AmeriCorps Awards More Than $10 Million to Seniors Volunteer Programs
Summary
Volunteers stay active in their communities, and, alongside our grantees, they can enrich their own lives while bolstering efforts to address the nations most pressing challenges. The AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program grantees and volunteers focus on providing support and facilitating access to services and resources that contribute to independent living for other older adults and those with disabilities, while also providing respite support to caregivers. In addition, the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program grantees and volunteers provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring that support academic and social-emotional development.Priority for the grant is awarded to AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs that serve communities with concentrated poverty and those that serve historically underrepresented groups, those in rural and tribal areas, projects that promote public awareness of the challenges faced by family caregivers, those that support individuals with arrest and conviction records and those that foster civic bridgebuilding projects for volunteers.We are excited to expand and deepen our support in our nations communities through this funding opportunity, said Atalaya Sergi, AmeriCorps Seniors National Director. As a nation it is vital that we make sure our older adults are recognized as vital resources to support all generations of Americans and offer as many ways for them to engage as possible.As the agencys most expansive volunteer program, AmeriCorps Seniors is one of the oldest in national service and empowers volunteers aged 55 and older to serve their communities. These findings highlight the positive impact of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers improving their overall health and happiness through service.AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nations most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement.