Aging, Health & Social Services

AmeriCorps Program

Links

To submit an application as an AmeriCorps member go to: http://www.americorps.gov

Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service (KCCVS) website, information on Kentucky programs: www.volunteerky.ky.gov

AmeriCorps Senior Connections started at GRADD in 1997.

Our Mission is to provide direct services to seniors to enable them to remain independent and to improve their quality of life.

Members help prepare and deliver meals-on-wheels, provide telephone reassurance, friendly visits (including chores and care giver relief), locate programs for reduced or free prescription medications, educate seniors on changing Medicare benefits, minor home repairs, and assist with finding employment.

This program has slots for 20 AmeriCorps members. The service year starts September 1 and goes through August 31. Service sites for Senior Connections include:

Senior Citizen Centers
Adult Day Care
Senior Living Facilities
GRADD (prescription assistance, and benefits counseling program)
Hospice organizations
Career Centers
Red Cross

Senior Connections has been recognized as one of the 51 Most innovative AmeriCorps programs in the U.S.

The Homeland Security Corps program started at GRADD in 2002.

Our Mission is to increase the capacity of disaster preparedness agencies, to recruit and train community volunteers to be activated in the event of a disaster and to educate the public on disaster preparedness issues.

This program has slots for 10 AmeriCorps members. The service year starts March 1 and goes through February 28.

Members train with their agency and participate in table top and live exercises. Members recruit and train community volunteers for Citizen Corps programs including:

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
Medical Reserve Corps
Neighborhood Watch Programs
Fire Corps
Volunteers in Police Service
American Red Cross

Service sites for Homeland Security Corps include:

County Emergency Management Agencies
American Red Cross
Law Enforcement Agencies
Fire and Rescue Training Agencies
Solid Waste Management
Geographic Information Systems

How the program works: Qualified host agencies sponsor AmeriCorps members for $4,500 plus in-kind matching funds. Members serve 1,700 hours of community service with an assigned service site.

Member Benefits include:

A minimal living allowance paid out over 24 equal pay periods.
A $4,725 education award upon the completion of 1,700 hours of service.
Health Insurance is provided at no cost to the member.
Student loans are placed in forbearance for the duration of member's service and the government pays the interest.
Childcare assistance is available if eligible.
Training in communication, citizenship, ethics, life skills, disaster response and preparedness, community resources and benefits counseling.
A member may serve for two years.

Senior Connections and Homeland Security Corps are AmeriCorps programs made possible by a grant from the Corporation for National Service through the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service.

For more information contact David Clark, AmeriCorps Program Director, at 270-926-4433 or email at davidclark@gradd.com