Voices for National Service Presidential Candidates Memo Summary

From:
Cherry Acuff, Chairperson, Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development Council
Diana Rodriguez Algra, Executive Director, Volunteer Centers of Michigan
Alexandra Allen, Co-Executive Director, City Year New Hampshire
Jean Ambrose, Executive Director, West Virginia Commission for National & Community Service
Dr. George L. Askew, CEO and President, Jumpstart
Penny Bailer, Executive Director, City Year Detroit
Karen Baker, Executive Director, CaliforniaVolunteers
Molly Baldwin, Executive Director, Roca
Gregory Baracy, Superintendent, Wayne Westland Community Schools
Sheila J. Barfield, Co-Executive Director, City Year Louisiana
Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Co-Director, City Year Columbus
Bill Basl, Executive Director, Washington Commission for National and Community Service
Neil Batiancila, Co-Executive Director, City Year Greater Philadelphia
David Battey, President and Founder, Youth Volunteer Corps of America
Drew Becher, Executive Director, New York Restoration Project
Philip Behr, Co-Chair, City Year Greater Philadelphia
John Bengel, Senior Director, Old Colony YMCA Brockton, MA
Joel Berg, Executive Director, New York City Coalition Against Hunger
Cynthia Billings, President & CEO, PlusTime NH
Martha Bottomley, Executive Director, Volunteer Muskegon
Tom Branen, Executive Director, America's Service Commissions
Ginny Brown, Program Director, Monterey County United for Literacy
LaTonya Brown, Executive Director, City Year Columbia
Michael Brown, CEO & Co-Founder, City Year
Nelda Brown, Executive Director, National Service-Learning Partnership
Harry Bruell, Executive Director, Southwest Conservation Corps
Amy Buckingham, AmeriCorps Program Director, Ionia County Intermediate School District
Sandra Lopez Burke, Vice President and Executive Director, City Year Boston
Lisa Morrison Butley, Executive Director, City Year Chicago
Eileen Cackowski, Executive Director, The Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism & Service
Kyle Caldwell, President & CEO, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Daniel J. Cardinali, President, Communities In Schools, Inc.
Kelly Causey, Ph.D., Executive Director, Mile High Youth Corps
Julie A. Chapin, Ph.D., Program Leader, Michgian 4-H Youth Development
Mollie Chapman, AmeriCorps Alum
David Chu, AmeriCorps Alum
Ann Cochrane, Executive Director, San Francisco Conservation Corps
Linda J. Cohen, Executive Director, New York State Corps Collaboration
AnnMaura Connolly, Senior Vice President, City Year
Erin Cox, Northeast Executive Director, Jumpstart
Deidre E. Crawley, Project Director, Youth in Action AmeriCorps
Irv & Liz Cross, Co-Executive Directors, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota
Steve Culbertson, President & CEO, Youth Service America
Maureen F. Curley, President, Campus Compact
Jill C. Dagilis, Executive Director, Worcester Community Action Council, Inc.
Sean Damitz, Director, Utah Conservation Corps
Joanna Dees, Director, The Noisette Foundation
Itai Dinour, Co-Executive Director, City Year New York
Steve Dubiel, Executive Director, EarthCorps
Gayatri Eassey, Executive Director, City Year Seattle/King County
Gretchen Faro, Executive Director, City Year Cleveland
Chris Flood, Co-Executive Director, City Year Louisiana
Tim Foulkes, Program Manager, Canyon Country Youth Corps
Wyneshia Foxworth, Co-Executive Director, City Year Greater Philadelphia
Martin Friedman, Executive Director, EducationWorks
Lynda Frystak, Senior Companion Program Director, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet
Blair Gagne, Executive Director, True North AmeriCorps Duluth Area Family YMCA
Paul Garro, Executive Director, City Year San Antonio
Calvin George, National Director, National Association of Community Health Centers
Michael Goldstein, Executive Director, City Year Rhode Island
Allison Graff-Weisner, Executive Director, City Year Los Angeles
Ken Grouf, Co-Executive Director, City Year New York
Robert Guarasci, President, New Jersey Community Development Corporation
Mary Gunn, Executive Director, Generations Incorporated
Samuel Halperin, Founder, American Youth Policy Forum
Darell D Hammond, CEO and Founder, KaBOOM!
James M. Heffernan, Ph.D., Executive Director, New York Campus Compact
Phil Helfrich, Co-Director, Missouri Youth Conservation Corps
Jennifer Heyne, AmeriCorps Program Director, Center for Continuing Studies
Susan C Himes, Director, RSVP of Warren & Forest Counties, PA
Liz Hollander, Senior Fellow, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service, Tufts University and former Executive Director, Campus Compact
Rob Hollister, Dean, Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service, Tufts University
David P. Holmes, Executive Director, Heart of Oregon Corps
Steve Holmes, Administrative Director, Self-Advocacy Association of New York State
Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Community Service
Pearl Jones, AmeriCorps Program Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Patrice Keegan, Executive Director, Boston Cares
Marsha Meeks Kelly, Co-Chair, Voices for National Service and Executive Director, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service
Alan Khazei, Co-Founder, City Year
Jim Kielsmeier, President/CEO, National Youth Leadership Council
Melodye Kleinman, President, National Association of RSVP Directors
Beth Knutson-Kolodzne, Volunteer Connection Coordinator, St. Cloud State University
Marguerite Kondrake, President and CEO, America's Promise Alliance
Wendy Kopp, President and Founder, Teach for America
Mark Lazarra, Executive Director and CEO, West Seneca Youth Bureau
Joanna Lennon, Chief Executive Officer, East Bay Conservation Corps
Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus
Karen Leventhal, Americorps Alums Los Angeles
Josh Lockwood, Acting Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity New York City
Jacquelyn Lumpkin, Program Director, AmeriCorps & Medically Underserved in Utah, Association for Utah Community Health
Thomas Lyon, Learn and Serve America Program Director, Three Village Central School District (NY)
Connie Mercer, Executive Director, HomeFront
Bob McCammon, Executive Director, Youth Conservation Corps, Inc
Julie McClure, Director, Sonoma SERVES
Jim McCorkell, CEO, Admission Possible
Larry McCraken, Board Member, The Corps Network
Amy Gibans McGlashan, Executive Director, Vermont Campus Compact
Darin McKeever, President, Heads Up
Vince Meldrum, President, Earth Force
Darlene Johnson Morris, Director, AmeriCorps Cape Cod, Barnstable County Resource Development Office
Chris Murphy, Executive Director, City Year Washington DC
Thomas W. Nickerson, Executive Director, Cumberland County Training Resource Center
Pawn Nitichan, Co- Executive Director, City Year New Hampshire
Michelle Nunn, CEO, Hands On Network
Erin O'Leary, Chair, AmeriCorps Alums Ann Arbor
Gayle Orange, Executive Director, Camp Fire USA West Michigan Council
Beach Pace, Executive Director, City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley
Roger Palomino, Executive Director, Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission
Jill Pasewalk, National President and CEO, Camp Fire USA
Jim Pearl, Executive Director, Volunteer Center of Battle Creek
Dale Penny, CEO, Student Conservation Association
Betsy Phillips, Director, RSVP of Jackson, Clay and Platte Counties, MO
Camellia Pisegna, President, National Association of Senior Companion Project Directors in collaboration with Senior Corps Association of America
Sue Pilson, Executive Director, Upper Cumberland Community Services Agency
Peter Pickus, Executive Director, City Year Little Rock
Len Price, Executive Director, Minnesota Conservation Corps
Pamela M. Proulx-Curry, Executive Director, Wisconsin Campus Compact
Sally Prouty, Co-Chair, Voices for National Service and President & CEO, The Corps Network
Ellen Punyon, Principal, Wing Luke Elementary School, Seattle, WA
Bob Rath, President & CEO, Our Piece of the Pie
Carolyn Rose, Executive Director, Tulare County Conservation Corps
Betty Ruth, President Southern Association of RSVP Directors
Kate Sarata, ABLE Program Manager, West Seneca Youth Bureau
Paul Schmitz, President and CEO, Public Allies
Eric Schwarz, President, Citizen Schools
Dr. Jerry L. Seese, Commissioner, Michigan Community Service Commission
Jean Seigle, CEO, Massachusetts Service Alliance
Kim Sibilsky, Executive Director, Michigan Primary Care Association
Amy Smitter, Executive Director, Michigan Campus Compact
Thomas Schnaubelt, Dean for Community Engagement and Civic Learning, UW-Parkside Center for Community Partnerships
Gene Sofer, Partner, Susquehanna Group
Judith I. Stebbins, Commissioner, Maine Commission for Community Service
Dorothy Stoneman, President, YouthBuild USA
Audrey Suker, Executive Director, ServeMinnesota
Thomas J. Szawara, Project Director, RSVP/Catholic Charities LaPorte/Starke Co., IN
Naomi R. Tannenbaum, Senior Director for Expansion, Public Allies Inc.
John A. Taylor, AmeriCorps Program Director, Michigan Primary Care Association
Grace Temple, Executive Director, Sanilac Literacy Council
Lonnie Thompson, Chair, Florida Senior Programs, Inc
Amity Tripp, Director, AmeriCorps Alums
Liz Upchurch, Co-Director, City Year Columbus
Mark Valli, President & CEO, New Jersey After 3
Mary Beth VanBuskirk, Service-Learning Coordinator, Lake Orion Community Schools
Gretchen Van De Carr, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
Jane Watkins, President, National Association for Foster Grandparent Program Directors
Martin Weinstein, Chair, California AmeriCorps Alliance
Dustin Woodman, Program Manager, Coconino Rural Environment Corps
Madeline Yates, Director, Resources for Global Citizenship
Seung Yu, Executive Director, State Education Agency K-12 Service-Learning Network

