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Serve Illinois Announces $35.7 Million For AmeriCorps Programs

News – Tuesday, July 10, 2018

46 Programs Will Place More than 1,800 AmeriCorps Members in Over 70 counties
 

SPRINGFIELD – The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois) today announced $20 million in Corporation for National and Community Service federal grants to place 1,830 AmeriCorps Members in 46 programs to serve Illinois communities.  This is an increase of $2.5 million over last year, allowing AmeriCorps Members to serve in seven additional programs.  These awards include $7.4 million in education awards that AmeriCorps Members can use to pay for college after their term of service.  AmeriCorps programs will match these funds with an additional $15.7 million in local funding.  The total investment into Illinois communities will be $35.7 million.
 
AmeriCorps Members dedicate up to one year to help communities with unmet economic, education, health, public safety, disaster preparedness, veteran services, and environmental needs.  Members may receive a modest living allowance, student loan deferment, health insurance, childcare, and professional development.  Members who successfully complete their service receive an educational award of up to $5,920 to help pay for college, graduate school, vocational training, or to pay off student loans.
 
 “This is the largest AmeriCorps investment Illinois has seen in the history of the program,” said Serve Illinois Executive Director Scott McFarland.  “Last year, AmeriCorps Illinois served nearly 400,000 Illinoisans, including more than 209,000 disadvantaged youth and nearly 40,000 veterans, active military, and military family members.”
 
These federal grants will be used for services in Illinois, including tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth, preparing communities to respond effectively to emergencies, feeding those in need, providing legal support services, assisting incarcerated individuals re-enter into their communities, promoting environmental stewardship, supporting veterans, and improving youth and adult literacy.  Serve Illinois, a part of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), administers the AmeriCorps programs in Illinois.
 
“These AmeriCorps Members represent the best of our state and nation,” said Scott McFarland. “We believe that service is the solution, and when you see the AmeriCorps “A,” you know things are getting done.”
 
Since 1994, more than 41,000 Illinoisans have served 59 million hours through AmeriCorps.  Those hours equal more than $1.5 billion in community impact.  They have also earned $140.8 million in education awards.
 
Serve Illinois is a 40 member (25 voting and 15 non-voting), bipartisan commission appointed by the Governor and administered by IDPH.  Its mission is to improve Illinois communities by enhancing traditional volunteer activities and supporting national service programs.  Serve Illinois supports local community-based efforts to enhance volunteer opportunities and the administration of Illinois' AmeriCorps program. For more information on the Serve Illinois and a full description of each AmeriCorps program, visit www.Serve.Illinois.gov.
 
Serve Illinois’ AmeriCorps Programs:
 

Grantee Counties Served AmeriCorps
Members
Federal
Award
Local
Match
Academy for Urban School Leadership Cook 70 $56,000 N/A
American Red Cross - Chicago Adams, Cook, Kankakee, McLean, Peoria, Rock Island, Sangamon, Will, Winnebago 27 $372,482 $380,471
Asian Human Services Cook 11 $164,230 $195,856
Beyond Sports Foundation Cook, DuPage, Kendall, Lake, Will 36 $142,192 $51,686
Cahokia School District #187 St. Claire 28 $268,776 $558,500
Chicago H.O.P.E.S. Cook 20 $123,859 $56,337
City of Peoria Peoria 20 $138,285 $381,165
City of Springfield Sangamon 16 $115,635 $36,612
City Year Chicago Cook 212 $3,165,583 $3,165,583
College Possible Illinois Cook 20 $260,000 $556,313
East Aurora School District #131 Kane 37 $178,963 $205,831
East St. Louis School District #189 St. Claire 61 $300,228 $153,151
First Defense Legal Aid Cook 9 $128,320 $50,384
Gardeneers Cook 8 $119,452 $124,435
Girl Scouts of Northern IL Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago 21 $163,711 $125,091
Greater Chicago Food Depository Cook 25 $210,520 $286,142
Housing Forward Cook 12 $166,898 $168,818
Illinois Bar Foundation Champaign, Cook, Kankakee, Lake, Madison, McLean, Winnebago 58 $278,316 $278,219
Illinois Campus Compact Cook, Macon, Rock Island 30 $5,504 $3,846
Illinois Public Health Association Adams, Cook, Kane, Lake, Lee, Macoupin, McLean, Ogle, Peoria, Sangamon, St. Claire 20 $298,638 $298,640
Leave No Veteran Behind Cook 18 $253,668 $257,985
Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House St. Claire 198 $861,571 $1,035,657
Literacy Volunteers of America Bureau, Cook, DuPage, Henry, Jersey, Kane, Lake, Saline, Scott 42 $355,349 $679,388
Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Alexander, Randolph, St. Clair, Williamson, Winnebago 20 $137,859 $158,975
Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Cook 12 $179,184 $130,095
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Cook, Lake, Will 8 $119,456 $127,998
Northwestern University Settlement Association Cook 72 $496,894 $496,896
Public Allies Chicago Cook 50 $649,618 $667,027
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago Cook 12 $179,184 $263,440
Relay Graduate School of Education Cook 30 $20,140 $414,251
Rend Lake College Alexander, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Jackson, Johnson, Jefferson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pulaski, Union, Washington, Williamson 60 $445,500 $445,500
Sauk Valley Community College Bureau, Carrol, Henry, Lee, Ogle, Whiteside 40 $180,038 $191,994
Schuler Family Foundation Cook, Lake 45 N/A $1,300,000
Severson Dells Educational Foundation Boone, DeKalb, Winnebago 23 $119,304 $101,468
Southwestern Illinois College St. Claire 68 $372,716 $479,206
Springfield Urban League Morgan, Sangamon 54 $214,182 $212,810
Teach for America Cook 195 N/A $8,070,500
The University of Chicago Cook 10 $148,938 $208,369
Triton College Cook 24 $179,131 $79,366
UIC - Project MORE Cook 21 $151,474 $151,474
United Way of Metropolitan Chi. Cook 12 $179,176 $94,269
Up2Us Sports Coaches Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will 20 $158,855 $253,080
WIU - Peace Corps Fellows McDonough 14 $142,506 $142,506
YMCA Rock River Valley Boone, Winnebago 19 $141,642 $62,886
Youth & Opportunity United Cook 22 $270,326 $665,695

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