WASHINGTON, D.C. – With public needs intensifying in the economic crisis, strengthening national service opportunities must be one of the next steps Congress takes to revive the economy, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Today’s hearing came a day after President Obama made national and community service a key part of his agenda during his first joint address to Congress by urging Congress to act quickly to bolster service and volunteer programs.
“President Obama is exactly right: Service can help our nation get through this economic crisis,” said U. S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the Committee. “We can’t afford to delay. We must work as quickly as possible, in a bipartisan way, to send him legislation that will launch a new era of American service to build a stronger, vibrant America.”
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“I was pleased to hear the testimony of today’s witnesses. They all offered great insight into the importance of service programs and I am grateful for all the work they have done to help get more Americans involved in public service, especially our nation’s youth,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities subcommittee. “I was particularly impressed with the testimony of James Harris and how his involvement in Usher’s New Look program opened new doors for him, setting Mr. Harris on the path to a bright future. It is vital that we move forward on passing a strong national service bill to create new opportunities for young people like Mr. Harris to serve our communities and give them the chance to reach their full potential.”
Americans’ interest in serving or volunteering is at an all time high. In 2008, over 61 million adults volunteered. From 2002 to 2007, the number of volunteers across the country grew by more than a million, according to a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Despite these growing trends, it’s been over fifteen years since Congress last reauthorized the nation’s bedrock service and volunteer programs.
As witnesses explained today, service and volunteerism programs meet a broad range of public needs that increase in tough economic times, including improving student achievement in low-income schools, providing seniors with help paying the bills, running errands and other services to help them live independently, feeding the hungry, and increasing the nation’s energy-efficiency.
These programs also yield significant public returns for each dollar invested, according to Richard Stengel, managing editor of TIME magazine.
“A cost-benefit analysis of AmeriCorps programs has concluded that every $1 in investment results in $1.50 to $3.90 of direct measurable benefits to the community: children tutored, playgrounds built, homeless people fed,” said Stengel. “Today, we are at a unique moment in our history when we have an opportunity to mobilize Americans to help address critical issues facing our republic.”
“We need to engage more youth in service, and we can do this by empowering them with the tools they need to lead,” said Usher Raymond IV, recording artist and chairman of Usher’s New Look Foundation, an organization that mentors disadvantaged youth. “Any true change has always come about because people have come together to make their voices heard, and young people have always been among the first to lift their voices.”
James Harris, a student from Kansas City, Kansas explained how his involvement in Usher’s New Look Foundation, changed his life: “I learned not to let my situation or other people’s labels hold me back from my dreams. I credit my mentors at Camp New Look for inspiring me to earn a college degree. They got my gears going in reverse and I started thinking differently. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Even today, Usher’s New Look continues to play a role by paying for my books and tuition.”
Witnesses also discussed how public-private partnerships with state and local governments can leverage opportunities to prepare disadvantaged youth for careers in growing industries and the green economy.
“For low-income, low-skilled young people, the emerging green economy offers pathways out of poverty,” said Van Jones, the president of Green for All. “We simply need to put the pieces together with a unifying, mobilizing call for national service to join the urgent effort to curb global warming and help build a green economy, supported by adequate funds to ramp up models that have proven their effectiveness and develop new ones where necessary.”
Engaging older Americans in service also bears enormous benefits, especially as there are millions of workers near retirement age or who have recently lost jobs due to the economy. Research shows that active and engaged adults are healthier and rely less on federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
“The potential for drawing millions of boomers into serving local communities is one of the promising elements in national service legislation,” said former Senator Harris Wofford, (D-PA). “We know that 10,000 boomers turn 60 every day. Some of them have already retired, some are facing involuntary retirement due to the economic downturn, and some will continue to work full-time for many years. They should be able to serve for one or many years, there should be part-time and full time opportunities; education awards should be available for transfer to a grandchild or a child they have tutored or mentored.”
Last year, the committee laid the groundwork for reauthorizing the nation’s bedrock service programs, such as AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, Learn and Serve America, and more by passing the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act with overwhelming bipartisan support.
At today’s hearing, Miller announced plans to move legislation through Congress in the coming weeks.
For more information on service and volunteerism, click here.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
“I was pleased to hear the testimony of today’s witnesses. They all offered great insight into the importance of service programs and I am grateful for all the work they have done to help get more Americans involved in public service, especially our nation’s youth,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), the chairwoman of the Healthy Families and Communities subcommittee. “I was particularly impressed with the testimony of James Harris and how his involvement in Usher’s New Look program opened new doors for him, setting Mr. Harris on the path to a bright future. It is vital that we move forward on passing a strong national service bill to create new opportunities for young people like Mr. Harris to serve our communities and give them the chance to reach their full potential.”
Americans’ interest in serving or volunteering is at an all time high. In 2008, over 61 million adults volunteered. From 2002 to 2007, the number of volunteers across the country grew by more than a million, according to a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Despite these growing trends, it’s been over fifteen years since Congress last reauthorized the nation’s bedrock service and volunteer programs.
As witnesses explained today, service and volunteerism programs meet a broad range of public needs that increase in tough economic times, including improving student achievement in low-income schools, providing seniors with help paying the bills, running errands and other services to help them live independently, feeding the hungry, and increasing the nation’s energy-efficiency.
These programs also yield significant public returns for each dollar invested, according to Richard Stengel, managing editor of TIME magazine.
“A cost-benefit analysis of AmeriCorps programs has concluded that every $1 in investment results in $1.50 to $3.90 of direct measurable benefits to the community: children tutored, playgrounds built, homeless people fed,” said Stengel. “Today, we are at a unique moment in our history when we have an opportunity to mobilize Americans to help address critical issues facing our republic.”
“We need to engage more youth in service, and we can do this by empowering them with the tools they need to lead,” said Usher Raymond IV, recording artist and chairman of Usher’s New Look Foundation, an organization that mentors disadvantaged youth. “Any true change has always come about because people have come together to make their voices heard, and young people have always been among the first to lift their voices.”
James Harris, a student from Kansas City, Kansas explained how his involvement in Usher’s New Look Foundation, changed his life: “I learned not to let my situation or other people’s labels hold me back from my dreams. I credit my mentors at Camp New Look for inspiring me to earn a college degree. They got my gears going in reverse and I started thinking differently. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Even today, Usher’s New Look continues to play a role by paying for my books and tuition.”
Witnesses also discussed how public-private partnerships with state and local governments can leverage opportunities to prepare disadvantaged youth for careers in growing industries and the green economy.
“For low-income, low-skilled young people, the emerging green economy offers pathways out of poverty,” said Van Jones, the president of Green for All. “We simply need to put the pieces together with a unifying, mobilizing call for national service to join the urgent effort to curb global warming and help build a green economy, supported by adequate funds to ramp up models that have proven their effectiveness and develop new ones where necessary.”
Engaging older Americans in service also bears enormous benefits, especially as there are millions of workers near retirement age or who have recently lost jobs due to the economy. Research shows that active and engaged adults are healthier and rely less on federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
“The potential for drawing millions of boomers into serving local communities is one of the promising elements in national service legislation,” said former Senator Harris Wofford, (D-PA). “We know that 10,000 boomers turn 60 every day. Some of them have already retired, some are facing involuntary retirement due to the economic downturn, and some will continue to work full-time for many years. They should be able to serve for one or many years, there should be part-time and full time opportunities; education awards should be available for transfer to a grandchild or a child they have tutored or mentored.”
Last year, the committee laid the groundwork for reauthorizing the nation’s bedrock service programs, such as AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, Learn and Serve America, and more by passing the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act with overwhelming bipartisan support.
At today’s hearing, Miller announced plans to move legislation through Congress in the coming weeks.
For more information on service and volunteerism, click here.
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