Federal Agency Opens New Regional Office in Los Angeles; Celebrates AmeriCorps, Senior Corps Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service, today announced the opening of its new West Regional Office in Los Angeles. An opening celebration was held virtually via Zoom, welcoming nearly 200 representatives from AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs from across the region. CNCS CEO Barbara Stewart and Regional Administrator Amy Dailey offered remarks at the event.
The new office will serve AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs in six states and three territories: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and the Pacific Territories. In total, CNCS provides more than $109 million in funding to the region and this federal investment leverages an additional $131 million in local, outside investments. The funding provided by CNCS supports more than 34,000 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members who serve at thousands of sites across all nine states and territories.
“Our AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers represent the best of America, and I am grateful every day to the incredible CNCS employees who support them.” said Barbara Stewart, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “I am inspired by the dedication, enthusiasm, and talent of our West Region team, and I look forward to a strong future of service in this region.”
CNCS is the nation’s top provider of grants to support national service and volunteering, harnessing America's most-powerful resource – the energy and talents of its citizens – to help communities address their most pressing needs. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps’ service efforts include mentoring and tutoring our nation’s youth, alleviating food scarcity, and forging pathways to employment for thousands of Americans.
As our country confronts the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, national service plays a more crucial role than ever. Since the start of the national emergency, nearly 12,000 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps have served in direct response to COVID-19, providing assistance to more than 1.5 million Americans. Thousands more are providing critical support to children across the country as they return to school, aiding schools as they transition to remote and distance learning while ensuring that every student stays on track.
National service is also serving a critical role in the region’s response to the devastating wildfires. The California Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, is supporting base camps, expanding control lines, ember removal and mop-up, and providing other services needed to expand the response. Additional AmeriCorps programs have been deployed to assist with shelter operations and other critical support services.
Working in collaboration with governor-appointed state service commissions, the West Regional Office will connect communities to national service resources through the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. Its staff will assist national service applicants and grantees by providing training, technical assistance, and administrative oversight. In addition, they will promote the MLK Day and September 11th national days of service, which provide opportunities for all Americans to serve.
The West Regional Office is one of eight new offices for CNCS and is part of a second phase of openings this fall that also includes offices in Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio. The first regional offices were opened in the fall of 2019 in Denver; Concord, N.H.; and Kansas City, Mo. Two more offices – located in Austin, Texas and Philadelphia – will open later this year.