Governor Roy Cooper | Governor Roy Cooper Official photo
Governor Roy Cooper | Governor Roy Cooper Official photo
VolunteerNC, an agency within the Office of the Governor, today announced that North Carolina has received $15.9 million in funding from the AmeriCorps agency and private funding to support nearly 700 AmeriCorps members to serve with 22 organizations across the state.
“AmeriCorps members are on the ground in communities across North Carolina helping in schools, clinics, neighborhoods and parks. We’re grateful for their dedicated work and for the grants that fund their public service,” Governor Cooper said.
AmeriCorps is a federally-funded national service program. Service opportunities in North Carolina include mentoring children, providing health services, restoring the environment, increasing economic opportunities, helping communities recover from disaster, fighting the opioid epidemic, connecting veterans with jobs, recruiting and managing volunteers, and more.
"Serving as an AmeriCorps member for the past year has given me a sense of purpose I did not have before,” said Ashley Bingham, serving in the Appalachian State University College Advising Corps. “I feel like I've been given the opportunity to volunteer in a way that is meaningful to both the students I've been able to serve through the College Advising Corps and also to myself, as I am discovering ways I would like to contribute to building up my community in the future."
Through a unique public private partnership, AmeriCorps and its partners generated more than $7.1 million in outside resources from businesses, foundations, public agencies, and other sources in North Carolina last year to support public service efforts across the state. This local support strengthened community impact and increased the return on taxpayer dollars.
"AmeriCorps North Carolina programs and their members continue to strengthen our communities and improve the lives of our residents,” said Briles Johnson, Executive Director of VolunteerNC. “We’re grateful to our new and existing programs and their members for their lasting impact in every region of our state.”
Many AmeriCorps programs in North Carolina are actively recruiting members to serve during the 2023-2024 service year. AmeriCorps service opportunities are available statewide, and members can serve in a full-time or part-time capacity. Benefits often include a living allowance, health care, various professional development opportunities and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon completion of service.
Original source can be found here.