We respectfully urge you to consider promoting voluntary national service in your campaign for President. The time has come for universal, voluntary national service that challenges every American, no matter how young or old, to strengthen America through service. Service to our nation should be an expectation and right of passage for every American, and in turn, we should offer a reward structure that would enable those who serve to gain broad access to the American dream.

We offer the following recommendations for growing national service in America with the goal of providing opportunities for all Americans to serve our nation. We have attached a memo with more robust descriptions and cost estimates for all of the proposals outlined below.

Two Bold Proposals for National Service

Expand AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Volunteer Corps. These programs have a track record of engaging Americans of all ages in meeting critical needs across the nation. Currently, 70,000 AmeriCorps members serve our nation each year, Learn and Serve America oversees more than 1,200 service-learning programs, and the National Senior Volunteer Corps facilitates service by nearly 500,000 older Americans. These programs should be expanded to increase opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve. We recommend growing AmeriCorps to 250,000 members, increasing the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to 2,000 members, expanding Learn and Serve America to engage 4.5 million school-aged children, and growing the programs of the National Senior Volunteer Corps as follows: increasing the Foster Grandparent Program to 70,000 volunteers per year, growing RSVP to two million volunteers per year, and expanding the Senior Companion Program to 48,000 volunteers per year.

Create a National Service Baby Bond: With the creation of a National Service Baby Bond, every child born in the United States would be given access to resources to help achieve his/her dreams in exchange for a year or more of national service. The government would invest money in a fund for every child born in America. Parents and family members would be able to contribute to a child’s bond tax free. The investment would accrue interest and once the child reached age 18 he/she could access the federal investment by serving for one or two years in a national service program. The National Service Baby Bond would offer a variety of options for meaningful national service including service in the armed forces, AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps. Baby bonds could be used to gain access to the American Dream, including paying for higher education, the down payment on a home, or opening a small business or non-profit.

Legislative and Policy Proposals to Expand National Service

Reauthorize the National and Community Service Trust Act: The National and Community Service Act has not been reauthorized since 1993. With demand for national service opportunities at an all-time high, it is time to reauthorize this Act as a means of supporting the expansion of national service programs in America.

Increase the Education Award: Although national service members provide critical services to children, families, older adults, and communities, and although demand for national service has increased, benefits to those who serve have stagnated. The AmeriCorps Education Award should be increased to $6,655 in 2007 to account for inflation since the Act was authorized in 1993 and should be indexed to the rate of inflation thereafter.

Improve America’s Neediest Schools: Tackling Illiteracy, Drop-Out Rates, and Low-Performing Schools. National Service programs have been particularly effective at supporting students and schools in a variety of areas. Building on that solid foundation and working through all the streams of service (Learn & Serve, AmeriCorps, and the National Senior Volunteer Corps), an Education Corps would focus national service resources on low-performing schools and school districts engaged in comprehensive reform efforts. An Education Corps would fill many of the gaps that schools currently face in providing high-quality educational support with limited resources, including organizing extracurricular activities, helping students prepare for and apply to college, helping ESL students learn English, and providing opportunities for young people who have dropped out of high school to earn a diploma or GED, among other initiatives.

Extend the Learning Day for America's Lowest Performing Students. National service programs have played a special role in supporting and running many of the nation's most effective after-school learning programs. A new corps of after-school and extended learning Teaching Fellows would help low-performing schools significantly extend their learning day and help the most effective after-school programs expand and improve.

Improve Access to Quality Health Care. National service programs have significantly impacted health outreach to medically underserved populations and communities, largely through placement of volunteers in community health centers nationwide. A Health Corps would seek to increase our ability to reach the 56 million Americans who lack access to health care; to assist low-income patients to better manage and improve their health status; and increase the number of people who pursue health careers. Health Corps members could serve as non-medical staff at health clinics, improve immunization rates among at-risk populations, and enroll eligible children in the federal government’s Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Improve America’s Infrastructure and Increase Energy Conservation while Providing Life and Work Skills for Vulnerable Youth. National service has a track record of engaging underemployed individuals in significant public works projects. The Civilian Conservation Corps, established in 1933 during the Great Depression, was one of the singularly more successful programs in American history. The CCC provided work and vocational training for 3.5 million unemployed single young men while conserving the country's natural resources and building its infrastructure. A new AmeriCorps* Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) would enroll thousands of young people from disadvantaged circumstances. CCC members would focus on service projects related to infrastructure improvement, the environment, energy conservation and urban and rural development.

