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Maine will receive $2.8 million in federal funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service, Maine’s two U.S. senators announced on Monday.

The grants will support 249 AmeriCorps members serving five organizations including the Maine Conservation Corps in Augusta and LearningWorks in Portland, which provides free community-based education programs throughout southern Maine.

“For more than 25 years, AmeriCorps members have been selflessly serving the people of Maine and the nation,” U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a joint statement. “Coinciding with National Volunteer Month, these grants will make sure both these members and the organizations have the tools they need to continue their important work, so they can keep making a difference for communities in need.”

The Corporation for National and Community Service engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation’s volunteering and service efforts. Since it was created in 1994, more than a million volunteers have given more than 1.5 billion hours of service and earned more than $3.6 billion in scholarships, much of which has been used to pay back student debt.

The funding includes direct grants to the six organizations and $747,912 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards that will be provided directly to Maine AmeriCorps members. After completing a full term of service, the AmeriCorps members will receive an award of about $6,000 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student debt.

Funding amounts and recipients

Maine fund recipients and amounts announced Monday are as follows:

• LearningWorks, Portland: $287,259 in new funding and $121,449 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
• Maine Conservation Corps, Augusta: $660,224 in continuous funding and $299,590 in SegalAmeriCorps Education Awards.
• Healthy Acadia, Ellsworth: $283,768 in continuous funding and $125,189 in Segal AmeriCorpsEducation Awards.
• University of Southern Maine’s Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Lewiston: $177,893 in continuous funding and $79,783 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.
• Goodwill Industries of Northern New England’s Maine headquarters, Gorham: $121,900 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.

In addition to the grants for individual organizations, the Maine Commission for Community Service  was awarded $705,191 in non-competitive formula funding to help Maine organizations support additional AmeriCorps members in coming months.

 

See the full story at Mainebiz.