WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced more than $4.3 million in Senior Corps funding to support Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs in 13 new communities across the country. These grants awarded to nonprofits and community agencies will expand Senior Corps presence in areas previously unserved by Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programming.

The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion projects announced today will leverage the experience and skills of more than 800 Seniors Corps volunteers. The grants announced today will fund Foster Grandparents who will serve one-on-one as tutors and mentors to young people, providing academic support and serving as role models. This funding will also support new Senior Companion projects at which Senior Corps volunteers will help elderly, homebound seniors and other adults maintain independence.

“We are grateful that so many Americans are choosing to make service a part of their second act,” said Deborah Cox-Roush, director of Senior Corps. “Senior Corps provides an opportunity to harness the experience and dedication of an entire generation – to ensure opportunity for generations that follow. With the grants announced today, we’re expanding Senior Corps into new communities – delivering more opportunities for adults to serve.”

The funding announced today will support programming in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Texas. A complete list of grants is available here.

Today, Senior Corps engages approximately 220,000 Americans at 25,000 locations across the nation through its Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs. For more than five decades, Senior Corps volunteers have used their skills and experience to mentor and tutor youth, help other adults maintain independence in their homes, connect veterans and military families to services, and more.

A growing body of research points to mental and physical health benefits associated with volunteering and a new study from Senior Corps builds upon this research. Preliminary findings released last summer show that after just one year of service, Senior Corps volunteers reported improved health after, including decreased anxiety and depression, loneliness and social isolation, enhanced physical capacity, and higher life satisfaction. The final study will be released late 2018.