Improve the Nation’s Disaster Readiness, Response and Recovery Infrastructure. National service helps fill the gap between the generous outpouring of Americans who want to serve and the critical needs of children, families, older adults, and communities in times of great need. Working in conjunction with the AmeriCorps*NCCC, an expanded AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, RSVP, and SCP with a focus on disaster preparedness and response could help ensure that communities are prepared, that immediate needs are met after a disaster strikes, and that volunteers are leveraged and coordinated in the longer-term reconstruction phase.

Develop Infrastructure to Support and Deploy Volunteers. The creation of “service centers” would enhance the availability and effectiveness of national and community service opportunities at the local and regional levels. Centers would develop programs to help local non-profits manage volunteers more effectively, support recruitment for national service opportunities in the area, train teachers on service learning practices, lead local service day events, and coordinate with local emergency management to serve as a volunteer reception center in times of disaster.

Policy Proposals to Provide a Continuum of Service for All Americans

Grade School: Incentives for Every School District to Implement Service-Learning. Granting money to states to support service-learning in every school district will permit states to tailor their programs to the specific needs of their schools and communities.

Grade School: Require Every School to Hire a “Community Service Coach.” By placing an AmeriCorps VISTA member as a “Community Service Coach” for every public school, teachers, parents, and students would have a resource to help them effectively implement service learning programs and match students with community organizations in need of volunteers.

Middle School: Summer of Service. Summer is a challenging time for many middle school and incoming high school students. Too old for daycare and summer camps, yet too young for real employment, they often suffer from summer boredom. Students arrests increase over the summer, and studies have widely documented “summer learning loss” that occurs when students’ summers are not structured and productive. A Summer of Service Program would ensure that summer is a time for students to define themselves and make choices that positively impact their futures. Enrolled in a Summer of Service, incoming 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th graders would perform 100 hours of socially valuable, full-time community service in exchange for a $500 college scholarship. In groups of diverse students, young people would meet critical needs in their communities. A Summer of Service would become a rite of passage for all middle school students.

High School: Youth in Service to America. Youth under 17 are not eligible to participate in AmeriCorps except through certain youth corps. However, sustained service at a young age encourages lifelong service, affords opportunities to learn important 21st century skills, connects youth to the community, and provides needed assistance toward the solving of community problems. A Youth in Service to America Corps would provide opportunities for high school students to experience a significant commitment to service in their communities.

College: Summer of Service Camps Run by College Students. Summer of Service Camps would engage college students in national service by allowing them to plan, create, and run camps for elementary and middle school students. College students would earn a small living stipend and a $1,000 education award to apply towards college or graduate school tuition.

College: One-Stop Recruitment Centers on Campus. National service recruitment centers on every public university or college campus would provide interested individuals with information on all available means of serving one’s country – from serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marine Corps to the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or VISTA programs. The steady stream of college-educated recruits would become leaders in each branch of service.

Working Years: Challenge Employers to Explicitly Recognize the Value of Service. Employers would be encouraged to follow the lead of ground-breaking companies like The Timberland Company who provide each of their employees with 40 hours of paid time-off to do community service every year. Employers who offered paid time-off for their employees to do service would benefit from the improved skills and morale of their workforce and their enhanced image in the community.

Working Years: Amend the Family and Medical Leave Act to Permit Two Weeks of Service Per Year. Even though many innovative companies and government employers have begun to provide a service benefit, all Americans must have the option of taking unpaid time off from work to immerse themselves in community service. The Family and Medical Leave Act could be amended to allow employees to take up to two weeks unpaid leave each year to do service of their choosing.

Seniors: Create a New “Senior Heroes” Program to Encourage Sustained Volunteering. For older adults who volunteer for at least 1,000 hours a year through the National Senior Volunteer Corps, a “Senior Heroes” program would provide a $1,000 education award, which they could use for their own further education or could choose to transfer to a young person. For those who serve 500 hours a year, a $500 education award would be offered. Seniors volunteering through the three programs of the National Senior Volunteer Corps would be eligible to receive this award twice (consistent with the limit on the AmeriCorps education award), and would only be allowed to transfer the award as a gift.

We believe that promoting the concept of voluntary national service is good policy for the nation. We hope you will carefully consider each of these suggestions, and we would be honored to discuss any or all of these ideas with you or staff.

www.VoicesForService.org
918 U Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
info@voicesforservice.org / fax: 202-742-7401