Funding will support 50 AmeriCorps members to meet community needs in Greater Houston.
HOUSTON (July 17, 2022) – Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (Interfaith Ministries) has received a grant of $380,952 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism through OneStar, the Texas Service Commission. The grant will expand the services of Interfaith Ministries in Greater Houston, where the organization has been providing an array of human services for Americans since 1964.
With this new funding, Interfaith Ministries will leverage the skills and experience of college students as AmeriCorps members through its SERVE HOUSTON program to build capacity for ten nonprofit programs across Greater Houston. AmeriCorps members will provide hands-on work in 10 different programs including Interfaith Ministries’ Meals on Wheels and Refugee Services programs and for the following partner agencies: the Houston Food Bank, KidsMeals, Houston Tool Bank, the Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Santa Maria Hostel, Precinct2gether, Avondale House, and L.I.F.E. Houston.
“We are delighted to partner with AmeriCorps to expand national service through SERVE HOUSTON,” said Martin B. Cominsky, President and CEO of Interfaith Ministries. “This funding will help us form the leaders of tomorrow, while meeting the community needs of today.”
SERVE HOUSTON is a program of the Vic Samuels Center for Volunteerism and Civic Service at Interfaith Ministries.
AmeriCorps State and National engages more than 65,000 Americans in intensive service each year. Full-time AmeriCorps members in the AmeriCorps State and National program receive a modest living allowance, health care and childcare. At the successful completion of each service term, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.
To apply to be a SERVE HOUSTON member, a person must be 18 years or older with a high school diploma or equivalent and be college-bound or a recent college graduate. Applicants must pass a criminal background check, have a valid driver’s license or photo ID, and have a meaningful connection to the Greater Houston community whether by residence or some other affiliation. Members develop and gain valuable skills, knowledge and benefits, including: flexible scheduling, project management and nonprofit operations experience, a servant leader mindset, compassion for underserved populations, teamwork, and resume-building experiences. To apply for the program, visit www.volunteerhouston.org/servehouston.
ABOUT INTERFAITH MINISTRIES FOR GREATER HOUSTON
A United Way agency, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (Interfaith Ministries) brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs. Interfaith Ministries provides four main services: Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston and Galveston County delivers more than two million meals each year to nearly 5,000 homebound seniors and people with disabilities across five counties; Refugee Services, in conjunction with the U.S. State Department and Episcopal Migration Ministries, resettles hundreds of refugees in Houston annually; Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships provides community services and education fostering understanding, respect and engagement among Houstonians of all faiths and no particular faith; and Volunteer Houston connects volunteers in transformative projects with area nonprofits. For more information, visit https://www.imgh.org/.
ABOUT AMERICORPS
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 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors 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. Texas AmeriCorps programs are managed by the OneStar Foundation.