Large Grant Awarded to Buncombe County, North Carolina, Americorps Project Aimed at Helping Children

Project POWER (Putting Opportunities Within Everyone's Reach), an Americorps program in Buncombe County, N.C., that is run through Children First of Buncombe County, has been told it will be receiving a state grant in the amount of $365,390.

AmeriCorps is a nationwide effort that is, itself, funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The aims of the countrywide corporation include building awareness of the power of volunteerism and encouraging a dedication to community and civic service and responsibility. Among Americorps highest priorities are "fighting illiteracy", "improving health services" , "building affordable housing", "cleaning parks and streams", "managing or operating after-school programs", "helping communities respond to disasters" and "tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youths", the last of which was significantly addressed in the awarding of the present grant. More than 70,000 people throughout the United States are involved in Americorps network which coordinates various programs at the local, state and national levels. Furthermore, Americorps strives to bring together people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, age groups and backgrounds in terms of the groups it targets, as well as the volunteers it trains and from which it draws.

Since 1994 more than 4000 North Carolinians and 400,000 people across the country have participated in delivering Americorps programs and services to communities everywhere.

Each year large grants are awarded to ongoing efforts throughout the fifty states that are aimed at promoting the goals of Americorps. These grants are initially awarded to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. This commission, run through the Governor's office in Raleigh, then distributes and administers the funding to the various AmeriCorps agencies.