Ten of the 20 cities awarded grants this year to start volunteer corps inspired by New York’s Cities of Service program are kicking off their programs this month, the Associated Press reports.

Service campaigns are under way in Chicago; Detroit; Los Angeles; Nashville; Newark, N.J.; Omaha; Philadelphia; Sacramento; Seattle; and Savannah, Ga., which received $200,000 grants in January from the Rockefeller Foundation and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s philanthropy. Ten more cities were awarded grants in July.

The goal of the program is not just to recruit volunteers but to use them to focus on solving specific problems. For example, Newark’s program will center on education and health, while Nashville, slammed by floods this year, will emphasize disaster recovery.

New York’s volunteer campaign, started by Mr. Bloomberg last year, has provided CPR training, fitness classes, flu vaccinations, and other services.