FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com
Bipartisan Group of Government Leaders to be Honored for Support of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors
Washington, DC (April 28, 2024) – Voices for National Service announced today that it will honor 13 distinguished government leaders at the 21st Annual Friends of National Service Awards on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. The award comes as AmeriCorps celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The honorees were selected based on recognition and support for national service as a solution to some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. Each award winner has helped to ensure robust support for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, raised public awareness of national service, and elevated it as a national priority.
“Our 2024 honorees are extraordinary leaders representing communities across the country who understand the unique value of AmeriCorps as an efficient strategy for solving local problems, preparing diverse young adults for work, and strengthening and uniting our nation,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “Their commitment to AmeriCorps and their leadership in advancing it, especially at a time when increased Congressional funding is critical, directly benefits communities large and small across this country. We’re tremendously grateful for their continued efforts to strengthen and expand national service.”
The 2024 Awards and Honorees
- Edward M. Kennedy National Service Lifetime Leadership Award, for life-long dedication to citizen service and for outstanding leadership in advancing national service as a civic commitment and legislative priority: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
- Voices for National Service Hall of Fame, for extraordinary commitment to national service: Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
- John S. McCain Service to Country Award, for life-long devotion to country through citizen and public service and for exceptional leadership in advancing national service to solve community problems: Representative Don Bacon (R-NE)
- John Lewis Bridge to Service Award, for unwavering commitment to expanding opportunities for Americans of every background to serve and volunteer in their community: Representative Andy Kim (D-NJ)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Service and Conservation Corps Leadership Award, for championing the important role of Service and Conservation Corps in modern day America, reflective of the legendary ideals and work accomplished by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Depression-Era Civilian Conservation Corps: Governor Jared Polis (D-CO)
- National Service Champion Award, for steadfast leadership in promoting the expansion of opportunities for citizens to serve, and unwavering support for building a stronger future for national service: Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
- Distinguished Service Award, for prioritizing national service funding and legislation to expand high-quality opportunities for citizens to serve their communities and our country: Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
- Congressional Service Award, for remarkable commitment to national service as a strategy to solve local and national challenges: Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
- Outstanding New Member Award, for first-term members of Congress who have worked to elevate national service as a legislative priority: Representative Julia Letlow (R-LA)
- AmeriCorps Alumni Legacy Award, for AmeriCorps alumni who advance AmeriCorps through public service at the national, state, or local level: Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
- State Leadership Award, for leadership and innovation in leveraging national service to meet state and local needs: Governor Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox (R-UT), and Governor Wes Moore (D-MD)
- Stoneman Brown Advocacy of the Year Award, for exemplary determination, creativity, and results in building support for national service among our nation’s leaders: Mary Ellen Sprenkel, CEO, The Corps Network
Event Details
WHAT: 21st Annual Friends of National Service Awards
WHEN: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM
WHERE: Hilton Washington, DC Capitol Hill, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
RSVP: Media interested in attending should RSVP to ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com
Videos sharing the impact of AmeriCorps programming across the country will be available following the event. You are welcome to embed these videos in any coverage.
Annually, the AmeriCorps agency awards resources to local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations across the nation to deploy AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors. From natural disaster response to providing services for veterans, AmeriCorps grants and service members power organizations like the American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Habitat for Humanity. Through this public-private partnership, every $1 Congress invests in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors returns more than $17 in benefits to our country.
The program, which both Republican and Democratic presidents have supported since its inception, is in its 30th year.
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Voices for National Service advocates for AmeriCorps programs that respond to the country’s most immediate and critical challenges, from natural disasters to education, supporting veterans, and more. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support among our nation’s leaders for AmeriCorps, a public-private partnership that yields more than $17 in benefits to our country for every $1 invested by Congress. Voices for National Service works to strengthen public awareness and understanding among policymakers of the local impact of the 210,000 members of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors who support nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations on the front lines of our communities – an effort that unites our country and deepens civic character.