National Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Service Corps Kick-Off in PhiladelphiaMayor Nutter, Obama Administration Officials Swear-In AmeriCorps VISTA Team to Work in 18 States
Top federal and local officials joined with national and Philadelphia-based non-profit groups at City Hall to swear-in forty-six members of the new national Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps, an AmeriCorps VISTA project which will build the capacities of nonprofit organizations in 18 states at nearly 30 sites to enable more eligible individuals and families to fight hunger while also empowering them to achieve long-term financial security.
The program is being led by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH), a non-profit organization, and funded jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in combination with additional support from non-governmental donors, this unique public-private partnership is aimed at reducing the hunger and food insecurity faced by 50 million Americans.
“In this nation of plenty, it is unacceptable that millions of children still go to bed not knowing if there will be food for their next meal,” said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds AmeriCorps and a senior member of the subcommittee that funds the USDA. “The Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps is a win-win - it will play an important role in the fight against hunger, while helping young people build leadership skills and pay off school debt.”
Two of the VISTAs will work the whole year in Philadelphia, sponsored by the local groups Philabundance and the Campaign for Working Families. According to recent data collected by the Gallup organization and released by the Food Research and Action Center, Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, centered in Philadelphia, has the second highest rate of food hardship out of the nation’s 435 Congressional districts.
“The financial crisis is creating more need in communities while simultaneously reducing the resources available to nonprofits to help,” said Khadijah Jones, director of the Campaign for Working Families. “Deploying a team of VISTAs with a focus on anti-hunger initiatives is an effective strategy to overcome these hurdles. We are a grateful partner.”
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AmeriCorps volunteers sworn in to fight hungerPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nearly 50 young adults from around the country vowed to "get things done for America" as members of a new AmeriCorps VISTA program.
The volunteers were sworn in at a ceremony in Philadelphia on Thursday. Their goal is to connect people to underused food assistance programs.
The Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps is a pilot program funded by $760,000 in federal grants and $280,000 donated from Wal-Mart.
Volunteer Jarrid Smith, from the Seminole Indian Reservation in Hollywood, Fla., is assigned to a program at Miami Dade College in Miami.
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Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps to begin in Philly<...>
The Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps, an AmeriCorps VISTA project, begins with an afternoon swearing-in ceremony at City Hall.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wal-Mart, the corps will help nonprofits sign people up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), among other duties.
"Low-income people face a tidal wave of pain, and the water is only rising," said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, which helped create the Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps. "The quickest way to help them is to get them on SNAP."
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Funded for $1 million, the corps will pay members "a bit more than minimum wage," Berg said. At the end of one year of service, members will receive a $5,500 "education award" to pay college expenses, he said.
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