Habitat for Humanity International awarded $3.95 million in grant funding for AmeriCorps programs
AmeriCorps members are anticipated to serve more than 1,500 families, provide more than 650,000 hours of service and engage more than 300,000 volunteers in local community building efforts.
ATLANTA (Aug. 2, 2013) – The Corporation for National and Community Service awarded 3.95 million in grant funds to Habitat for Humanity International to help support nearly 400 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members who will serve with local Habitat affiliates nationwide in more than 110 communities during 2013-14.
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 men and women in intensive service each year at more than 15,000 locations, including nonprofits, schools, public agencies and community and faith-based groups across the country. The 2013 grant competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families and disaster services.
“AmeriCorps members are an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities and the individuals they serve,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “These grants are awarded to organizations focused on helping communities address economic challenges, prepare for and recover from disasters, improve schools and assist veterans in adjusting to life after the military. The work of AmeriCorps brings the country together by uniting individuals behind common goals in a way that’s both effective and measurable.”
Since Habitat partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service in 1994, more than 7,000 AmeriCorps members have served with Habitat for Humanity. These individuals have helped Habitat serve more than 17,000 U.S. families, contributed more than 13 million hours of service, raised tens of millions of dollars in cash and in-kind resources and engaged more than 2.8 million volunteers.
“For nearly 20 years, Habitat for Humanity has relied on the talents and skills of AmeriCorps members to help us build even more homes in partnership with low-income families,” said Mark Andrews, Habitat for Humanity International’s vice president of Volunteer and Institutional Engagement. “Whether it’s mobilizing volunteers, helping communities recover after a disaster or engaging families and veterans, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members are a crucial component in Habitat’s work.”
For more information or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.habitat.org/americorps or www.nationalservice.gov.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that safe and affordable housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat has helped more than 3 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976. Habitat also advocates for fair and just housing policies and provides training and access to resources to help more families improve their shelter conditions. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To get more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit habitat.org.
About the Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.