(October 18, 2002) Bridgeport, Conn. Through United Way of Eastern Fairfield County, the GE Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Bridgeport based Regional Youth/Adult Substance Abuse Project (RYASAP) to support RYASAP's Safe Neighborhood AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP.)

AmeriCorps members in SNAP perform free home safety assessments and installations of security enhancements in the homes of Elderly, physically challenged and other needy residents in high risk neighborhoods to reduce burglaries, robberies and damage to property, and provide residents with crime prevention and home-safety awareness information.

The grant is aligned with one of United Way of Eastern Fairfield County's six Vision Area's; to promote health, wellness and safety for area residents. "GE continues to be an invaluable partner in funding programs and services to meet the critical needs of residents in our six-town region," said United Way of Eastern Fairfield County President Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq. "United Way and GE have a shared vision of a stronger, healthier community." United Way of Eastern Fairfield County serves Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull.

"Once again the GE Foundation is bringing good things to AmeriCorps, and we're very grateful for the support," said Leslie Lenkowsky, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps' parent agency. "Through these grants, the GE Fund is helping local AmeriCorps programs meet critical needs and increase citizen involvement. This is an outstanding example of public-private partnership that is at the heart of AmeriCorps."

The GE Foundation (www.gefoundation.com), the philanthropic foundation of the General Electric Company, invests in improving educational quality and access and in strengthening community organizations in GE communities around the world. All told, GE, the GE Foundation and GE employees and retirees contributed over $100 million to community and educational institutions last year. The GE Foundation has provided more than $1 million in contributions to local AmeriCorps programs in GE communities in recent years.

As part of his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives to volunteer service. He also created the USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility and help all Americans answer the President's Call to Service. As part of this initiative, President Bush has proposed expanding AmeriCorps by 25,000 members next year and is supporting reforms to make AmeriCorps more responsive to state and local needs and more accountable and effective.

More than 250,000 people have served in AmeriCorps since it was launched in 1994. Members typically serve for a year and can choose where and how they serve. They receive a modest living allowance, health insurance, student loan deferment and training. Upon completion of their service they receive a $4,725 education award to help pay for college, graduate school, vocational training or to pay off student loans. For information on AmeriCorps programs and how to join, visit www.americorps.org.

Research recently conducted by United Way of America indicates that 97% of Americans believe it is important to volunteer in the community; however, only 34 % of Americans have volunteered in the past year. Although community involvement was held as a virtue by almost all surveyed, less than half of Americans are involved in a neighborhood association, attend fundraisers, write letters to the editor, serve on a board or donate blood. Of those surveyed, 37% said that a demanding work schedule was the greatest obstacle to volunteering.

United Way's Berke-Schlessel says that, with GE's help, her organization is working to address that. "We know that our local citizens want to volunteer in their community and we're developing new tools to help them." United Way is launching a "virtual volunteer center" that will offer access to volunteer opportunities with hundreds of local agencies. Berke-Schlessel noted that the virtual volunteer center, available through United Way's website www.thewaytocare.org, is expected to be up and running by November 15. "It's a huge undertaking," she noted, "but we think it is a critical service to the community and part of our mission as community builders."

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County maximizes the impact of donations to the Community Care Fund by carefully assessing community needs and funding more than 78 programs in six targeted Vision Areas to meet those needs. Through its network of funded programs United Way nurtures children and youth, strengthens families, supports the elderly, provides for basic human needs, promotes health, wellness and safety, and helps people back on their feet by increasing self-sufficiency.

United Way believes that great results come from working together. In addition to the annual Community Campaign, United Way of Eastern Fairfield County collaborates with other community partners to secure funding and services for emerging needs. United Way looks for approaches that have not yet been taken, exploring alternatives and seeking new ways to address community problems. Success is measured through outcomes.

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