Phila. among cities getting $200K volunteering grants

ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO - There's a new effort to increase volunteerism in cities nationwide.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley joined Judith Rodin, Rockefeller Foundation president (and former University of Pennsylvania president) today to announce grants of $200,000 apiece to 10 cities, including Philadelphia.The money can be used to hire senior officials dedicated to developing plans to increase volunteerism under the new Cities of Service Coalition.

"As tens of thousands of Philadelphians are hard at work at project sites across the city to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this grant is one more thing to celebrate and is a great boost for service and volunteer efforts in Philadelphia," Mayor Nutter said.

The coalition is an outgrowth of a New York City program Bloomberg founded last April in response to President Barack Obama's call for increased civic service.
In addition to Philadelphia, the grants are going to Chicago; Detroit; Los Angeles; Nashville-Davidson, Tenn.; Newark, N.J.; Omaha, Neb.; Sacramento, Calif.; Savannah, Ga.; and Seattle.

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