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WASHINGTON, D.C. – AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and service, today announced the opening of two new regional offices, Mid-Atlantic Region office in Philadelphia and the South Central Region office in Austin. The agency celebrated the joint opening virtually via Zoom. AmeriCorps CEO Barbara Stewart, Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adrienne Nash Melendez, and South Central Regional Administrator Sam Schuth each delivered remarks at the event.
The new offices will serve AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs in fifteen states and territories. The Mid-Atlantic Region covers Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Combined, the agency provides more than $114 million in federal funding in support of volunteer services and programs, with 34,000 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members serving at nearly 5,000 sites across the region.
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas will be serviced by the South Central Region, which receives more than $112 million from the agency. This funding supports 34,000 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members serving at 4,500 sites across the five states.
“AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Senior volunteers represent the best of America, and I am grateful every day to the incredible employees who support them,” said Barbara Stewart, CEO of the federal agency AmeriCorps. “I am inspired by the dedication, enthusiasm, and talent of our Mid-Atlantic and South Central Region teams, and I look forward to a strong future of service in this region.”
As the nation’s top provider of grants to support national service and volunteering, AmeriCorps harnesses America's most-powerful resource – the energy and talents of its citizens – to help communities address their most pressing needs. AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors service efforts include mentoring and tutoring our nation’s youth, supporting veterans, and forging pathways to employment for thousands of Americans.
National service programs have continued to play a critical role as our country confronts the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the national emergency, nearly 23,000 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members have served in direct response to COVID-19, aiding more than 4.5 million Americans across the country. Thousands more are providing critical support to children as they return to school, aiding schools as they transition to remote and distance learning while ensuring that every student remains on track.
Working in collaboration with governor-appointed state service commissions, the Mid-Atlantic and South Central Region offices will connect communities to national service resources through the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. Its staff will assist national service applicants and grantees by providing training, technical assistance, and administrative oversight. In addition, they will promote the MLK Day and September 11th national days of service, which provide opportunities for all Americans to serve.
The Mid-Atlantic and South Central Region offices are two of eight new regional offices created as part of the agency’s Transformation and Sustainability Plan. The first regional offices were opened in the fall of 2019 in Denver, Concord, N.H., and Kansas City, Mo. and were followed by those in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Columbus, Ohio in 2020.
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AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.
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