Bipartisan Group of Champions to be Honored for Support of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors

For Immediate Release

Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com

Washington, DC (April 19, 2023) – Voices for National Service announced today that it will honor ten distinguished Capitol Hill leaders at the 20th Annual Friends of National Service Awards on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 in Washington, DC.

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 2023 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, Voices for National Service. “Their commitment to AmeriCorps, and their leadership in advancing it, directly benefits communities large and small across this country. We’re tremendously grateful for their continued efforts to strengthen and expand national service.”

The 2023 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 Susan Collins (R-ME)
  • Voices for National Service Hall of Fame, for extraordinary commitment to national service: Representative Tom Cole (R-OK)
  • 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 Gwen Moore (D-WI)
  • 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: Senator Todd Young (R-IN)
  • 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: Senator Edward Markey (D-MA)
  • 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 Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
  • 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 Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representative Judy Chu (D-CA)
  • Congressional Service Award, for remarkable commitment to national service as a strategy to solve local and national challenges: Representative Garret Graves (R-LA)
  • Stoneman Brown National Service Advocate of the Year, for exemplary determination, creativity, and results in building support for national service among our nation’s leaders: Josh Fryday, Chief Service Officer, State of California

Event Details 

WHAT:               20th Annual Friends of National Service Awards, hosted by Voices for National Service

WHEN:               Wednesday, April 26, from 6:30 – 8:30pm ET

WHERE:             Hilton Washington, DC Capitol Hill, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

RSVP:                 Media that wishes to attend should RSVP to ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com

Videos sharing the impact of AmeriCorps programming across the country will be available following the event, here. You are welcome to embed these videos in any coverage.

Annually, nearly 200,000 members of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors are responding to the country’s most immediate and critical needs and supporting local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations. 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.

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Voices for National Service, which turns 20 this year, advocates for programs that respond to the country’s most immediate and pressing challenges and elevates AmeriCorps as a powerful strategy for tackling unmet needs. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support among our national’s leaders for AmeriCorps, the public-private partnership that yields more than $17 in benefits to our country for every $1 invested by Congress and enables the 200,000 members of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors to support local nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations on the front lines of our communities – an effort that unites our country and deepens civic character.

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