Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today announced that Maryland has received $17.4 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs. 

“AmeriCorps makes incredibly important investments that strengthen the fabric of our communities, and it does so using the power of partnerships among federal, state and local entities,” said Senator Cardin. “Perhaps the best part about the $17.4 million in grants announced today is that they will mobilize more than $15 million in additional resources at the local level, nearly doubling their strategic impact for positive change.”

“AmeriCorps volunteers and everyone who chooses to work for the public good are heroes to the communities they serve,” said Senator Van Hollen. “This funding will give those who want to serve in Maryland the opportunity to help tutor children, teach in schools, support veterans, and protect our environment.”

Senators Cardin and Van Hollen are committed to protecting AmeriCorps programs, which were completely eliminated in President Trump’s FY 2018 budget.

The federal investment includes 11 grants totaling $8.5 million, which will support 1,581 AmeriCorps members. CNCS will also provide up to $6.4 million in education scholarships for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training, or pay back student loans. The federal investment is projected to generate an additional $15.2 million in local support to increase community impact and return on federal investment.

The federal investment announced today also includes $2.4 million for the Maryland Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Governor-appointed state service commission. Later this summer, the Office on Service and Volunteerism will make additional grants to support AmeriCorps programs in the state.

This year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, with a continuing level of strong demand by nonfaith and faith-based organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. The 2017 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, governor and mayor initiatives, veterans and military families, disaster services, and initiatives to build safer communities.

Below is a listing of 2017 AmeriCorps competitive grants in Maryland. For full grant and scholarship funding totals, click here.

• Maryland Conservation Corps – AmeriCorps members will engage in environmental restoration and park improvement projects, environmental programming, and disaster preparedness outreach in Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, Patapsco Valley, Assateague Island, Gunpowder Falls, Susquehanna, Tuckahoe and New Germany State Parks. (35 AmeriCorps members)

• Civic Works Service Corps – AmeriCorps members will make public land improvements, complete energy efficiency modifications, tutor and mentor students, and help older adults age in place in Baltimore. (110 AmeriCorps members)

• Reading Partners Maryland – AmeriCorps members will manage volunteer recruitment and day-to-day operations of literacy tutoring programs for low-income students at elementary schools in Baltimore. (45 AmeriCorps members)

• Teach For America Maryland – AmeriCorps members will teach more than 15,000 students for two years in low-income and disadvantaged schools in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County. (239 AmeriCorps members)

• Volunteer Maryland – AmeriCorps members will develop and improve direct service volunteer programs at up to 30 service sites. (32 AmeriCorps members)

The following programs Maryland organizations also received AmeriCorps funding, which will support AmeriCorps members in Maryland and in communities across the country.

• Notre Dame Mission Volunteers – AmeriCorps members will provide tutoring, small group instruction, and environmental education to economically disadvantaged students and adults in Baltimore. (495 AmeriCorps members)
• The Choice Program – AmeriCorps members working through the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Choice Program will provide case management services for youth and their families in the greater Baltimore metro area.  These AmeriCorps members will improve the academic engagement of 330 students, increase the vocational knowledge and skills of 90 economically disadvantaged youth, and help 120 youth stay out of foster care. (50 AmeriCorps members)

• Legacy Corps – AmeriCorps members will provide caregiver support services to veterans and military families. (542 AmeriCorps members)

• HIAS, Inc. – AmeriCorps members will provide and facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of refugees. (10 AmeriCorps members)

• World Relief Refugee AmeriCorps – AmeriCorps members will assist with the integration and community engagement of refugees by building volunteer capacity and providing direct client services to refugees within the scope of financial literacy, health and mental health extended case management. (10 AmeriCorps members)

• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service – AmeriCorps members will recruit and train new community volunteers to support and expand cultural orientation services. (13 AmeriCorps members)

Maryland is also home to an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) campus in Baltimore. AmeriCorps NCCC is a residential program that engages young adults 18-24 in team-based service nationwide. Based in five regional campuses, AmeriCorps NCCC members address critical needs across the nation and are deployed to short-term projects related to urban and rural development, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and long-term disaster recovery. FEMA Corps, a branch of AmeriCorps NCCC, supports projects exclusively dedicated to emergency management work in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In 2016, Baltimore ranked third among U.S. cities for producing AmeriCorps members, and Maryland ranked tenth among states.

Organizations are currently recruiting for AmeriCorps members to begin service this fall. AmeriCorps members typically receive a modest living stipend and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, or scholarship, upon completion of their service. The award can be used to pay for future education costs or to pay back student loans. Those interested in serving can learn more by visiting americorps.gov/join.

Last fall, AmeriCorps celebrated a major milestone when the program surpassed one million members pledging to “Get Things Done” for America. AmeriCorps engages more than 80,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 21,600 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.

Since 1994, more than 1 million men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service and earning more than $3.3 billion in scholarships to pay for college, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student loan debt.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads volunteer initiatives for the nation. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.

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