Big Brothers Big Sisters receives AmeriCorps grant
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WORLAND – Recently, Gov. Matt Mead announced that Wyoming has been awarded $746,730 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS).
The grants are to support 140 AmeriCorps members across the state that help serve Wyoming organizations. The members will tackle many critical challenges and face many problems in Wyoming including helping with education, preserving the environment, financial literacy and mentoring youth. The total amount will be directed to ServeWyoming, the governor-appointed state service commission, which in turn will award grants to seven different nonprofit organizations and agencies across the state.
Governor Mead stated in an interview how thankful he was for the volunteers and workers with these organizations. “Members of AmeriCorps, through national service, help address pressing local needs in our state. They develop civic and leadership skills to carry through life and strengthen community organizations. Their service is appreciated and the grant recipients are worthy entities.”
CNCS will be making additional Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the members funded by an additional $331,690 of these grants.
After completing their full terms of service, AmeriCorps members receive an award of $5,815 they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans. Since being opened in 1994, more than 3,000 state residents have served more than 3 million hours and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards, totaling more than $6.6 million.
The grant cycle for this year’s Wyoming AmeriCorps members was highly competitive due to strong demands by organizations seeking its resources. The competition prioritized investments for economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families and disaster services.
The grants and number of positions have been distributed to seven different organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Wyoming.
According to Nikki Schleich, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Wyoming the grant of $52,290 will be distributed between 20 volunteers throughout five counties, granting each of the volunteers a scholarship of $1,612.
The volunteers do a number of projects, the biggest including working one-on-one with youth ages 5 to 17. They help out with events that the program puts on, such as their parenting classes.
The scholarship is to help the volunteers pay to go to school, or pay off student loans.
