Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Cassidy, Representatives DeLauro, Bacon, and Waltz among honorees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com
Washington, DC (June 1, 2022) – Voices for National Service will honor seven distinguished Capitol Hill leaders at the 19th Annual Friends of National Service Awards on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 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.
“These honorees are extraordinary leaders from across the country who understand the unique value of national service as an efficient strategy for engaging citizens, preparing young adults for work, solving problems, 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 help expand national service, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when the country is reliant on the work of AmeriCorps members more than ever.”
The 2022 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 Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
- 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 Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- John Lewis Bridge to Service Award, for unwavering commitment to expanding opportunities for Americans of every background to serve and volunteer in their community: Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
- National Service Hall of Fame, for extraordinary commitment to national service: Doris Matsui (D-CA)
- Congressional Service Award, for remarkable commitment to national service as a strategy to solve local and national challenges: Don Bacon (R-NE) and Michael Waltz (R-FL)
- 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: Joe Neguse (D-CO)
- National Service Advocate of the Year, for exemplary determination, creativity, and results in building support for national service among our nation’s leaders: Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO, With Honor Action
Details
19th Annual Friends of National Service Awards
Hosted by Voices for National Service
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 from 6:30 – 8:30pm
Hilton Washington, DC Capitol Hill, 525 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
RSVP: Media that wishes to attend should RSVP to ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com.
The Friends of National Service Awards is sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal, The Corps Network and With Honor Action.
Background
Every year, more than 250,000 Americans serve in national service programs that provide critical services to fulfill unmet needs. AmeriCorps members tutor and mentor students, help fight the opioid epidemic, provide job training and other services to returning veterans, preserve the nation’s parks and public lands, offer disaster relief and recovery assistance after natural disasters and support independent living for seniors and Americans with disabilities.
Over the past two years, AmeriCorps members acted quickly and creatively to address gaps in services created by the COVID-19 pandemic. They supported vaccination efforts, collected and distributed food, tutored and mentored students to help diminish the impacts of COVID-driven instructional loss, conduct wellness checks for homebound individuals, and more.
Through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, national service allows citizens of all ages and backgrounds to play a pivotal role in their communities by serving with thousands of nonprofit faith-based and community-based organizations, including the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, City Year and United Way. Since 1994, more than 1.2 million Americans have earned AmeriCorps education awards totaling $4 billion in higher education credit, including many first-generation college graduates. Over $1 million in education awards are paid annually to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Furthermore, AmeriCorps is a proven pathway that helps young people prepare for future jobs, particularly for populations hardest hit by the pandemic. Members gain valuable career skills and experience, from career training to occupational skills to network building. According to a survey of AmeriCorps alumni, eight out of ten say AmeriCorps advanced and benefited their career path.
Nearly 30 years ago, Congress created AmeriCorps, the only federal agency for community service and volunteerism. Formerly known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership that invests limited federal dollars to leverage substantial private investment to improve lives and communities. Every year, the AmeriCorps programs generate more than $1 billion in leveraged resources from businesses, foundations, and other sources, an amount exceeding the federal appropriation. According to a 2020 study, every $1 in federal money invested in AmeriCorps programs returns $17.30 to society, program members, and the federal government.
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Voices for National Service is a diverse coalition of AmeriCorps programs, state service commissions and individual champions, who work to ensure Americans of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to serve and volunteer in their community. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support among our nation’s leaders and helped to elevate national service as a powerful strategy for tackling unmet needs, preparing young people for work, uniting our country and developing civic character.