Contact: Richard Manning, 202-693-4676; Suzy Bohnert, 202-693-4665, both for the U.S. Department of Labor

WASHINGTON, June 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration today announced $3.8 million in grants to 73 faith-based and community organizations competitively chosen to help hard-to-serve populations prepare for and succeed in employment opportunities in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Fifty-nine new awardees will receive funding of up to $60,000 each, and 14 previous recipients successfully competed to expand their work with grants of $30,000 each.

"Faith-based and community organizations play vital roles in helping those in greatest need to find jobs and build better lives for themselves and their families," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "The $3.8 million in grants will go to 73 faith-based and community organizations to provide supportive services as individuals seek to reintegrate into the workforce."

Projects receiving awards will serve individuals including welfare recipients, high school dropouts, ex-offenders and others who face significant challenges in gaining employment. Grantees will provide career counseling, life-coaching, mentoring and other services designed to prepare individuals to enter the workforce.

"Faith-based and community organizations have proven their ability to reach into communities and connect individuals facing barriers to employment to local career resources," said Assistant Secretary of Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "These groups are one of the primary links between individuals struggling to gain employment and needed assistance."

The grants are part of the Labor Department's ongoing effort to partner its existing programs with effective faith-based and community organizations to better serve the needy. Today's awards will allow recipients to expand their services to more neighborhoods than ever before.

"Working with every willing partner allows us to better serve those in need," said Rhett Butler, director of the Department of Labor's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. "The organizations receiving funding today are skilled at making connections with those in need, at providing services with a personal touch, and at helping individuals break their cycle of recurring struggles that have kept them from better economic opportunities."

For more information on the Department of Labor's employment and training programs, please visit www.doleta.gov/.

NOTE: A complete list of grantees can be found online at: www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/opa20070931-fs.htm.