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LISC/AmeriCorps Receives $1.27 Million for 150 New Members in Six States

Program that grooms members for community development careers enters 15th year

NEW YORK, May 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The LISC/AmeriCorps program, which for 15 years has been placing motivated volunteers in jobs with community organizations throughout the country, has received $1.27 million to support an additional 150 full- and part-time members in 2008-2009. The announcement comes as AmeriCorps members celebrate the 2nd annual AmeriCorps Week, from May 11-18, through a variety of projects and activities.

The grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service will enable LISC, the nation's leading community development support organization, to continue its AmeriCorps efforts in nine LISC program sites. Since 1994, LISC/AmeriCorps has enlisted 1,400 members to work with neighborhood groups in 23 cities nationwide. Many of those volunteers are now in full-time leadership positions within the community development industry.

LISC/AmeriCorps members help community organizations develop affordable housing, provide home ownership counseling to prospective first-time, low-income buyers, and form crime watches, tenants associations, and collaborations among local social service providers. Members encourage citizens to become civically engaged and help residents develop leadership skills to identify and solve challenges specific to their neighborhoods. They also work with youth to participate in after-school activities, including tutoring, homework assistance, college readiness sports and recreation programs.

Members receive skill based and leadership development training throughout their year of service, a modest stipend, and an education award of $4,275. Some may be eligible for a limited child care benefit.

"Naturally, we're pleased with this latest round of funding," said Pearl Jones, director of the LISC/AmeriCorps program. "Not only because of the benefit volunteers bring to the neighborhood organizations they work for, but also because of the significant skills they develop that allow them to pursue careers in the community development industry. It's a win-win for the members and the groups."

The LISC/AmeriCorps sites receiving grants San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Michigan, Rhode Island, San Diego, and South Florida. Four of those sites - Bay Area, Los Angeles, Michigan and Rhode Island - have participated in the LISC/AmeriCorps program since its inception in 1994.

LISC/AmeriCorps projects scheduled for AmeriCorps week include:

— Bay Area members will work with other organizations on neighborhood clean-up projects on May 17, with \"roving clean-ups\" during the week. — Michigan members will work on a park beautification project in Pontiac on May 16. — Houston - Volunteers on May 15 will participate in a Junior Achievement tutoring program for elementary school students. — Jacksonville - Mayor John Peyton has issued a proclamation, heralding the AmeriCorps program. — South Florida members will join the City of Miami to plant 1,000 trees and other plants at Virginia Key Beach Park. — San Diego members will run a game for children and a LISC/AmeriCorps booth at San Ysidro Day on May 17, a festival in the low-income border community.

About LISC

LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help neighborhood-based organizations create and maintain sustainable communities - good places to live, work, do business and raise families. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $8.6 billion to build or rehabilitate more than 230,000 affordable homes and develop 32 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

SOURCE Local Initiatives Support Corporation

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