GOVERNOR IVEY ANNOUNCES $2.1 MILLION INVESTMENT IN AMERICORPS STATE FUNDING FOR ALABAMA

For Immediate Release

October 19, 2022

Info@ServeAlabama.gov

334-242-1549

MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey announced today that the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services, the Alabama State Service Commission, has received $1.4 million in funding from AmeriCorps to administer 10 AmeriCorps state programs in Alabama for the next year.

The unique model of AmeriCorps, a federal agency, means the Alabama AmeriCorps state programs will leverage an additional $750,000 from the private sector, foundations and other sources for a total investment of more than $2.1 million in Alabama communities.

“For almost three decades, AmeriCorps members have worked tirelessly to strengthen our communities by providing essential resources to nonprofits, faith-based organizations and everyday Alabamians,” said Governor Ivey. “Thanks to this $1.4 million grant, the state of Alabama will be able to administer 10 new AmeriCorps state programs that will no doubt make a long-lasting difference for our state and her people.”

The funding will support the following 2022-2023 Alabama AmeriCorps programs:

Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama – This program is being developed through a planning grant. The program’s goal is to create a pipeline of emerging health professionals who enter the workforce with skills and a commitment to address unmet health needs of underserved populations in Jefferson, Lee, Macon, and Shelby counties.

Birmingham Corps – 20 AmeriCorps members will support economic and social impact efforts which may include but is not limited to the coordination of career counseling, healthy food access, safety net provisions, and program development to increase access to literacy interventions and exposure to science, technology, math and engineering opportunities in Jefferson County.

Butler County Board of Education – 20 AmeriCorps members will provide instructional assistance and early intervention to economically disadvantaged students in preschool through 12th grade in Butler County.

Cahaba Riverkeeper - This program is being developed through a planning grant. The program will support responsible stewardship of the environment and will help prepare communities for circumstances related to climate change in Bibb, Dallas, Jefferson, Perry, and Shelby counties.

City of Montgomery - This program is being developed through a planning grant disproportionately disadvantaged areas in the areas of education, workforce development, and veterans and military families in Montgomery County.

City of Selma- The program is being developed through a planning grant to support workforce development, housing rehabilitation, home ownership, job readiness, sustainable living, and community development in Dallas County.

Mobile Baykeeper – 10 AmeriCorps members will help improve student interest and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, increase environmental literacy and stewardship activities, and improve local water quality in the following counties: Mobile, Baldwin, Jefferson, Shelby, Calhoun, Etowah, DeKalb, Coosa, St. Clair, Clay, Chilton, Talladega, Elmore, Autauga, Hale, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston, Cullman, Blount, Bibb, Perry, Dallas, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Lawrence, Marengo, Marshall and Morgan counties.

SAFE Family Services Center - The program is being developed through a planning grant to support student academic advocates/mentors (both in- and out-of-school) and family/community liaisons while leveraging partnerships, alliances in Talladega, Coosa, and Chambers counties.

Student Conservation Association, Inc. – 13 AmeriCorps members will serve to protect, restore, and enhance public lands and waters through prescribed burning and preparation, tree planting and maintenance, invasive species removal, natural and unnatural debris removal, and shoreline remediation. Activities will take place statewide with a focus on Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Teach for America – Alabama – 65 AmeriCorps members will teach for two years in low-income and under-resourced schools in Dallas, Hale, Jefferson, and Perry counties.

The Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services will provide grants management, oversight, training, and technical assistance for these programs.

"These funds will put AmeriCorps members on the ground to tackle some of the toughest problems in Alabama including education and shrinking the academic achievement gap with instructional assistance, early intervention and working to provide an equitable education for our students; supporting workforce development with career counseling; providing healthy food access; teaching environmental literacy and stewardship and protecting and restoring our public lands and waterways," said Melinda Stallworth, Coordinator of the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services.

After completing a full term of service, AmeriCorps members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of approximately $6,000 they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans, resulting in an additional $768,000 for more than 120 Alabama AmeriCorps members who will serve this program year.

Since 1994, more than 9,100 Alabama residents have served approximately 15 million hours and earned education awards totaling more than $30.7 million. Higher education institutions and other organizations in Alabama have received more than $12.8 million in education award payments since 1994.

Every year, AmeriCorps members serve nationwide through schools, nonprofits, and community and faith-based organizations across the country. AmeriCorps members make a critical difference through their service by educating students for the 21st century workforce, supporting veterans and military families, completing conservation projects, tackling the opioid epidemic, promoting economic opportunity in our communities, helping people to live healthier lives, and through other projects to make their local communities stronger. Additionally, they have played a critical role helping communities throughout the United States recover from flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and other national disasters, including several disaster relief projects and the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama.

Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/Join or contact the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services at 334-242-1549.

About the Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services

The Governor’s Office of Volunteer Services, the Alabama State Service Commission, works to increase an ethic of service and volunteerism statewide and strengthen the capacity of Alabama’s faith and community-based organizations and promote collaboration among individuals and organizations striving to meet some of the state’s greatest needs. This is the state office that manages programs and initiatives, including the state AmeriCorps program and is the state’s lead agency for volunteer and donation management after disaster. Learn more at ServeAlabama.gov.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency invests in grants for local nonprofit, community, tribal, and state organizations; places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

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