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Media contact: Rick Van Cise, communications manager, 360-902-9454

OLYMPIA – The state Employment Security Department has awarded grants totaling $212,000 for three Washington Service Corps projects in Eastern Washington.

• New Alliance Counseling Services in Republic has received $73,000. The grant will pay for 18 Washington Service Corps members to help deliver life-skills training that works with young people and their parents in Ferry County to avoid substance abuse, violence and other struggles of growing up.
• Rural Resources Community Action of Colville has been awarded $48,000 to boost learning for children and adults.  The grant will pay for 15 Service Corps members to tutor young people in Stevens and Pend Oreille counties who are struggling with reading.  The team also will assist adult students with basic education and general educational development (GED) studies.
• Educational Service District #101 in Spokane will get $91,000 for reading programs in Spokane, Stevens and Asotin counties.  Twenty-seven Washington Service Corps members will serve as reading tutor for students, teach family members how they can help with their children’s reading, and recruit more volunteers to aid struggling students.

“The Service Corps enlists the energy and enthusiasm of young adults in projects that benefit our local communities,” said Employment Security Commissioner Paul Trause.  “The investment pays for itself many times over and makes a lasting difference in the lives of the Service Corps members and those they serve.”

Statewide, more than $1.7 million is being distributed to school districts, counties, learning centers, housing authorities and non-profit groups to support 515 Service Corps members working on 15 team projects over the coming year. Team members will provide services in 34 of Washington’s 39 counties from September 2011 through August 2012.

Funding for the grants comes from the federal AmeriCorps programs. Employment Security distributes the money to local communities throughout Washington to cover operating costs and to provide stipends to Service Corps members to serve on a wide range of public-service projects.

Created by the state legislature in 1983 and administered by the Employment Security Department, the Washington Service Corps engages the talents, energy and enthusiasm of civic-minded adults, aged 17 and up, in serving their communities.

To learn more about Washington Service Corps team projects and individual placement sites, visit /washingtonservicecorps/.

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Broadcast version 

The state Employment Security Department has awarded three grants totaling 212-thousand dollars to support to Washington Service Corps projects in Eastern Washington.

• New Alliance Counseling Services in Republic has received 73-thousand dollars. The money will pay for eighteen Service Corps members to work with at-risk youths and families.
• The Rural Resources Community Action of Colville has been awarded 48-thousand dollars.  The funds will pay for fifteen Service Corps members to provide serve as reading tutors to young students in Stevens and Pend Oreille counties. The members also will assist adult students who are taking basic-education classes.
• And lastly, Educational Service District 101 in Spokane will get 91-thousand dollars to cover the stipends of twenty-seven Service Corps members.  The Service Corps will serve as reading tutors to students in Spokane, Stevens and Asotin counties, and will recruit more volunteers to aid struggling students

Statewide, Employment Security will distribute nearly two million dollars statewide for Service Corps projects that will help strengthen local communities over the coming year.