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News Release - August 8, 2017

News Release – Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Serve Illinois Announces $17.5 Million For AmeriCorps Programs

39 programs will place more than 1,600 AmeriCorps Members in 65 counties

SPRINGFIELD - The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois) today announced $17.5 million in Corporation for National and Community Service federal grants to place 1,671 AmeriCorps Members in 39 programs to serve Illinois communities. This is an increase of $1.9 million over last year, allowing AmeriCorps Members to serve in 20 additional counties. These awards include $6.4 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 $15.9 million in local funding.

AmeriCorps Members dedicate up to one year to help communities meet 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 $5,815 to help pay for college, graduate school, vocational training, or to pay off student loans.

“This is the largest AmeriCorps award that Illinois has seen in the 24 year history of the program,” said Serve Illinois Executive Director Scott McFarland. “Last year, AmeriCorps Illinois served nearly 300,000 Illinoisans, including more than 180,000 disadvantaged youth; nearly 40,000 veterans, active military, and military family members; and more than 13,000 people impacted by disasters.”

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.

“The growth of this program in Illinois is a testament to the hard work our AmeriCorps Members perform each day in their communities throughout Illinois,” said Scott McFarland. “When you see the AmeriCorps “A”, you know things are getting done.”

Since 1994, 39,000 people have served 55 million hours in Illinois through AmeriCorps. Those hours equal more than $1.4 billion in community impact. AmeriCorps Members have also earned $131.7 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 AmeriCorps, visit www.Serve.Illinois.gov.

Serve Illinois' AmeriCorps Programs:

Program

Focus Areas

Counties Served

Funding

Members

American Red Cross

Disaster Services

Jo Davies, Stephenson, Carroll, Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Lee, McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, DuPage, Cook, Kendall, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, Vermillion, Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, Piatt, De Witt, Macon, Whiteside, Bureau, Henry, Rock Island, Mercer, Hancock, McDonough, Adams, Brown, Pike, Logan, Menard, Sangamon, Cass, Morgan, Christian, Monroe, St. Clair, Clinton, Washington, Marion, Jefferson

$372,482

27

Asian Human Services

Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures

Cook

$195,825

14

Beyond Sports
*New program

Education, Healthy Futures, Economic Opportunity

Lake, Cook, Will, DuPage, Kendall

$112,677

21

Chicago HOPES for Kids
*New program

Education

Cook

$142,300

20

City of Peoria
*New program

Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity

Peoria

$138,285

20

City Year Chicago

Education

Cook

$2,274,799

188

College Possible
*New program

Education

Cook

$260,000

20

East St. Louis School District #189

Education, Economic Opportunity

St. Clair

$457,477

75

First Defense Legal Aid

Other Community Priorities

Cook

$127,500

9

Gardeneers
*New program

Healthy Futures

Cook

$114,637

8

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois

Education

Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago

$167,711

19

Greater Chicago Food Depository

Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families

Cook

$158,482

15

Housing Forward

Economic Opportunity, Capacity Building

Cook

$166,898

12

Illinois Bar Foundation

Veteran and Military Families, Other Community Priorities

McLean, Champaign, Cook, Madison, Knox, Will, Kankakee, Lake, Winnebago

$280,641

68

Illinois Public Health Association

Disaster Services, Healthy Futures

Lake, Cook, Ogle, Lee, Kane, McLean, Sangamon, Adams, Schuyler, Macoupin, St. Clair, Douglas

$264,622

22

Leave No Veteran Behind
*New program

Veteran and Military Families, Disaster Services

Cook

$240,380

18

Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House

Education, Healthy Futures, Capacity Building, Veteran and Military Families, Economic Opportunity

St. Clair

$861,570

190

Literacy Volunteers of Illinois

Economic Opportunity, Education

Cook, Bureau, DuPage, Henry, Jersey, Kane, Saline, Scott

$355,808

42

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois

Economic Opportunity, Capacity Building

Franklin, Williamson, Jackson, Madison, St. Clair

$131,935

20

Northwestern University Settlement Association

Education, Capacity Building

Cook

$508,728

75

Public Allies

Education

Cook

$649,627

50

Rend Lake College

Education, Environmental Stewardship, Economic Opportunity

Alexander, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pulaski, Washington, Williamson, Union

$445,500

60

Relay Graduate School of Education
*New program

Education

Cook

$20,140

30

Rincon
*New program

Healthy Futures

Lake, Cook

$114,640

8

Sauk Valley Community College

Education, Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity

Whiteside, Lee, Ogle, Carroll, Bureau, Henry

$195,132

45

Schuler Family Foundation
*Program only requests education awards

Education

Cook

$0

40

Southwestern Illinois College

Education, Capacity Building

St. Clair

$372,716

68

Springfield Urban League

Education, Economic Opportunity

Sangamon

$209,902

56

Teach for America

Education

Cook

$101,500

195

Trails for Illinois
*New program

Environmental Stewardship

Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson

$153,292

60

United Way Of Metropolitan Chicago

Education, Healthy Futures, Economic Opportunity

Cook

$168,760

12

University of Illinois - Chicago

Economic Opportunity, Capacity Building

Cook

$151,474

21

Up2Us – Coach Across America

Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families

Cook

$166,990

20

Western Illinois University

Capacity Building, Disaster Services

McDonough

$142,506

14

Western Illinois University – Quad Cities

Education

Rock Island

$211,791

35

YMCA – Rock River Valley

Education, Capacity Building

Winnebago

$141,642

26

Youth and Opportunity United, Inc. (YOU)

Education

Cook

$245,872

22

Youth Conservation Corps
*New program

Education, Economic Opportunity

Lake

$119,000

10

Youth Guidance

Education

Cook

$109,813

16