CT Organizations to Share $2.3 Million in State and Federal Grants to Support Community Service

/

Serve Connecticut, the Connecticut Commission on Community Service (CCCS), is awarding $2.3 million in federal AmeriCorps State & National funding to eight Connecticut organizations serving residents and communities across the state. 

Updated_Serve-CT-Commission-Logo-2019-320.png

The organizations will engage 491 AmeriCorps national service members during the coming year at various sites to address critical community issues. AmeriCorps Connecticut members serve in schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veteran’s facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations, where they combat the opioid epidemic, improve student engagement and academic success, connect children to healthy foods, enhance patient health service experiences, according to officials.

Jacqueline-Johnson-LinkedIN.jpg

“We are so proud of the outstanding contributions AmeriCorps members make each year in Connecticut,” shared Serve Connecticut Executive Director Jacqueline Johnson. “Through a powerful national service experience, AmeriCorps members make a lasting impact in in our communities while gaining valuable leadership, team-building, and project management skills they can transfer to the workforce when their service commitment is complete!”

Upon completion of their term of service, AmeriCorps members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of up to approximately $6,095 to pay for college or to repay student loans.

Recipient organizations were selected through a competitive process.  Funding awardees for 2019-2020 include:

  • Health360 in Waterbury will receive $197,496 to support HealthForward, where 20 AmeriCorps members will engage high school, college, and health profession students from demographic groups under-represented in health professions in service learning projects focused on implementing health education and screening services in high need communities in the greater Hartford, Waterbury, Shelton and Norwich regions.

  • FoodCorps, Inc. in Manchester will receive $334,180 to support FoodCorps Connecticut, where 20 AmeriCorps members will connect children in high-need school districts around the state to healthy food by teaching nutrition education, building and tending school gardens, and promoting locally grown food in cafeterias.

  • Jumpstart, Inc., which has a regional office in Boston, that serves Connecticut, will receive $476,191 to support Jumpstart Connecticut, where 225 AmeriCorps members will increase kindergarten preparedness of preschool-aged children in high-need communities in Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, New Haven, Storrs, Vernon and Willimantic.

  • New England Science & Sailing in Stonington will receive $133,000 to support NESS SEA AmeriCorps, where 16 AmeriCorps members will provide classroom support, tutoring, mentoring and implement STEM-based ocean adventure extended learning and enrichment programs to New London students.

  • The Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) will receive $302,208 to support Prevention Corps, where 30 members will coordinate prevention and intervention activities related to prescription drug and opioid abuse in the greater New Haven and Bridgeport regions.

  • Public Allies, Inc. in Bridgeport will receive $455,760 to support Public Allies Connecticut, where 30 AmeriCorps members will provide capacity building services to a variety of nonprofit organizations in the greater Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport regions.

  • The Community Health Center Association of Connecticut (CHCACT) in Cheshire will receive $349,416 to support Service to Improve Community Health (STICH), where 23 AmeriCorps members will improve access to primary care and preventative health care for patients at health centers in the greater Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Danbury, and Norwich areas.

  • Teach for America in New Haven will receive $132,000 in funding to support Teach for America Connecticut, where 132 AmeriCorps members will teach for two years in high-need school districts in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, and Windham.

In addition, Serve Connecticut is planning a Connecticut Conference on Volunteerism in May 2020. Serve Connecticut, the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, is a department of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education; and its mission is to strengthen Connecticut communities through national service resources, community engagement and volunteerism.  For more information, visit www.ctohe.org/cccs.

AmeriCorps, which is marking its 25th Anniversary this year, is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.