Local organizations marked for AmeriCorps grants

Organizations in Springfield and Purdy are among 15 statewide slated to receive grants to implement AmeriCorps programs in their corresponding communities.

The Missouri Community Service Commission, a division within the state Department of Economic Development, is administering $2.6 million in grants to the qualifying organizations. AmeriCorps programs, made possible by the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, D.C., seek to strengthen communities by creating jobs and encouraging young people to enter the workforce, according to NationalService.gov.

The Greater Ozarks Regional Chapter of the American Red Cross was marked to receive $118,329 to for its Prevent, Prepare and Respond program, designed to recruit volunteers to advance the mission of the local chapter, according to a news release.

The Purdy R-2 School District nabbed $71,577 for its Reading Coaches AmeriCorps program, a literacy tutoring initiative focused on children in kindergarten through fifth grade.