Senator Coons honored with Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award
Voices for National Service recognized Senator Coons Tuesday for his exemplary leadership and advocacy of national service as a state and federal priority, awarding him their Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award.
At the organization’s 11th Annual Friends of National Service Reception, Chris spoke to a packed room of service champions about the role of national service in helping the nation meet its toughest challenges. The reception, which also celebrated the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, allowed Senator Coons to reflect on his personal involvement with the organization.
“AmeriCorps has given Americans immense opportunities over the past 20 years to use our talents to build stronger communities,” Chris said. “It’s because of your work and dedication that the service movement has come so far – closer to a day when it will be commonplace for any American to ask his or her neighbor ‘Where do you serve?’”
During AmeriCorps’ first years, Chris worked with a small group of individuals with the national “I Have a Dream Foundation” to build the organization’s AmeriCorps program. Chris currently serves as a member of the National Service Congressional Caucus, where he joins with Democrats and Republicans to fight for expanded national service opportunities. This year’s award was Chris’ second from Voices for National Service – in 2012, he received the Outstanding New Member Award for elevating national service as a legislative priority.
Voices for National Service is a coalition of national, state, and individual service programs that aims to give Americans of all ages the opportunity to volunteer and serve. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service works with well-known service organizations to engage bipartisan efforts to meet policy needs through volunteerism and service.