BOSTON (July 12, 2017)— The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is partnering with a long-heralded federal program that promotes national service for people of all ages to make a daily difference in America’s urban and rural communities and tackle issues of housing, jobs, health, safety, and education for low-income residents in Boston.
LISC is dedicating more than $3 million to support 165 AmeriCorps members in 13 urban areas and rural communities, including places like the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury and Massachusetts towns such as Lawrence and Chesterfield. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)—the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps—is providing $1.44 million in funding, which LISC is matching with another $1.6 million. Nationally, the LISC AmeriCorps program addresses challenges related to jobs, housing, education and other issues that underpin poverty.
In Boston, LISC AmeriCorps has been an integrated component of our local strategy for 21 years. The nine (9) new AmeriCorps members will be placed with local community-based organizations to train residents and connect them to living-wage jobs, engage community leaders to address neighborhood safety, and assist our neighbors with home affordability.
LISC AmeriCorps is unique because it typically draws its participating members from the same communities where they are assigned to work.
“Our focus is on helping create economic opportunity for people who are struggling, and to improve the quality of life in their communities,” said Bob VanMeter, Executive Director of LISC Boston. “Our AmeriCorps members are passionate about supporting that kind of change, and deeply motivated to give back to their communities.”
LISC has operated a national AmeriCorps program for more than two decades, having placed more than 3,000 members in community-focused initiatives and programs across the country. Many of those members have gone on to long careers working with nonprofits, social services agencies and government.
“For us, AmeriCorps is about giving low-income residents the skills they need to build a careers in community-focused sectors, just as it is about lifting the prospects of the under-resourced neighborhoods where they live,” said Stacey Rapp, LISC AmeriCorps’ national program director.
About LISC
LISC equips struggling communities with the capital, program strategy and know-how to become places where people can thrive. It combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources. Since 1980, LISC has invested $17.3 billion to build or rehab 366,000 affordable homes and apartments and develop 61 million square feet of retail, community and educational space. For more, visit www.lisc.org.
About Corporation for National and Community Service: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its Senior Corps and AmeriCorps programs. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.