U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) recently announced that Sussex County’s CHEER, Inc. will receive $282,378 in federal funding from AmeriCorps. The award will support 1,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in Sussex County as they help local communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic through service work.
Through CHEER, Inc., AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will support Sussex County CHEER Nutrition, Meals on Wheels, kitchen helpers, non-emergency medical transportation and charities. Each year, AmeriCorps Seniors engages nearly 200,000 Americans 55 and older through its Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs, leveraging their passion and knowledge to address some of our country’s most pressing issues. For the past year, thousands of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members across all 50 states and U.S. territories have continued their service, quickly adapting to meet the changing needs caused by the pandemic.
“AmeriCorps members have stepped up to meet urgent community needs during the pandemic and are always among the first to answer the call to serve when we move our communities forward,” said Sen. Coons. “CHEER, Inc. does exceptional work in Sussex County assisting and enabling our seniors to continue living a healthy independent life, and I’m thankful that AmeriCorps recognizes its impact and is awarding critical American Rescue Plan funds to invest its mission.”
“This funding is essential in helping CHEER to rebuild its network of volunteers who experienced hardships throughout this pandemic, while continuing to serve and support the needs of our senior citizens throughout Sussex County,” said Ken Bock, CHEER Chief Executive Office. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of the CHEER nutrition program and this funding will help ensure that our seniors continue to receive the CHEER meals they depend on.”
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