Lt. Gov. Garcia announces AmeriCorps grant awards

DENVER —Monday, September 26, 2011 — Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia announced today that twelve organizations in Colorado have received AmeriCorps*State program operating grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

“Building capacity in nonprofit organizations strengthens local support for our families and children during these tough economic times,” said Lt. Gov. Garcia. “These grants fund the volunteer contributions of 340 AmeriCorps members to positively impact communities across Colorado.”

These Formula allocation grants will support AmeriCorps members across the state who will engage in numerous activities including health care navigator services, mentoring, tutoring, substance abuse prevention education, poverty alleviation services, financial literacy training, volunteerism and community engagement activities, services for foster care youth emancipation services, energy and water conservation, and preserving and protecting Colorado’s natural resources.

Serve Colorado, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, manages the AmeriCorps*State grant program in Colorado. Serve Colorado will distribute $2,486,386 million in funding to the following organizations:

As part of the public/private relationship required by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the organizations receiving these awards are required to provide matching funds. The total match for these awards is $2,053,545.

On a national level, AmeriCorps engages 80,000 Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet critical needs. Its members serve through more than 14,000 nonprofit and faith-based organizations in rural and urban communities throughout the nation. Among other accomplishments, AmeriCorps members last year mobilized 2.6 million community volunteers, and tutored, mentored or served more than 2.5 million disadvantaged youth.

Since 1994, more than 700,000 Americans have provided more than 860 million hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps. More than 23,000 Colorado residents have served more than 17 million hours and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards totaling more than $40,100,000. Currently, more than 14,000 citizens of all ages and backgrounds serve in CNCS programs such as Senior Corps, AmeriCorps or Learn and Serve America in Colorado.

About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a national service program administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service that engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet critical needs. Members tutor and mentor youth, expand health services, build affordable housing, run after-school programs, support veterans, help communities respond to disasters, and recruit and train volunteers. Interested individuals can learn about available opportunities and apply online by visiting AmeriCorps.gov.

About Serve Colorado – Governor’s Commission on Community Service
Serve Colorado strives to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in Colorado. Serve Colorado operates under the leadership of a board of sixteen Commissioners to distribute and administer Colorado’s allocation of AmeriCorps*State funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). For more information on AmeriCorps and other programs and other programs, contact Serve Colorado at 303-866-6426 or visit www.colorado.gov/servecolorado.

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