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News

New Orleans AmeriCorps Initiative Launched
New Orleans AmeriCorps Initiative Launched To Engage Youth Over The Summer

New Orleans, LA­With the school year drawing to a close, Federal officials today are launching a new initiative to keep young people engaged and challenged over the summer months. The initiative will bring up to 200 AmeriCorps VISTA members to serve with local agencies. The members will provide enrichment programs, academic tutoring, and recreational activities for 4,000 children and youth in New Orleans.
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Many local youth lack access to constructive
options during the summer because schools will shut down and summer programs for the children and youth of New Orleans have not been fully restored from Hurricane Katrina damage. The AmeriCorps members will respond to these needs by serving, from June until August, with more than a dozen local organizations. With the AmeriCorps VISTA involvement, local organizations expect to expand services to young people.
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The Corporation for National and Community
Service, the federal agency that administers
AmeriCorps, is funding the VISTA Summer of
Service New Orleans 2007 at the invitation of
the White House Office of Federal Coordinator
for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and in partnership
with the Louisiana Serve Commission in the office of Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu.
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“AmeriCorps members have made extraordinary contributions to this rebuilding effort, and now they are stepping forward again to meet the pressing needs of children in New Orleans,” saidDonald E. Powell, Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding. “This proactive Federal initiative will provide critical support to local organizations and help ensure a safe, uplifting summer for thousands of young people.”
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“This initiative takes advantage of the
flexibility of national service in meeting
pressing needs along with the powerful role that AmeriCorps members can play in engaging youth in constructive activities like service,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation. “The best
part is we’re not treating these youths like
disadvantaged clients, but as assets who can
contribute to restoring their communities.”
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“Through this partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service and Chairman Powell, we will serve more than 4,000 children this summer,” said Landrieu, who oversees Louisiana Serve Commission. “In the aftermath Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I declared 2007 the
Year of Service to rekindle citizen service in
Louisiana and harness the desire to build
stronger communities. Through initiatives such as this, we are reaching that goal.”
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The announcement came during the first-ever
AmeriCorps Week, May 13-20, which marks
AmeriCorps reaching 500,000 members, salutes AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, thanks AmeriCorps community partners, and urges more Americans to serve. During the
week, more than 200 events will take place
ncluding service projects, recruitment fairs,
school presentations, alumni gatherings,
AmeriCorps-for-a-Day events with elected
officials, and awards ceremonies. On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 385 commending AmeriCorps and recognizing AmeriCorps Week, and 19 Governors have issued or
will be issuing AmeriCorps Week proclamations.

This initiative is part of the agency’s
continued commitment to assisting with Gulf
Coast rebuilding efforts. Since Hurricane
Katrina made landfall, more than 35,000 national service participants – including 5,400
AmeriCorps members -- have given more than two million hours of service in the Gulf. Working in cooperation with the Red Cross, FEMA, and local and state authorities, national service participants have established and operated shelters, provided meals and social services to evacuees, assisted with communications, coordinated the warehousing and distribution of
donated goods, answered phones, cleared debris, provided information on housing and other resources, organized children’s activities, raised funds, and managed hundreds of thousands of community volunteers.
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The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf
Coast Rebuilding coordinates the Federal
rebuilding efforts by working with state and
local officials to focus on a set of
prioritized, integrated and long-term initiatives to rebuild the region.