Governor Hogan’s Service and Volunteerism Office Announces $1.2 Million in AmeriCorps Grants Awarded to Maryland Nonprofits

BALTIMORE  – The Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism announced today that four Maryland organizations will receive $1.2 million in AmeriCorps competitive grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service to organizations selected in a highly competitive national process.

The grants will support AmeriCorps members who will serve in Maryland to expand educational opportunities, provide disaster services, assist veterans and military families, preserve the environment, expand health services, and foster economic opportunity.

On a national level, AmeriCorps engages 75,000 Americans every year of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet critical needs. Its members serve through more than 15,000 nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations in rural and urban communities throughout the nation. Among other accomplishments, AmeriCorps members last year managed or mobilized 4 million community volunteers, and tutored, mentored or served more than 5.2 million disadvantaged youth.

“From tutoring and educating Baltimore City youth to preserving Maryland’s environment and the Chesapeake Bay, this AmeriCorps funding will go a long way to strengthen communities across the state,” said Steven J. McAdams, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives  “Community service and volunteerism are the foundation of Maryland’s strong communities. I look forward to seeing and meeting these AmeriCorps members serving our communities in the days and weeks ahead.”

Since 1994, over 900,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.2 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.  More than 26,000 Marylanders have served over 27 million hours and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards totaling more than $60.3 million during its 22-year history of service in the state.

In August, the Governor’s Service & Volunteerism Office will announce additional AmeriCorps grants supported by $2.1 million in AmeriCorps formula funding.

To view a listing of the AmeriCorps Competitive Grants awarded to the four Maryland organizations, click here:

About Governor’s Office for Service & Volunteerism

The Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism is a unit of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives. Through federal funding, the Governor’s Service and Volunteerism office annually sponsors 16 AmeriCorps State programs that support AmeriCorps members. These members provide support for disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families in Maryland. The Service and Volunteerism office also advocates for effective volunteer program management and recognizes volunteer service across the state on behalf of the Governor of Maryland.

Organizations Receiving $1.2 Million in AmeriCorps Funding

• Civic Works Service Corps

Received: $447,831

Member Slots: 128

AmeriCorps members will tutor and mentor high school students, resulting in students who graduate on time with a diploma and enroll in post-secondary institutions. Members will serve low-income areas of Baltimore County and city, where unemployment is high, populations without high school diplomas are high and the number of college graduates is low.

• Maryland Conservation Corps

Received: $308,655

Member Slots: 35

AmeriCorps members will remove invasive species, restore wildlife habitat, plant native species, build or restore trails, and conduct other activities to improve at-risk ecosystems in seven state parks across Maryland. AmeriCorps members will recruit and lead volunteers, including Conservation Job Corps youth during the summer, to improve park land and provide outdoor experience.

• Reading Partners

Received: $126,350

Member Slots: 10

AmeriCorps members will recruit, train, and support volunteers to deliver one-on-one literacy tutoring services to 2nd through 5th grade students, resulting in increased literacy skills among the students served. The program will serve six Title I elementary schools in Baltimore, Maryland.

• Volunteer Maryland

Received: $372,116

Member Slots: 32

AmeriCorps members will recruit volunteers and develop effective volunteer management systems resulting in increased organizational capacity. Organizations throughout Maryland will benefit from effective volunteer management practices and increased organizational efficiency.

In August, the Governor’s Service and Volunteerism Office will announce additional AmeriCorps grants supported by $2.1 million in AmeriCorps formula funding. 

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