South Carolina, Columbia – The Governor-appointed South Carolina Service Commission has received and awarded $3.4 Million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs. The United Way Association of South Carolina is thrilled to announce this news! This award will be matched with 1.3 M local dollars to support these community driven programs.
Commission Chair, Missy Santorum, noted “we are proud that through a national competition, South Carolina was awarded two [additional competitive] grants, totaling $899,616. Our success at the national competition increases the federal investment to South Carolina.”
The total federal investment includes 15 AmeriCorps grants to South Carolina nonprofits, with two new programs, totaling $3,481,222 which will support nearly 500 AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps Members will tackle some of the toughest problems in South Carolina including environmental stewardship, education, disaster response, economic opportunity, and healthy futures.
Through their service, AmeriCorps Members will earn $2.12 M in Eli Segal Education Awards, which can be used to fund continuing education or repay existing student loans. Commission Director, Carson Carroll says “The Education Award is a very popular benefit to AmeriCorps Members who can use the award for their own continued education or existing federally-backed student loan debt.” Dedicating one year of your life to service in your state has tremendous benefits to the community and to the individual AmeriCorps Member. Each Member leaves with a new perspective towards addressing problems and skillsets strengthened through true experience.
The portfolio of programs listed below service opportunities throughout the state. Join AmeriCorps! Grantees who were successful at the national competition include:
City Year – Education – 38 Members – Learn more: cityyear.org/columbia
Reading Partners – Education – 24 Members – Learn more: readingpartners.org
In addition, to the competitive grants, the South Carolina Service Commission will be making the following 17 grants through formula funding:
United Way of Anderson County – Disaster Services – 10 Members – Learn more: https://www.unitedwayofanderson.org/americorps-1
United Way of Greenville County – Economic Opportunity– 23 Members – Learn more: https://www.unitedwaygc.org/americorps-programs
United Way of Piedmont – Economic Opportunity – 17 Members – Learn more: http://www.uwpiedmont.org/
Trident United Way – Economic Opportunity – 27 Members – Learn more: tuw.org/americorps
United Way of the Lowcountry – Education – 34 Members – Learn more: https://uwlowcountry.org/our-work/americorps/
Black River United Way – Education – 37 Members – Learn more: http://blackriveruw.org/cms-view-page.php?page=growing-great-readers-americorps
Teach for America – Education – 98 Members – Learn more: https://southcarolina.teachforamerica.org/
United Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties – Education – 28 Members – Learn more: https://www.uwaysumter.org/americorps
Lancaster County School District – Education – 13 Members – Learn more: lancastercsd.com
Palmetto Conservation Corps – Environmental Stewardship – 51 Members – Learn more: https://palmettoconservation.org/palmetto-conservation-corps/
Mental Health America of Greenville – Healthy Futures – 39 Members – Learn more: http://www.mhagc.org/
Boys and Girls Club of the Crescent Region – Education – 27 Members – Learn more: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/57-0399808
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education – Education – 24 Members – Learn more: https://www.che.sc.gov/
Our programs are currently recruiting for AmeriCorps members to begin service this fall. AmeriCorps members receive a modest living stipend and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, or scholarship, upon completion of their service. The award can be used to pay for future education costs or to pay back student loans. Those interested in serving can learn more by visiting americorpssc.org.
AmeriCorps members serving through AmeriCorps South Carolina will join the more than 80,000 AmeriCorps members serving across the country in 21,600 locations. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.
Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1 million men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service and have earned more than $3.3 billion in education scholarships to pay for college or pay back student loans, more than $1 billion of which has been used to pay back student loans debt.
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United Way Association of South Carolina serves as the South Carolina State Service Commission to improve South Carolina communities through volunteerism and national service programs. The Commission promotes and increases: (1) an ethic of service and volunteerism in the state of South Carolina, (2) the capacity of faith-based and community organizations within the state to better compete for funding opportunities and (3) the collaboration among communities and organizations that are trying to meet the greatest needs of the Palmetto State. The SC Service Commission receives funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service for AmeriCorps programming. UWASC’s mission is to create long-lasting opportunities to advance the common good for all in the areas of education, financial stability, and health. For more information, visit www.UWASC.org.
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.
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