For the sixth consecutive year, Up2Us Sports has received funding from Volunteer Louisiana, the state service commission of Louisiana. For the 2020-2021 year, the $179,753 grant will support 22 Up2Us Sports coaches around the parish of New Orleans with emphasis in Fairgrounds, Filmore, Ashe Freret, Green Read Blvd W, Schaumburg, Read Blvd E, Einstein Desire, G.W. Carver/ Abundance of Desire St Claude and Arise.

This cohort of national service members will serve 1,190 youth and engage them in athletic and mentorship activities that are designed to improve their physical health and develop social-emotional learning skills that will help achieve their potential on and off the playing field.

Since 2014, Volunteer Louisiana has provided grants for 131 AmeriCorps service members through Up2Us Sports, who have served 11,135 youth throughout the parish of New Orleans.

“The partnership between Volunteer Louisiana and Up2Us Sports and our eleven local community partners provides a meaningful opportunity for caring adult mentors to serve their country and community and make a difference in the lives of young people,” says Hillery Gladden, National Director, Up2Us Coach. “Sports-based youth development is vital to the health and growth of youth in Louisiana especially during the era of COVID-19 and in the light of the current social justice movement.”

This funding is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering, civic engagement, and national service programs like AmeriCorps. For more than two 25 years, more than 1 million dedicated Americans have joined AmeriCorps and pledged to ‘get things done.’

This year, the 75,000 AmeriCorps members serving in schools, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, will do the same as they rebuild communities, support veterans, fight the opioid epidemic, prepare students for success, foster economic opportunity, and more. Those interested in serving can learn more at AmeriCorps.gov/join.

We are currently actively recruiting coaches and host sites nationwide. If you are interested in becoming a coach-mentor or hosting a coach in New Orleans or its surrounding communities, please contact hgladden@up2ussports.org or jmitchell@up2ussports.org.