New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Announces $2.9 Million in AmeriCorps Funding for New Hampshire

**New grants will support 233 AmeriCorps members in the Granite State** 

**President Trump’s budget would eliminate the AmeriCorps program** 

(Washington DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation in announcing that New Hampshire has received $2.9 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs. Senator Maggie Hassan and Representatives Annie Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter joined Shaheen in today’s announcement. The grants will support 233 AmeriCorps members in the state and create additional funding for Volunteer NH, the Granite State nonprofit organization that administers AmeriCorps programs in New Hampshire. The federal investment is projected to generate an additional $2.5 million in local support.

“AmeriCorps members are an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities, and the individuals they serve,” said Senator Shaheen. “Citizen service is an essential part of the solutions to many of the challenges New Hampshire faces, which makes President Trump’s proposal to eliminate the AmeriCorps program all the more concerning. I am incredibly glad to have AmeriCorps members and Volunteer NH working hard in the Granite State to make a difference in our communities. I’ll continue to work in the Senate to make sure that President Trump’s misguided budget, and the elimination of the AmeriCorps program, is not enacted. Today, I congratulate the organizations receiving grants, and thank all AmeriCorps volunteers for their commitment to serving our country.”

“I’m glad to join my colleagues in announcing that four outstanding New Hampshire organizations – City Year New Hampshire, Campus Compact for New Hampshire, New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and Student Conservation Association – will receive AmeriCorps grants to support their critical work,” said Senator Hassan. “Not only do AmeriCorps programs help support New Hampshire communities, but they also teach volunteers valuable skills that will help them compete in the workforce – which is why it is so concerning that President Trump’s budget proposal would completely eliminate the Corporation for National Community Service and in turn put these important programs and many others in New Hampshire at risk. I look forward to continuing to support their work.”

“I want to thank the Corporation for National and Community Service for awarding these AmeriCorps grants to City Year, Campus Compact for New Hampshire, NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Student Conservation Association,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “These organizations embody the spirit of public service and community that help make the Granite State a wonderful place to live. I am deeply grateful to them and all the men and women of AmeriCorps for their important work, and I look forward to seeing what they do next for our great state.”

"As a Red Cross volunteer in Louisiana after Katrina hit, I witnessed the great work AmeriCorps members performed. Their attitudes and their work ethic made a terrible situation more bearable for the victims, and the volunteers made a huge difference. At home in New Hampshire, I’ve seen the dedication and energy AmeriCorps volunteers bring to serving our K-12 students, seniors, and veterans. I am pleased this grant will allow AmeriCorps to continue harnessing the energy and the compassion of our state’s most valuable resource – our citizens – to perform valuable public service in New Hampshire communities," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter.

“As Volunteer NH prepares to launch these programs, we welcome hundreds of bright, talented individuals into service across the Granite state," said Gretchen Berger, Executive Director of Volunteer NH. “AmeriCorps members have made an immeasurable impact in our communities, they will continue to improve lives and address our states most difficult problems through service; including domestic violence, environmental education, land stewardship and education. AmeriCorps service transforms individuals, accelerates their pathway toward meaningful employment and offers them the opportunity to grow as civilly engaged citizens."

The federal investment includes four grants totaling $1.3 million. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in New Hampshire including improving educational outcomes for young students, assisting domestic violence victims, and providing conservation and environmental education to residents and visitors in New Hampshire. CNCS will also provide up to $937,015 in education scholarships for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training, or pay back student loans.

The federal investment announced today also includes $645,344 for Volunteer NH!, the Governor-appointed state service commission. Later this summer, Volunteer NH! will make additional grants to support AmeriCorps programs in the state.

Below is a listing of 2017 AmeriCorps competitive grants in New Hampshire:

• City Year New Hampshire: AmeriCorps members will provide academic and youth development services to students in six public schools in Manchester (50 AmeriCorps members)
• CCNH Success Corps: AmeriCorps members will increase access to college for 293 economically disadvantaged and special needs youth (127 AmeriCorps members)
• AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program: AmeriCorps members will provide direct assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking. (26 AmeriCorps members)
• Student Conservation Association New Hampshire Corps: AmeriCorps members will provide conservation stewardship to public lands and environmental education to residents and visitors. (30 AmeriCorps members)

AmeriCorps engages more than 80,000 members in intensive service annually to serve nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 21,600 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 1 million men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service and earning more than $3.3 billion in scholarships to pay for college, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student loan debt.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.