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Van Hollen, Cardin Announce More Than $17 Million in Funding for Maryland AmeriCorps

1,219 Members will serve in Maryland in the Organization's 25th Year

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced more than $17 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps.

“For 25 years, AmeriCorps members have been doing vital work throughout Maryland and the country. They are committed to serving the greater good -- from cleaning up the Bay, to helping those suffering from addiction, to volunteering at our schools, to putting a roof over families’ heads. We can always count on them to help serve the public, and I’m proud to help lead the fight in support of this vital program,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committees.

“The AmeriCorps program brings together federal, state, and local partners to strengthen our communities and address our greatest challenges,” said Senator Cardin. “I’m pleased to congratulate the staff and volunteers on their 25thanniversary and look forward to many more years of good work.”

Senators Van Hollen and Cardin are committed to protecting AmeriCorps programs, which were zeroed out in President Trump’s FY2020 budget. In 2018, Baltimore ranked first nationwide among large cities for producing AmeriCorps members, and Maryland ranked tenth among states.

The CNCS investment is expected to leverage an additional $23.5 million from the private sector, foundations, and other sources, increasing the return on federal investment. The $17 million in federal funding includes:  

  • More than 7.5 million in direct funding to ten successful grantees, listed below;
  • Close to 7 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for participants to cover post-secondary education costs or to pay back student loans after their service; and
  • More than 2.6 million for the Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism to distribute among Maryland organizations for additional AmeriCorps volunteers.

This year, 1,219 members will work through ten organizations headquartered in Maryland, including some working exclusively in state and others working across state lines. FY2019 grantees and the numbers of volunteers they will host are listed below.

  • Salisbury State University (PALS) – AmeriCorps members will increase the number of individuals attending drug related health education programs on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. (20 members)
  • Reading Partners – Reading Partners AmeriCorps members will manage the volunteer recruitment for and day-to-day operations of our one-on-one literacy tutoring program for economically disadvantaged students at 16 Title I elementary schools across Baltimore, MD. (27 members)
  • Urban Teacher Center dba Urban Teachers – AmeriCorps members will be recruited and supported to become high performing, career teachers in Baltimore City, MD; Washington DC; and Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (DFW). (242 members)
  • The Literacy Lab – AmeriCorps members will provide low-income preschool children with daily, targeted early literacy intervention through the Maryland Reading Corps Program in pre-K classrooms in Baltimore, MD. (30 members)
  • Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake – AmeriCorps members will build and rehabilitate homes and their property primarily in Baltimore City and the surrounding Central Maryland counties. (15 members)
  • Frostburg State University – AmeriCorps members will address the prescription drug and opiate crisis by educating the community on resources and programs available to them in Allegany, Garrett, Washington, and Frederick Counties. (9 members)
  • Civic Works, Incorporated – AmeriCorps members will engage community members in environmental stewardship, tutor high school students and prepare them for college, and repair houses to make them safe for older adults to age in place in Baltimore. (98 members)
  • Notre Dame Mission Volunteers Program, Inc. – AmeriCorps members will provide tutoring and small group instruction to economically disadvantaged students in grades K-12 and to economically disadvantaged adults in 30 different urban and rural communities. (520 members)
  • Teach for America – Professional AmeriCorps members will be responsible for two years of teaching in low-income and disadvantaged schools in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County. (213 members)
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County – AmeriCorps members will provide community based intensive case management services focusing on educational engagement and increasing employment for youth and their families in the Baltimore Washington metro area and the greater Philadelphia region. (45 members)

Every year, 75,000 AmeriCorps members serve through 21,000+ schools, nonprofits, and community and faith-based organizations across the country. These citizens have played a critical role in the recovery of communities affected by disasters and helped thousands of first generation college students access higher education. They also tutor and mentor young people, connect veterans to jobs, care for seniors, reduce crime and revive cities, fight the opioid epidemic, and meet other critical needs.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps. Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1 million Americans have served, providing more than 1.5 billion hours of service and earned more than $3.6 billion in education scholarships, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student debt. Those interested in joining AmeriCorps can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/Join. 

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

The full breakdown of FY 2019 Maryland grants can be found here.  

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