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Friends of National
Service 2011, Archive
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Awards Reception
Honorees and Awards
On February 15, 2011, supporters of service from all over the country travelled to Washington, DC for the 8th Annual Friends of National Service Awards Reception. The evening was an opportunity to honor the elected officials and private citizens who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support national service.
The reception took place the same week President Obama released his fiscal year 2012 budget and Congress began a contentious debate about funding priorities for the remainder of the fiscal year 2010. The reception was co-hosted by the Corps Network and Voices for National Service, and sponsored by Planters, the Comcast Corporation, and National Grid. Some of the night’s highlights include:
- Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) opened the evening with a rousing speech announcing her decision to serve as the Co-Chair of the National Service Caucus. The Senator has been a member of the caucus for many years and was integral in passing the Serve America Act in 2009.
- Actor Brandon Routh, Iowa native and star of Superman Returns, presented Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) with the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Lifetime Leadership Award.
- During the evening, Representative John Lewis (D-GA) arrived wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom that he received earlier that day. Lewis received the Outstanding National Service Advocacy Award.
- Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and David Cicilline (D-RI) accepted their awards and delivered powerful messages about the value of volunteers and service to our nation.
- Governor Haley Barbour (R-MS) was not able to come to Washington, DC to accept the State and Local Leadership Award, but he accepted the honor via video and spoke of the enormous influence that service has in Mississippi and throughout the country. Click here to see the video.
- The evening closed with a moving tribute to Sargent Shriver presented by Saundra Wood, a member of Foster Grandparents.
- Nearly 600 guests attended, and the reception was one of the largest to date.
Event-related documents
- Click here to see photos from the event on the Voices for National Service Flickr
News stories covering the 2011 Friends of National Service Reception
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Images from the Reception
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Actor Brandon Routh pose with City Year Greater Philadelphia Corps Members. Harkin received the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Lifetime Leadership Award at the reception.
Representative John Lewis (D-GA) wearing his Presidential Medal of Freedom with Harris Wofford, former Senator of Pennsylvania. 
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CN) with AnnMaura Connelly, President of Voices for National Service and Dorothy Stoneman, Founder and President of YouthBuild after receiving the Distinguished Service Award.
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) announcing that she will co-chair the National Service Caucus. 
Representative David Cicilline (D-RI) with Jose Phillips, Region Director of the National Civilian Community Corps after accepting the State and Local Leadership Award.
Representative Martin Heinrich (D-NM) accepting the Outstanding New Member Award.
The Corps Network’s Corps Members of the Year and Corps Members from City Year.
Members of RSVP and Foster Grandparents celebrate the 40th Anniversary of RSVP. Saundra Wood (2nd from right) delivered the tribute to Sargent Shriver during the reception.
Governor Haley Barbour (R-MS)
Voices for National Service’s State & Local Leadership Honoree
In his acceptance speech, Governor Barbour shared “much of the work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and last year’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill fell on the shoulders of volunteers and AmeriCorps members…These volunteers have helped rebuild a stronger and better Mississippi… I’m proud and honored to be a friend and proponent of national service.”
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