Three area organizations will share $3.4 million in federal AmeriCorps grants to place and compensate volunteers in soup kitchens, elementary schools and environmental education programs.

AmeriCorps, a national service organization, supports thousands of volunteers in more than 14,000 nonprofit organizations across the country.

EducationWorks, a Lawrence-based nonprofit serving communities in Trenton, Camden, Philadelphia and Chester, Pa., will receive the lion's share of the funds, or $2.6 million.

The money will allow 342 AmeriCorps members to work in after-school and summer programs aimed at students in grades K-12 in those New Jersey and Pennsylvania cities.

EducationWorks currently runs after-school programs in three Trenton elementary schools -- Cadwalader, Franklin and Wilson -- and the new influx of funds will allow the organization to run full-day summer programs there, too.
In the fall, EducationWorks hopes to expand its programs to other Trenton schools, including Trenton Central High School.

"We are looking to inspire, to motivate and inspire kids to really want to do well in school, to help them with their homework and expose them to things they've never experienced before," said Martin Friedman, EducationWorks' executive director.

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Published: Tuesday, 31 May, 2011

AmeriCorps grants awarded to area volunteer groups

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