TOPEKA  – The Great Bend-based Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Central Kansas is one of nine Kansas organizations sharing more than $139,000 in Volunteer Generation Fund grants from the Kansas Volunteer Commission, the KVC announced Tuesday.
“Funding received from the fund will be used by RSVP of Central Kansas to expand into a full-service volunteer center serving Barton and Pawnee Counties,” said RSVP Director Donna Baugh. The expanded effort known as Volunteers in Action will be a “one-stop shop” for volunteerism in this area, both for non-profit and governmental agencies seeking help and for individuals seeking opportunities to lend a hand.
Baugh said Linn Hogg of Great Bend has been chosen to assist in this effort and will be working with younger volunteers and projects that don’t fit into RSVP parameters. “We are currently developing two community projects for young people and will be recruiting soon.”
The fund is a grant program through the Corporation for National and Community Service to support development and expand the capacity of volunteer-connector organizations in local communities. Kansas was one of 19 states to receive this funding.
These grants support projects that increase the number of people who serve in meaningful roles as volunteers dedicated to addressing important needs in communities across Kansas. More specifically, the grants will support efforts that expand the capacity of volunteer-connector organizations to recruit, manage, support and retain individuals to serve in high quality volunteer roles.
Kansas is in the third year of this grant; five grants, totaling nearly $100,000, were awarded in 2011 and in 2012 eight grants totally approximately $130,000 were awarded. Grantees have committed to engage thousands of Kansans in new and meaningful volunteer assignments such as mentoring, tutoring, parent volunteers in the school, and service learning opportunities for youth and college students.  Additionally, a majority of grantees will offer much needed volunteer management and recruitment training opportunities to nonprofit agencies in their community.
The mission of the KVC is to empower all Kansans to meet community needs through service. The KVC provides grant funding, training, and support to Kansas non-profit organizations, while also administering federal funding to the AmeriCorps programs throughout the state. 
For details on the fund or other commission’s programs, visit www.kanserve.org.
For more information or to volunteer for Volunteers in Action, call Baugh at 620-792-1614.