For the seventh consecutive year, Up2Us Sports has received funding from Volunteer Louisiana, the state service commission of Louisiana. For the 2021-2022 year, the $175,833.00 grant will support 26 Up2Us Sports coaches around the parish of New Orleans with emphasis in Fairgrounds, McDonogh, Central City, Little Woods, Read Blvd W, Read Blvd E, Freret, Bayou St. John, Seabrook, and St. Claude.
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 139 AmeriCorps service members through Up2Us Sports, who have served 11,833 youth throughout the parish of New Orleans.
“Volunteer Louisiana and Up2Us Sports will continue to partner to advance our aligned missions to improve lives through national service and volunteerism. At Up2Us Sports that means training AmeriCorps coaches to transform the lives of youth,” says Hillery Gladden, Up2Us Sports’ Senior National Director, Programs. “Sports-based youth development has never been more critical as we come out of the COVID 19 crisis and as young people are wanting and needing to participate in social interaction and play.”
Volunteer Louisiana, the state service commission for Louisiana, was established in 1993 under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and strives to promote national service and volunteerism throughout the state. With funding from AmeriCorps and the state itself, Volunteer Louisiana oversees AmeriCorps state service programs, plus identifies needs and opportunities to grow national service and volunteerism to meet critical community needs.
National service is about getting things done, strengthening our communities, encouraging civic responsibility and expanding opportunity. We encourage you to learn more about Volunteer Louisiana, who we serve and opportunities for you to serve in your community.
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 jmitchell@up2ussports.org.
