AmeriCorps Opens New Region Office in Austin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and service, today announced the opening of its new South Central Region office in Austin, Texas. The agency celebrated the opening virtually via Zoom, jointly with the staff from the Mid-Atlantic Region office, which is also marking its new opening. AmeriCorps CEO Barbara Stewart and South Central Region Administrator Sam Schuth delivered remarks.
The new office will serve AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs in five states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. In total, the agency provides more than $112 million in federal funding in support of volunteer services and programs with 34,000 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members who serve at more than 4,500 sites across the region.
“AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Senior volunteers represent the best of America, and I am grateful every day to the incredible employees who support them,” said Barbara Stewart, CEO of the federal agency AmeriCorps. “I am inspired by the dedication, enthusiasm, and talent of our South Central Region team, and I look forward to a strong future of service in this region.”
As the nation’s top provider of grants to support national service and volunteering, AmeriCorps harnesses America's most-powerful resource – the energy and talents of its citizens – to help communities address their most pressing needs. AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors service efforts include mentoring and tutoring our nation’s youth, supporting veterans, and forging pathways to employment for thousands of Americans.
National service programs have continued to play a critical role as our country confronts the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the national emergency, nearly 23,000 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members have served in direct response to COVID-19, aiding more than 4.5 million Americans across the country. Thousands more are providing critical support to children as they return to school, aiding schools as they transition to remote and distance learning while ensuring that every student remains son track.
Working in collaboration with governor-appointed state service commissions, the South Central Region office will connect communities to national service resources through the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors 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.
Joined by the Mid-Atlantic Region office, the South Central Region office is one of eight new regional offices created as part of the agency’s Transformation and Sustainability Plan. The first regional offices were opened in the fall of 2019 in Denver, Concord, N.H., and Kansas City, Mo. and were followed by those in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Columbus, Ohio in 2020.