AmeriCorps Awards More Than $10 Million to Seniors Volunteer Programs
May 21 2024 - 4:31PM
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and
volunteerism, awarded more than $10 million
to
AmeriCorps Seniors grantee
organizations. This grant is part of the 2024 AmeriCorps
Seniors
Senior Companion Program and
AmeriCorps Senior
Foster Grandparent
Program Replacement and Expansion Opportunity.
“AmeriCorps Seniors taps into the wealth of experience, skills,
and time that older Americans are eager to
offer,” said Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps
CEO. “Volunteers stay active in their communities,
and, alongside our grantees, they can enrich their own lives while
bolstering efforts to address the nation’s most pressing
challenges. These grants will further the efforts of dozens of
evidence-based programs across the country further engaging more
older adults into meaningful service roles.”
The 51 AmeriCorps Seniors grant recipients will use this federal
funding to support nearly 1,500 volunteers across 28 states and
Puerto Rico. These AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will invest over
1.25 million service hours in their communities. The AmeriCorps
Seniors Senior Companion Program grantees and volunteers focus on
providing support and facilitating access to services and resources
that contribute to independent living for other older adults and
those with disabilities, while also providing respite support to
caregivers. In addition, the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent
Program grantees and volunteers provide one-on-one tutoring and
mentoring that support academic and social-emotional development.
Priority for the grant is awarded to AmeriCorps Seniors Senior
Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs that serve communities
with concentrated poverty and those that serve historically
underrepresented groups, those in rural and tribal areas, projects
that promote public awareness of the challenges faced by family
caregivers, those that support individuals with arrest and
conviction records and those that foster civic bridgebuilding
projects for volunteers.
“We are excited to expand and deepen our support in our nation's
communities through this funding opportunity,” said
Atalaya Sergi, AmeriCorps Seniors National
Director. “As a nation it is vital that we make sure
our older adults are recognized as vital resources to support all
generations of Americans and offer as many ways for them to engage
as possible.”
View a complete list of awards, including
organizations and funding totals.
As the agency's most expansive volunteer
program, AmeriCorps Seniors is one of the
oldest in national service and empowers volunteers aged 55 and
older to serve their communities. Studies show that AmeriCorps
Seniors volunteers feel more socially connected and healthier
during their time of service, with 88 percent reporting fewer
feelings of isolation and 84 percent reporting stable or improving
health. These findings highlight the positive impact of AmeriCorps
Seniors volunteers improving their overall health and happiness
through service.
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.
AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all
backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow
personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their
service. Learn how to get involved
at AmeriCorps.gov/Serve.
- AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer
National Service Press Office
AmeriCorps
pressoffice@cns.gov