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Statement Regarding National Service
and the Presidential Election
Through voluntary national service, Americans stand ready to help their communities meet the challenges of the 21st century. At present, seven million elementary school students cannot read at grade level, nearly one-third of all high school students drop out before earning a degree, 14 million children lack a safe place to play after school, more than 750,000 Americans are homeless, 47 million Americans lack medical insurance, and concern regarding energy conservation and the environment is at an all time high. National service has a track record of meeting critical needs by civically engaging Americans to serve in communities across the nation, and there are hundreds of service and service-learning programs equipped and ready for expansion. We are pleased that both presidential candidates have begun to incorporate into their campaign platforms ideas for expanding voluntary service opportunities. Like Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, we believe now is the time to call upon all Americans - young and old - to participate in strengthening their communities and our nation through service. Americans are ready to respond, and the reward will be a stronger and more prosperous nation for us all.
To solve our most important problems requires an investment in building and expanding our national service infrastructure. Congress must reverse the gradual decline in national service funding experienced in recent years and fully fund the existing service programs. Voices for National Service urges Congress and the next President to champion our vision for national service, passing legislation to create and fund new initiatives that will address critical community needs while developing civic competencies in those who participate. Our policy proposals to expand service opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds can be read online by clicking here.
To further engage the presidential candidates on the issue of service, Senators McCain and Obama have been invited to participate in a presidential candidates forum on the evening of September 11th. Called "A Nation of Service", the forum will be moderated by TIME magazine and broadcast live by CNN. The forum will provide both candidates with a national stage to discuss their views on the role service will play in America if they are elected. The forum is part of a two day summit in New York City, uniting 500 leaders of all ages and from every sector of American life — from education and philanthropy, to business and politics — to celebrate the power and potential of citizen service.
Voices for National Service and its coalition members are non-partisan and do not endorse any candidates for elected office.
- Click here for more information about the Presidential Forum on Service.
- Click here for Voices for National Service’s policy proposals to expand service opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds.
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Recent Headlines
Corporation for National and Community Service News
AmeriCorps - Newsroom Feed
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2009 Appropriations for
National Service Programs
On February 4, 2008, President Bush sent to Congress his Fiscal Year 2009 budget request which recommends $829.7 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service and its three core programs - AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn & Serve America. This request is $26.6 million less than the agency received in FY08, continuing a five year decline in national service funding.
The President's budget proposes cuts to several service initiatives, the most significant being a 40% cut to the Foster Grandparent Program - a program that connects 19,000 volunteers age 60 and over with children and young people with exceptional needs. For more information about the President’s proposal and the appropriations request of Voices for National Service click here.
The President’s budget submission is just the first step in a lengthy appropriations process. Voices for National Service will remain engaged, reaching out to the Administration and the Congress and urging a robust federal investment in national service programs.
This latest development does underscore how important it is for us to educate our nation's leaders about the indispensable value of national service as they head into a very difficult appropriations process. The pressure to produce more with less funding will be felt by nearly every federal program and agency in the coming year. We urge you to invite your elected officials to visit your program this year. For tips on how to schedule a visit, please click here. |
Presidential Candidates Memo
Strengthen America through Service
On June 22, 2007, Voices for National Service sent each declared and exploring candidate for President a detailed memorandum with recommendations for growing national service in America. Voices for National Service strongly believes the time has come for universal voluntary, national service that challenges every American, no matter how young or old, to strengthen America through service.
Signed by 150 leaders of the national service field, the memorandum includes recommendations to expand AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Volunteer Corps. These programs have a track record of engaging Americans of all ages in meeting critical needs across the nation.
- Click here to read the executive summary and view the list of supporting signatures.
- Click here to read the detailed recommendations in the memo to Presidential Candidates.
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