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Politics

Volunteer Florida Spreads Almost $20 Million to AmeriCorps Projects Across State

September 3, 2015 - 12:15pm
Chester Spellman
Chester Spellman

Volunteer Florida announced Thursday it received almost $20 million to fund 30 AmeriCorps projects across the Sunshine State. 

Most of the funds -- $10.6 million -- comes from federal grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), while $9.35 million of that comes from local grants. 
 
Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman said the funds would help projects across Florida.

 “This funding allows Volunteer Florida to put approximately 1,300 AmeriCorps members to work in direct service to Florida communities,” Spellman said. “They will mentor and tutor Florida students, serve veterans, help job-seekers find work, and provide local response during disasters.” 

Almost 90 percent of that money will go to education programs as AmeriCorps looks to focus on helping high risk students. 

“As we continue to make Florida the best place to find a job and raise a family, Volunteer Florida’s efforts to strengthen neighborhoods, schools, and non-profits is critical,” Spellman said.  “Volunteers and national service members help our state meet needs such as child and adult literacy, job placement, and supporting our veterans.”

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart applauded the news. 

 “As the new school year gets under way, it is great for our state’s educators to have additional support from not-for-profit and community service organizations,” Stewart said. “This Volunteer Florida grant funding has the potential to positively impact the lives of countless students and families across the state, and it will help ensure Florida students are best prepared for success in college, career and life.”

The two leaders of the Florida Legislature--Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island -- also said the funds would help the state. 

“This funding allows local organizations to serve more students, veterans, and job-seekers in Florida,” Gardiner said. “Leveraging volunteers and national service to meet human needs is a cost-effective way to serve many of our most vulnerable citizens.” 
 
“Volunteer Florida connects Floridians with the opportunity to serve their neighbors in a variety of ways, including serving at-risk students on a school campus, helping veterans find jobs, or working to protect our environmental resources,” Crisafulli said. “In return, national service members and volunteers receive job training and professional development that better prepares them for the workforce or to continue their education in Florida.” 

The following projects will receive funding:


Big Brothers Big Sisters of St Lucie, Indian River & Okeechobee Counties (AmeriCorps St. Lucie-Indian River-Okeechobee Reads) – St. Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobee
Branches – Miami-Dade
Breakthrough Miami – Miami-Dade
Centro Campesino (AmeriCorps YouthPride) – Miami-Dade
City of Orlando (AmeriCorps Orlando Partnership for School Success, Operation AmeriCorps) – Orange
City Year Jacksonville – Duval
City Year Miami – Miami-Dade
City Year Orlando – Orange
Communities In Schools Jacksonville (AmeriCorps Duval Reads, AmeriCorps VetSuccess) – Duval
Communities In Schools Miami (AmeriCorps Miami Reads, AmeriCorps Student Turnaround) – Miami-Dade
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (AmeriCorps Career Source Youth Services) – Citrus, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Leon, Levy, Marion, Pinellas, and Wakulla
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Florida Conservation Corps AmeriCorps) – Statewide
Goodwill Industries of the Big Bend (AmeriCorps Goodwill Goodworks!) – Bay, Jackson, Leon, Washington
Heart of Florida United Way (AmeriCorps Pathways to Success) – Orange
Leon County School District (AmeriCorps Tallahassee) – Leon County
Northwest Florida State College (NWFL Environmental Stewards) – Okaloosa, Walton
Palm Beach Literacy Coalition (Literacy AmeriCorps Palm Beach County) – Palm Beach
Peacemaker Family Center – Miami-Dade
Polk Education Foundation (AmeriCorps Polk Reads) – Polk
Reading & Math, Inc. (Florida Reading Corps) – Miami-Dade
School Board of Gadsden County (AmeriCorps Gadsden Reads) – Gadsden
Step Up for Students – Pinellas
Teach For America Jacksonville – Duval
Teach For America Miami – Miami-Dade
The Arc Jacksonville (AmeriCorps Youth Transition) – Duval
University of North Florida (Jacksonville Teacher Residency) – Duval

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN

Comments

So where are our pond scum sucking political leaders when bovine excrement like this passes? I realize 20 million to the Obama bunch is not much, but maybe we could fix one bridge if the feds had nothing to do with it.

"Americorps", Just another way of saying "Acorn"... ("community organizing" at the Presidential level...another "Obama dream" come true...on the backs of Legal Citizen Taxpayers)....and Obama probably still pronounces the word "corpse"...tsk, tsk. (You can put the kid in Harvard & Yale, but you can't get Harvard & Yale out of the kid). So much for "Affirmative Action.....

Yes, they are unleashing them just in time to indoctrinate voters and their kids in time for the November 2016 elections. Just what the Community Organizers has done with all the "stimulus" money. He has used it to "stimulate" socialism. What I want to know iss how much of that money went to Occupy Now and Black Lies Matter?

FEDERAL GRANTS: are nothing more than "slavery bait" from the FEDS; Your STATE hands over YOUR tax money to Washington DC, and the FEDS "re-distribute" it BACK to you with "strings attached" including very longterm "servitude mandates" (think "college loans"as just one "prime example"....but there are THOUSANDS more insideous examples of this ongoing "FEDERAL SLAVERY" indebted-servitude scam funded by YOUR tax monies).

Someone PLEASE audit how this funding is actually spent. In other states (Mo.), funds were funneled to activists at a rate of $5k per month, per each Black Lives Matter coordinator. You also need to insure the Americorp youth are not used to register voters for the DNC.

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