U.S. grants to fund 2,200 Pa. jobs

As many as 2,200 Pennsylvanians will be getting paid to work community-service jobs with $9 million in grants, the state Department of Labor and Industry announced today.

More than $5.3 million of those funds will be used to fund about 1,700 jobs handled through the Governor's Office of Citizen Service. And as many as 480 more AmeriCorps jobs will be created with about $3.9 million in five national grants to multistate programs operating in Pennsylvania, the state said.

Plus, the state received 12 AmeriCorps grants to support community organizations dealing with education, economic opportunity, health, clean energy and veterans' services.

"From tutoring and mentoring, to renovating residences and community cleanup, the work carried out by these organizations will have an immediate and positive effect on our neighborhoods and residents," said Labor and Industry Secretary Sandi Vito.

To get involved, go to www.dli.state.pa.us. Click "Community Services/Volunteerism" in the left navigation area, then click "PennServe," or call 1-866-673-7838.

FUNDED THROUGH PENNSERVE:

Adams, Lancaster and York Counties

United Way of York County.

AmeriCorps members will provide emergency and disaster coordination services in York County, engage in tax preparation services and engage in volunteer recruitment to York County community members.

Grant amount: $229,190

Positions created: 53

Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties

Jumpstart for Young Children Inc.

AmeriCorps members serve in preschool settings, including Head Start, faith- and community-based centers to engage students in learning activities.

Grant amount: $320,453

Positions created: 174

Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango Counties

Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center

AmeriCorps members improve academic outcomes of children and youth in grades K-8 by providing before, during, after school, weekend and summer programs in the Appalachian region of rural, Western Pennsylvania.

Grant amount: $1,482,095

Positions created: 173

Allegheny, Blair, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Erie, Delaware, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lehigh, Lycoming, Northampton, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Snyder, Schuylkill and Union Counties

Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

College students will serve as AmeriCorps members at nonprofit organizations to support local education and other human needs that target various beneficiaries throughout the state.

Grant amount: $50,722

Positions created: 287

STATEWIDE

AmeriCorps Community Fellows

AmeriCorps members will provide mentoring and enrichment activities focused on college awareness and preparation leading to improved graduation rates and volunteer recruitment for programs that target lower income youth.

Grant amount: $84,680

Positions created: 500

Philadelphia County

City Year Inc.

AmeriCorps members provide in-school tutoring and after-school services in Greater Philadelphia area schools.

Grant amount: $2,415,000

Positions created: 210

Philadelphia County

Teach for America

AmeriCorps members will provide classroom instruction and enrichment activities focused on overcoming the achievement gap for schools through education and volunteer generation in under resourced communities.

Grant amount: $802,497

Positions created: 330

NATIONAL DIRECT-FUNDED:

Allegheny County

Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council

AmeriCorps members work to improve the literacy skills of adults by providing more frequent and expanded opportunities for instruction, provide employment skills counseling and job search assistance as well as recruiting community volunteers to help adult education sites in Pittsburgh, Seattle, Phoenix, Dayton, New Orleans, the District of Columbia and Los Angeles meet the needs of the functionally illiterate adults.

Grant amount: $1,872,000

Positions created: 144

Delaware County

HOPE Worldwide

AmeriCorps members provide direct service and perform capacity-building activities in three primary programmatic areas that focus on academic enrichment, environmental stewardship and community rebuilding.

Grant amount: $298,101

Positions created: 94

Philadelphia County

Health Federation of Philadelphia

The National Health Corps promotes health careers and health education in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Florida. Members assist uninsured individuals with accessing health care, resources and assist with enrolling the uninsured in insurance and/or drug prescription programs.

Grant amount: $1,198,486

Positions created: 94

Philadelphia County

Philadelphia AIDS Consortium

AmeriCorps members will provide health education and support services and mobilize volunteers for programs that target low income minorities living with, and affected by, HIV in, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and California.

Grant amount: $374,070

Positions created: 60

Philadelphia County

Temple University of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education

This AmeriCorps program addresses health literacy needs of elders, elderly immigrants and refugees through service learning, civic engagement and tutoring. This project assists elderly immigrants and refuges in communication with health care providers. Members support the target population's access to health services and strengthen immigrant-serving organizations' ability to address the needs of this growing population.

Grant amount: $247,619

Positions created: 90

   - Roslyn Rudolph