering.
This year, Volunteer Florida also focused on including veterans with disabilities to be ramp recipients and to help build ramps in Florida’s communities.
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The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, Volunteer Florida, was established in 1994 by the Florida Legislature to administer grants under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The Commission grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps and National Service programs; coordinates volunteerism in disaster preparedness, response and recovery; and helps to strengthen and expand volunteer engagement for everyone from youths to seniors to people with disabilities. For more information, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org.