Peace Through Action USA Receives Federal Award to Plan AmeriCorps Program Focused on Peace!

Peace Through Action USA is pleased to share great news that AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, has awarded us a grant to plan a national service program focused on increasing peace in the United States!

AmeriCorps announced awards to Peace Through Action and others, through the first of its kind AmeriCorps State and National American Rescue Plan Planning Grants funding opportunity, earlier this year. When making the announcement, AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith said, “these inaugural planning grants will give our community partners much-needed time and resources to develop innovative and effective solutions that leverage service to tackle urgent local challenges.”

The federal funds awarded will help Peace Through Action plan a national service program that is excellent, compliant, enduring, and ready to compete for an AmeriCorps program grant in FY 2024. The AmeriCorps investment of $76,717 will be matched with $52,428 in private funding.

The national service program we are planning, Peace Through Action AmeriCorps, will provide opportunities for Americans to do something practical for peace by implementing civic engagement and social cohesion interventions in socially distressed communities seeking to bridge divides between and unite their people and strengthen their places.

“Americans agree on very little these days, but one belief we do share is that we are a nation with too many hurting people. Peace Through Action seeks to change that. AmeriCorps national service is a solution—and will be our solution—to this critical challenge of our time,” said Bob Reeg, Peace Through Action USA chief executive officer and founder.

Peace Through Action’s future national service program will place AmeriCorps members in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the country where social distress is prevalent or severe – such as incidents of hate crimes against members of marginalized identity groups, high rates of interpersonal violence, and toxic polarization among neighbors. AmeriCorps members will serve through grassroots, community- and faith-based, and public organizations. They will support community members in learning and applying evidence-based and promising peaceful practice interventions such as facilitated dialogues, compassionate communication techniques, peer mediation engagements, and restorative justice practices.

“Placing servant leaders in U.S. communities for peacebuilding is Peace Through Action’s intended special contribution to the improvement of social conditions in our country,” said Pam Zeutenhorst, Peace Through Action USA chair. “We are proud that AmeriCorps sees merit in our approach. The federal agency’s selection of Peace Through Action for a national service planning grant signals its confidence that we are on the right track. AmeriCorps determined that we are qualified to get the mission accomplished—and we will!”, said Zeutenhorst.

“Communities experiencing disengagement and discord can be transformed into inclusive and harmonious places when their people acquire new knowledge, assume fresh attitudes, and adopt positive behaviors. These improvements are achievable through individual, group, and collective intention, learning, and action. Who better than AmeriCorps members to be the leaders, teachers, and agents of the human enrichment that socially distressed communities urgently need,” said Reeg.

Peace Through Action USA activates and equips Americans to implement practical peaceful solutions to aggression and violence in their communities and our country. We are a charitable civic and social capital-building organization.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, 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 200,000 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.

AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their service. Learn how to get involved at AmeriCorps.gov/serve.

Peace Through Action AmeriCorps Planning Grant Announcement

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