AmeriCorps get $2.6 million for Iowa projects

Ten AmeriCorps programs across Iowa have been awarded more than $2.6 million from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Sen. Tom Harkin, a longtime supporter of AmeriCorps, called the work done by AmeriCorps members “essential in helping build strong communities.”

Included in the grants were:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley: $129,949 to recruit and support volunteers to mentor disadvantaged youth at risk of leaving school without a diploma in Eastern Iowa.

Community Corrections Improvement Association: $460,169 to recruit volunteers to provide mentoring and out-of-school time programming as a prevention strategy for youth who are at-risk of involvement or already involved in the juvenile justice system in Linn, Johnson, and Tama counties.

City of Dubuque: $210,581 to provide academic mentoring and summer learning opportunities to improve math and reading proficiency.

Habitat for Humanity of Iowa, Inc.: $260,847 to recruit and manage volunteers to make homeownership a reality by building safe and affordable homes in 25 counties across the state of Iowa.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources: $532,155 to improve public lands and trails through habitat restoration, trail work, and disaster response.

Iowa Legal Aid: $132,600 for members of the Iowa Legal Aid (ILA) AmeriCorps to serve in non-attorney positions to assist with outreach, education, and representation of low-income clients in civil legal matters.

United Way of East Central Iowa: $133,338 to provide early literacy activities and out-of-school time tutoring to children and parents, and provide outreach services for children and families with disabilities in Eastern Iowa.