AmEx commits $5M to increase park volunteers

American Express Co. is giving $5 million for an Interior Department partnership aimed at increasing the number of volunteers working on parks, wilderness areas and public lands.

The program, which the YMCA is helping to run, is meant to help Interior reach its goal of getting 1 million volunteers on public land each year, while improving its youth outreach.

{mosads}Interior Secretary Sally Jewell kicked off the initiative Thursday in New York City with officials from YMCA and the city’s parks department, which is the first of 50 cities to participate in Interior’s program.

“Magnificent landscapes and our strong volunteer ethic are part of what make America so special and unique,” Secretary Jewell said at Castle Clinton, a national monument in Manhattan.

“This partnership with American Express will be a huge boost as we create a movement to foster the next generation of leaders and outdoor stewards while helping people connect to the public lands in their community — particularly in urban areas.”

Each of the 50 cities will get a coordinator for the volunteer program thanks to the American Express grant, with a goal of increasing participation and awareness in public land volunteer programs, especially at urban parks.

The American Express funding will also help the program with outreach to potential volunteers.

Twenty-four more cities will launch their programs this year, including Miami, Atlanta, Boston and St. Louis.