• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / AmeriCorps volunteers in Iowa expected to triple

AmeriCorps volunteers in Iowa expected to triple

April 22, 2009 By admin

Under federal legislation signed by President Obama Tuesday, the number of volunteers in Iowa’s AmeriCorps program is expected to more than triple. Iowa currently has about 1,000 AmeriCorps volunteers.

They build homes, restore wildlife preserves and help with disaster recovery efforts, among other things. In exchange for volunteering, participants receive a living stipend and education grant.

Adam Lounsbury is executive director of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. He says the law will give middle and high school students an opportunity to volunteer.

"There’s a Summer of Service program, which creates a summer program for middle school and high school youth that will be able to participate and receive a $500 education award for doing 150 hours of service over the summer," Lounsbury said.

The new law is designed to not only increase the number of volunteers, but also help retain them. "Teaching nonprofits how to better utilize volunteers became much more important…and that’s really what the volunteer generation fund really does is creates those infrastructure organizations that work with local nonprofits to do a better job of retaining and keeping volunteers," Lounsbury said.

Retaining volunteers is AmeriCorps’ biggest challenge because about one-third quit during their service. 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, Politics / Govt

Featured Stories

Iowans 65+ now eligible in next phase of Covid vaccinations

Bill would remove transfer limits in five Iowa school districts

Former Iowa sports talk host sentenced to federal prison for ticket scams

Feenstra only member of Iowa delegation not at Biden’s inauguration

Congresswoman Axne favors Biden pandemic relief plan, Hinson not ruling out a ‘yes’

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI adds two nonconference games to basketball schedule

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC