Yesterday, The New York Times' City Room blog reported on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement of a series of programs and partnerships to encourage volunteerism among city residents.
Today, President Obama is scheduled to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. This week is also National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).
The Associated Press and The Washington Post also reported on Mayor Bloomberg's service program.
Today, President Obama is scheduled to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. This week is also National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).
The idea is to capitalize on the local history of activism and volunteerism and channel New Yorkers’ goodwill into worthy causes that could make a palpable difference in these difficult economic times. One of the initiatives, for example, will create the NYC Civic Corps, which will shepherd volunteers into public agencies and nonprofit groups. Others will expand the city’s auxiliary police force and Block Watch programs, as well as offer legal service and financial counseling to families who are facing foreclosure or otherwise need help managing their debt.Read the rest of The New York Times blog post here.
The Associated Press and The Washington Post also reported on Mayor Bloomberg's service program.
I'm not sure who to ask about this but given the state of the economy can this volunteerism act be retroactive? With all of the people out of work and with federal loans to pay off it would at least give us a way to lower our debts while we are looking for work or re-establishing ourselves in new careers. I wanted to volunteer at Hospice and would make more time for that if it meant that my loans would be forgiven. I've worked in a non-profit but the employees still get paid. And if I won't recieve compensation for gas and food at least I would have one less thing to worry about if my loans were discharged.
This may or may not be a fit for your situation, but AmeriCorps' education award, which the Serve America Act increased to $5,350 for 2010, may be used to repay qualified student loans. You can learn more about AmeriCorps and other volunteer opportunities at the Corporation for National & Community Service's website, www.nationalservice.gov.