It was announced June 7, 2010, the Cowlitz County United Way would, for the tenth consecutive year, receive an AmeriCorps State Formula Grant.  This year’s grant will be for $455,000 and begin on September 1, 2010 and extend to August 31, 2011.  We are extremely excited about this opportunity to provide local non-profits with 35 individuals that will volunteer 8 hours a day for eleven months for a total of 59,500 hours of volunteer time.  This year, members will serve in 28 local non-profit agencies helping them to increase their capacity.

Each volunteer receives a stipend of $1,100 per month and at the end of their service will receive a $6,000 education award.  United Way began the first AmeriCorps grant with the assistance of then State AmeriCorps Commissioner Paul Youmans.  After Paul’s retirement from the Commission we have been fortunate enough to have another great advocate on the Commission, County Commissioner Alex Swanson.

Because United Way only has 1.5 staff, we entered into a subcontract with then Residential Resource, now Life Works, to manage the program and AmeriCorps staff.  This arrangement has been a great success over the ten year we have operated.  Cowlitz County has the distinction of being the largest State Formula grant awarded in Washington State for the past five years.

For more information go to www.americorps.gov.