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Gov. Beshear says $4million grant will help build public health AmeriCorps, increasing local services


Governor Andy Beshear announced a public health grant of $4,193,100 to expand the AmeriCorps presence in the Commonwealth, a partnership between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Supported by a five-year, $400 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act, Public Health AmeriCorps will help meet public health needs of local communities by providing surge capacity and support while also creating pathways to public health-related careers.
 
“Kentuckians deserve access to health care – a basic human right – and this funding will support the recruitment, training and development of a new generation of public health leaders,” said Gov. Beshear. “The funding will support the addition of community health workers with coordination from Serve Kentucky, the agency committed to engaging Kentuckians in volunteerism and service to positively impact our communities.”

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said, “The 2.5+ million Kentuckians who have received vaccines or boosters have contributed to a critical turning point in the fight against COVID-19. The road to reaching our current low COVID-19 community rate has been neither easy nor without loss, and this grant allows us to plan for future public health emergency responses. Creating a standing corps of public health personnel to manage surge capacity and respond to crises will enable Team Kentucky to stand ready to support Kentuckians when emergencies arise.”

Funding has been awarded to the Kentucky Health Departments Association (KHDA) and Family Scholar House. With this new funding, KHDA will leverage the skills and experience of 75 AmeriCorps members who will serve as community health workers in local health departments in communities across Kentucky in core public health programs, including Health Access Nurturing Development Services, Women, Infant and Children and Harm Reduction programs. Family Scholar House will leverage 200 AmeriCorps members who will provide healthcare support to seniors and disabled individuals in healthcare facilities across Kentucky.

“After their year of service, we expect more than 200 AmeriCorps members will pursue future engagement in the public health sector,” said Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers and oversees Serve Kentucky. “Participants in Public Health AmeriCorps can gain a steppingstone into permanent jobs in the public health field. AmeriCorps and the CDC believe that Public Health AmeriCorps provides a unique way to expose those interested in learning more about public health and its various careers.”

“Adults of all ages and education backgrounds are eligible to serve in Public Health AmeriCorps,” said Joe Bringardner, executive director of Serve Kentucky. He noted that organizations are focused on recruiting AmeriCorps members with a diverse range of lived experiences and who come from the communities or communities like the ones in which they will serve.

AmeriCorps continues to invest in the nation’s COVID-19 recovery. With existing programs in more than 40,000 locations across the country, AmeriCorps is uniquely positioned to bolster community response efforts. For the past two years, thousands of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers across all 50 states and U.S. territories have continued their service, quickly adapting to meet the changing needs caused by the pandemic and have provided vital support, community response, and recovery efforts, providing support to more than 12 million Americans, including 2.5 million people at vaccination sites.


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