DEPARTMENT: Department of Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
AmeriCorps VISTA Grant Application
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes submission of an AmeriCorps VISTA grant application to the Corporation of National and Community Service for the period of August 16, 2014 through August 15, 2015 and acceptance if awarded. This ordinance also authorizes a budget of a cash match of $22,704.00 to be funded by the four City departments and SA2020 hosting VISTA volunteers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that helps more than 5 million Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service. CNCS invests in thousands of nonprofit, faith-based and government agencies through the AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs. More than 800,000 Americans have given more than 1 billion service hours through AmeriCorps, helping millions of the nation's most-vulnerable citizens.
AmeriCorps VISTA, a CNCS program, was founded in 1965 as a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty in America. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve full-time for a year in anti-poverty organizations and agencies, working on issues such as fighting illiteracy, improving health services, creating businesses, increasing housing opportunities, improving college access, and bridging the digital divide. VISTAs perform indirect service by building organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that assist low-income communities. Approximately 6,500 VISTAs are placed each year in more than 1,200 projects around the country.
Public, private, or faith-based nonprofit organizations can become an AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsor. Project sponsors must direct the project, supervise the members, provide necessary administrative support to complete the goal...
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