FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug 27, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service, today announced the opening of its new Southeast Regional office in Atlanta, Ga.

A celebration was held virtually via Zoom, welcoming hundreds of representatives from AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs from across the region. CNCS CEO Barbara Stewart delivered remarks and Southeast Regional Administrator Charndrea Leonard delivered remarks and they were joined by other CNCS officials. 

The new office will serve AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs in six states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In total, CNCS provides over $80 million in funding to the region and this federal investment leverages an additional $77 million in local, outside investments. The funding provided by CNCS supports 31,000 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members who serve at thousands of sites across all six states.

“Our AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers represent the best of America, and I am grateful every day for the incredible CNCS employees who support them. Our Southeast Region office staff are no exception,” said Barbara Stewart, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “I am inspired by the dedication, enthusiasm, and talent of our Southeast Region team, and I look forward to a strong future of service in this region.”

CNCS is the nation’s top provider of grants to support national service and volunteering, harnessing America's most-powerful resource – the energy and talents of its citizens – to help communities address their most pressing needs. AmeriCorps and Senior Corps’ service efforts include mentoring and tutoring our nation’s youth, supporting veterans, and forging pathways to employment for thousands of Americans.

As our country confronts the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, national service plays a more crucial role than ever. Since the start of the national emergency, nearly 12,000 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps have served in direct response to COVID-19, aiding more than 1.5 million Americans. Thousands more are providing critical support to children across the country as they return to school, aiding schools as they transition to remote and distance learning while ensuring that every student stays on track.

Working in collaboration with governor-appointed state service commissions, the Southeast Regional office will connect communities to national service resources through the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. Its staff will assist national service applicants and grantees by providing training, technical assistance, and administrative oversight. In addition, they will promote the MLK Day and September 11th national days of service, which provide opportunities for all Americans to serve.

The Southeast Regional office is one of eight new offices for CNCS and is part of a second phase of regional office openings this fall that will also include the Midwest Regional office in Columbus, Ohio and the West Regional office in Los Angeles, Calif. The first regional offices were opened in the fall of 2019 in Denver, Colo., Concord, N.H., and Kansas City, Mo. Two more offices – located in Austin, Texas. and Philadelphia – will open next year.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.