WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $7,640,977 for seven AmeriCorps service projects in Baltimore City and County. This funding, provided through the FY2024 appropriations legislation which the lawmakers worked to pass, will support 560 AmeriCorps volunteers’ efforts to make our communities stronger through initiatives for early education, job training and workforce development, environmental stewardship, and assistance to older Marylanders, among others.
“AmeriCorps is where community service meets workforce development. Their programs help fill a widening gap in our workforce, build valuable skills and expand opportunity in the communities that need it most,” said Senator Cardin. “This federal investment in AmeriCorps projects that support the Baltimore region will provide an invaluable resource for its local members and in neighborhoods across Baltimore and beyond.”
“For decades, AmeriCorps has provided invaluable help with support services in communities across Maryland. With these investments in projects ranging from job training to early childhood education to environmental conservation, dedicated AmeriCorps volunteers will meet important local needs for families and seniors alike in Baltimore City and County,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee.
“The impact of this federal AmeriCorps funding will be felt directly in the Baltimore region, as volunteers work on the ground to tackle some of our most pressing issues. I am encouraged by the federal support for this type of work. However, it is important to see this as a beginning and not an end,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume.
“This year’s AmeriCorps State and National grants demonstrate our steadfast commitment to helping communities tackle the most urgent challenges head on,” said Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps CEO. “These funds will empower AmeriCorps members to make significant strides in education services, demonstrating the power of national service to bring about positive change. I am thrilled to see the impact our members and volunteers will have on Baltimore and am grateful for the hard work and dedication of all involved. Together, we are building a brighter future across the state of Maryland.”
The 2024 AmeriCorps grants include:
Program: Maryland Reading Corps
Grantee: The Literacy Lab
Funding: $399,980
Project Location: Baltimore City
Description: The Literacy Lab will have 27 AmeriCorps members who will provide pre-K children with daily, targeted early literacy intervention in Judy Center pre-K classrooms in Baltimore City Public Schools.
Program: Maryland Refugee Corps
Grantee: International Rescue Committee, Inc.
Funding: $203,272
Project Location: Baltimore City
Description: The International Rescue Committee in Maryland will have 10 AmeriCorps members supporting job placement and training services.
Program: Community Art Collaborative
Grantee: The Maryland Institute
Funding: $370,856
Project Location: Baltimore City
Description: The Community Art Collaborative (CAC) will have 15 AmeriCorps members who will serve economically disadvantaged K-12 youth through after-school, arts-based community programs in non-profit organizations, schools, museums, and community centers.
Program: Civic Works Service Corps
Grantee: Civic Works, Inc.
Funding: $496,152
Project Location: Baltimore City
Description: The Civic Works Service Corps will have 61 AmeriCorps members who will engage community members in environmental stewardship, tutor high school students and prepare them for college, and repair houses to make them safe for older adults to age in place.
Program: Notre Dame Mission Volunteers Program, Inc
Grantee: Notre Dame Mission Volunteer Corporation
Funding: $5,960,258
Project Location: Baltimore City
Description: The Notre Dame Mission Volunteers Program, Inc. will have 418 AmeriCorps members who will provide small group and one-on-one instruction to economically disadvantaged K-12 students and to economically disadvantaged adults.
Program: The Choice Program at UMBC
Grantee: University of Maryland Baltimore County
Funding: $12,957
Project Location: Baltimore
Description: The Choice Program at UMBC will have 21 AmeriCorps members who will provide community-based mentoring, enrichment activities, education, and workforce development services to youth and families.
Program: HabiCorps
Grantee: Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, Inc.
Funding: $197,502
Project Location: Halethorpe
Description: Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake will have 8 AmeriCorps members who will serve in the HabiCorps Program comprised of 10 on-the-job construction and landscaping traineeships, building and rehabilitating homes and their property.
In addition to the 7 grants awarded across the Greater Baltimore Region, Maryland has received 3 grants in Anne Arundel, Allegany, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties. The Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism will also receive $3,389,347 in formula funding, which will be awarded to state organizations to support additional AmeriCorps members. In total, Maryland will receive $12,216,767 in funding from AmeriCorps to support 663 AmeriCorps members across the state.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, 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 places more than 200,000 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.
