AUGUSTA, ME — Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, announced today that it received a three-year grant with an annual award amount of $308,436 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The highly competitive grant, funded through the Volunteer Generation Fund, will expand Volunteer Maine’s volunteer engagement practices and fortify the recruitment and training of volunteers across Maine.  

AmeriCorps provides support to organizations to help them alleviate poverty, expand capacity in organizations and build economic opportunities through community-driven efforts across the country. The Volunteer Generation Fund grants will be used to strengthen Maine nonprofit and community organizations’ ability to recruit, engage and support volunteers.  

“For more than three decades, Volunteer Maine has harnessed our state’s proud spirit of community service to improve the lives of people across Maine,” said Governor Janet Mills.  “This exciting award from AmeriCorps will enable Volunteer Maine to recruit and train more people to serve their communities, expanding the impact of volunteerism throughout our state.” 

The project will strengthen the capacity of nonprofit organizations across Maine to recruit, train, and retain volunteers through the development of regional volunteer collaboratives. While designed to build volunteer capacity across a range of organizations and community partners, the project will place an initial emphasis on supporting food access organizations serving rural and underserved communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity. 

“These collaboratives will strengthen coordination, build local capacity, and promote effective volunteer engagement and management practices across regions,” said Brittany Gleixner-Hayat, executive director of Volunteer Maine.  

### 

Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer and service communities by funding programs, developing managers of volunteers, raising awareness of sector issues, and promoting service as a strategy.  

The Commission was established in 1994 by Executive Order and codified in 1995. The 25 board members of the Commission are appointed by the governor to three-year terms and each represents a specific segment of Maine's volunteer sector. The Commission is Maine government’s partner for the federal Corporation for National Service. 

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteerism and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 185,000 AmeriCorps Volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.