Serve Illinois Commission Announces $15.6 Million for AmeriCorps Programs

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Serve Illinois Commission Announces $15.6 Million for AmeriCorps Programs

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32 grantees will place almost 1,600 AmeriCorps volunteers in communities

ACIL[1] The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Commission) today announced approximately $9.2 million in Corporation for National and Community Service federal grants to almost 1,600 volunteers in 32 AmeriCorps programs to better serve Illinois communities. An additional $6.4 million will support education awards for the volunteers after their service is completed.

“This year we were able to leverage enough federal funds to expand AmeriCorps’ reach into new counties throughout the state,” said Serve Illinois Executive Director Scott McFarland. “AmeriCorps members work every day to support thousands of Illinoisans in need including 425,000 disadvantaged youth and 10,000 veterans and military family members. These volunteers are going to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans.”

These federal grants will be used for services in Illinois, including tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth, preparing communities to respond effectively to emergencies, feeding those in need, providing legal support services, reentering incarcerated individuals into their communities, and improving youth and adult literacy. The Commission, a part of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), administers the AmeriCorps programs in Illinois.

“While they serve others, AmeriCorps members also expand opportunity for themselves – gaining the skills, experience, and college money to help jumpstart their careers,” said Bill Basl, director of AmeriCorps. “We are looking for men and women of all ages who want to serve and make a difference for their country.”

serveillinois AmeriCorps members dedicate a year to helping communities meet their unmet economic, education, health, public safety, and environmental needs. Members may receive a modest living allowance, student loan deferment, and training. Members who successfully complete their service receive an educational award of up to $5,775 to help pay for college, graduate school, vocational training, or to pay off student loans.

Since 1994, 33,000 people have volunteered 45 million hours in Illinois through AmeriCorps. Those hours equal more than $1.1 million in community impact.

Serve Illinois is a 40 member (25 voting and 15 non-voting), bipartisan commission appointed by the Governor and administered by IDPH. Its mission is to improve Illinois communities by enhancing traditional volunteer activities and supporting national service programs. The commission supports local community-based efforts to enhance volunteer opportunities and the administration of Illinois’ AmeriCorps program. For more information on the Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps, visit www.Serve.Illinois.gov.

Serve Illinois’ AmeriCorps Programs:

Program	Counties Served	Focus Areas	Funding	Members
Academy for Urban School Leadership	Cook	Education	$40,000	50
American Red Cross	Adams, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, Kankakee, McDonough, Rock Island, Sangamon, St. Clair, Winnebago	Disaster Services	$332,085	27
Asian Human Services	Cook	Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures	$164,421	12
Bhicks Childcare *New Program	Champaign, Coles, DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, McDonough, Sangamon, St. Clair	Education	$109,121	20
City Year Chicago	Cook	Education	$2,106,668	188
East St. Louis School District #189	St. Clair	Economic Opportunity, Education	$461,374	91
First Defense Legal Aid *New Program	Cook	Safer Communities	$123,570	9
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois *New Program	Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago	Education	$163,711	19
Greater Chicago Food Depository	Cook	Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families	$139,143	15
Housing Forward	Cook	Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity	$162,898	12
Illinois Bar Foundation	Champaign, Cook, Kankakee, Knox, Lake, Madison, McLean, Will, Winnebago	Economic Opportunity, Veterans and Military Families	$280,641	68
Illinois Public Health Association	Adams, Cook, Kane, Hamilton, Lee, Macoupin, McLean, Ogle, Sangamon, Stephenson, St. Clair, Wayne	Disaster Services, Healthy Futures	$274,549	20
Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House	St. Clair	Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures	$627,968	143
Lester & Rosalie Anixter Center *New Program	Cook, DuPage, Lake	Economic Opportunity, Education	$109,820	16
Literacy Volunteers of Illinois	Cook, DuPage, Henry, Kane, Saline	Economic Opportunity, Education	$261,825	31
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois	Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Saline, St. Clair, Williamson, Winnebago	Economic Opportunity	$198,544	30
Northwestern University Settlement Association	Cook	Capacity Building, Education	$502,740	75
Public Allies	Cook	Capacity Building	$458,563	36
Rend Lake College	Alexander, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pulaski, Washington, Williamson, Union	Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship	$445,034	59
Sauk Valley Community College	Bureau, Carroll, Henry, Lee, Ogle, Whiteside	Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity, Education	$201,145	45
Schuler Family Foundation *Program only receives education awards	Cook, Lake	Education	$0	40
Southwestern Illinois College	St. Clair	Education	$401,022	73
Springfield Urban League	Sangamon, Morgan	Education	$198,521	54
Teach for America	Cook	Education	$118,260	292
United Way Of Metropolitan Chicago *New Program	Cook	Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures	$164,760	12
University of Illinois – Chicago	Cook	Economic Opportunity	$151,474	21
Up2Us – Coach Across America	Cook	Healthy Futures	$155,789	16
Western Illinois University	Carroll, McClean, McDonough, Shelby	Capacity Building, Disaster Services	$137,300	14
Western Illinois University – Quad Cities	Rock Island	Education	$207,854	40
YMCA – Rock River Valley	Winnebago	Capacity Building, Education, Healthy Futures	$190,057	28
Youth and Opportunity United, Inc. (YOU)	Cook	Education	$245,872	22
Youth Guidance	Cook	Education	$105,823	16