PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Cambria County Area Agency on Aging (CCAAA) has agreed to a settlement of $122,461.53 to resolve allegations related to its administration of community service grants funded by AmeriCorps, as announced on Friday, December 1, 2023.
Between 2016 and 2017, the CCAAA oversaw an AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) grant, which places seniors in school and community settings to assist youth with exceptional needs. This program provides a small hourly stipend to volunteers, which is funded by AmeriCorps grants along with some or all of the administrative costs to run the program.
However, allegations arose that from 2016 to 2017, CCAAA improperly managed the AmeriCorps grant. It is claimed that the FGP staff were instructed to inflate volunteer hours on timesheets, leading to volunteers receiving unearned stipends. Volunteers were also allegedly given “bonus” hours for services they did not perform.
Additionally, CCAAA is accused of charging unrelated, unsupported, and misallocated costs to the grant and inflating travel costs attributed to grant funds. After a complaint was received, CCAAA conducted an audit which identified some of these improper practices diverting AmeriCorps funds. Despite this, CCAAA allegedly failed to notify AmeriCorps of the findings or return the misused funds in a timely manner, as required.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero commented on the importance of transparency and honesty in the administration of federally funded programs. She noted that when grant recipients misuse funds, beneficiaries such as underserved youth are deprived of the opportunities those funds are intended to provide.
Stephen Ravas, AmeriCorps’ Acting Inspector General, thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its collaboration in ensuring the integrity of national service and noted the violation of public trust that occurred due to CCAAA’s alleged actions.
The investigation was jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and AmeriCorps’ Office of Inspector General. The investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony St. Joseph and Paul W. Kaufman.
It is crucial to note that the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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