FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug 21, 2015

 

Funding will support more than 830 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serving with nonprofits across Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Community Service Commission, joined by Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps, today announced new AmeriCorps and Senior Corps funding of more than $9.6 million to support AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serving in nonprofits across Oklahoma.

CNCS will invest $6.5 million to support 830 AmeriCorps members serving with 11 nonprofits across the state. The AmeriCorps funding consists of $3.1 million in grants and an additional $3.4 million in education scholarships for AmeriCorps members. The federal investment is projected to generate an additional $3.7 million in local support to increase community impact and return on federal investment, bringing the total funding to $10.3 million to support AmeriCorps programs.  

The 11 grants to Oklahoma nonprofits will be administered through the Oklahoma Community Service Commission, the Governor-appointed state service commission. 

"We are excited to make this announcement with the Oklahoma Community Service Commission, our partner on the ground, who shares our belief that national service is a powerful and proven solution to community needs across the nation and here in Oklahoma,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Today’s announcement will support Oklahoma schools and nonprofits and engage citizens and bring communities together. We congratulate the organizations receiving awards and thank all AmeriCorps members for their dedication to service.”

“AmeriCorps is an indispensable resource to help meet critical needs facing our communities and nation,” said Melinda Points, executive director of the Oklahoma Community Service Commission. "We are thrilled to receive this grant and excited to continue to collaborate with public schools and local nonprofits that recognize the lasting impact AmeriCorps members make throughout the community.”

Spencer also announced that the Regional Food Bank would receive 48 full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members serving across Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City. AmeriCorps VISTA members will help fight hunger in Oklahoma through various programs, including: Food and Resource Center Capacity Building Fresh Rx, Veteran’s Hunger Initiative, Marketing Research and Promotion, SNAP Program Outreach, Food and Nutrition Services Volunteer Engagement.

The agency will invest more than $1.7 million in funding over three years. In addition, AmeriCorps VISTA members who complete their service are eligible to earn a total of $825,000 in education scholarships to pay for higher education or pay back student loans. This commitment will be a total investment of $2.5 million to support 144 full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members over the next three years.

“The Americorps VISTA members have been an integral part of the Regional Food Bank from the very beginning and helped set the foundation for our future success,” said Rodney W. Bivens, executive director and founder of the Regional Food Bank.  “We are excited about our new AmeriCorps VISTA members and look forward to working together in the fight against hunger in Oklahoma.”

The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and CNCS also announced that the food bank has become an Employer of National Service, committing to employ AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni. The organization joins the ranks of more than 240 other employers, like Arizona State University, Sodexo, Disney, and the state of Montana and Virginia.

“By taking this step, the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is making a smart move to attract talented, dedicated, and experienced leaders to work in addressing one of the communities most pressing issues - hunger,” Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS, the federal agency that  administers AmeriCorps, said. “I am thrilled to see the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma recognize that AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni bring valuable skills and I commend their leadership in this effort.”

Employers of National Service was launched in September 2014 by President Obama in celebration of the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps. The initiative builds a talent pipeline, which connects AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni with leading employers from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to create recruitment, hiring, and advancement opportunities.

The Delta Community Action Foundation, Inc. was awarded more than $619,000 over three years to develop the Delta Senior Companion Program in today’s announcement. Senior Companions will serve in Southern Oklahoma to provide independent living support services to homebound clients and provide respite services for family caregivers. Senior Companions will help clients with chores such a light housekeeping, buying groceries, and finding transportation to medical appointments.

CNCS’s investment will leverage an additional $67,500 in local resources from the private sector, foundations, and other sources to increase community impact and return on the federal investment. The total investment of more than $685,000 will support up to 40 Senior Companions serving annually for three years.

Below is a listing of 2015 AmeriCorps grants in Oklahoma:

  • City Year, Inc. for City Year of Tulsa: AmeriCorps members will provide in-school and after-school tutoring and mentoring to third and ninth grade students who are at-risk to drop out of six Tulsa, Oklahoma, public schools. (50 AmeriCorps members; $625,000 grant)
     
  • Jennings Public School for Learn to Read: AmeriCorps members will provide one-on-one and small group literacy and reading interventions to K-4 students at 19 public schools in eight rural counties across Oklahoma. (36 AmeriCorps members; $232,186 grant)
     
  • Okeene Public School for Service for Success: AmeriCorps members will tutor low-performing pre-K through 12 grade students in reading and math in 13 rural Oklahoma school districts. (66 AmeriCorps members; $363,749grant)
     
  • Teach for America – Oklahoma: AmeriCorps members will teach two years in low-income schools to improve educational outcomes for students. (370 AmeriCorps members; $280,090 grant)
     
  • Communities in Schools – Oklahoma CIS Summer of Service Plus: AmeriCorps members will  provide one-on-one and small group literacy instruction, targeting pre-K through 5th grade underperforming students from low income families, in addition to various enrichment, social, and other academic support in Cities in Schools afterschool and summer program in Ardmore, Oklahoma.  (50 AmeriCorps members; $140,414 grant)
     
  • Little Dixie Community Action Agency School Readiness: AmeriCorps members will serve in Little Dixie Community Action Agency Head Start and Early Head Start programs to assist teacher and assistant teachers in making sure students are prepared to enter kindergarten. (28 AmeriCorps members; $177,907 grant)
     
  • Oklahoma Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs for Oklahoma Boys & Girls Clubs’ AmeriCorps Project Learn Program: AmeriCorps members will improve existing homework help programs, teach high-yield learning activities, implement homework completion incentive programs, and recruit community volunteers in 20 Boys & Girls Club sites across the state.  (20 AmeriCorps members; $132,985 grant)
     
  • Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church for Project Transformation: During the summer months, AmeriCorps members will organize and facilitate the daily Project Transformation reading and enrichment activities at eight locations across the state.  (50 AmeriCorps members; $126,402 grant)
     
  • Putnam City Schools AmeriCorps Program: AmeriCorps members will work with low-income students in interactive reading sessions as well as lead physical fitness and extra-curricular activities from September-May in six elementary schools and one middle school. (50 AmeriCorps members; $140,714 grant)
     
  • Red River Community Corps, Inc. for Oklahoma Serves: AmeriCorps members work with youth in after-school and out-of-school time activities, service activities include academic tutoring, arts education, equestrian therapy, health and fitness education, mentoring, and volunteer recruitment and management. (65 AmeriCorps members; $518,766 grant)
     
  • Red River Community Corps, Inc. for Oklahoma in Action: AmeriCorps members will provide GED tutoring, English as a second language tutoring, job readiness training, job placement services, food pantry management, nutrition education, client in-take, and volunteer recruitment and management. (45 AmeriCorps members; $425,248)

AmeriCorps engages 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 25,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Since 1994, more than 11,000 Oklahoma residents have provided more than 12 million hours of service addressing critical challenges and earning more than $24.4 million in education awards for their service. 

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.