119-sres122

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 122 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 122

 Recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni and 
 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in the lives of the people and 
 communities of the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 10, 2025

 Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Coons, Ms. Collins, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. 
 Durbin, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, 
 Mr. Reed, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni and 
 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in the lives of the people and 
 communities of the United States.

Whereas 32 years ago Congress established the Corporation for National and 
 Community Service, now known as AmeriCorps--

    (1) to unite national service programs under 1 agency;

    (2) to create service opportunities that strengthen communities; and

    (3) to expand pathways to education, careers, and civic participation 
for those who serve;

Whereas, since their inceptions, AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors national and 
 community service programs have proven to be highly effective ways--

    (1) to unite and engage the people of the United States in meeting a 
wide range of local and national needs;

    (2) to promote greater civic engagement; and

    (3) to provide pathways to education and careers;

Whereas each year 200,000 individuals serve in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors 
 at nearly 40,000 locations across the United States to give back in an 
 intensive way to communities, States, territories, Tribal nations, and 
 the United States;
Whereas AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors funds have been invested in nonprofit, 
 community, educational, and faith-based organizations, as well as local 
 governments and Tribal nations, and those funds have--

    (1) leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in outside funding and 
in-kind donations each year; and

    (2) expanded the capacity of local and national programs to deliver on 
missions that strengthen the communities of the United States;

Whereas AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers have provided 
 millions of hours of service across the United States, helping--

    (1) to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people of the United 
States;

    (2) to protect the environment;

    (3) to contribute to public safety;

    (4) to respond to disasters and public health emergencies;

    (5) to strengthen the educational system of the United States; and

    (6) to expand economic opportunity for all;

Whereas service in AmeriCorps promotes bridge-building, collaboration, and 
 leadership skills, and AmeriCorps programs bring the people of the 
 United States together from different backgrounds, generations, and 
 geographic locations;
Whereas AmeriCorps funds, conducts, and disseminates research on the civic 
 health of the United States and the return on taxpayer investment in 
 national service programs;
Whereas AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers recruit and 
 supervise millions of community volunteers, demonstrating the value of 
 AmeriCorps as a powerful force for encouraging people to become involved 
 in community service;
Whereas, for more than 5 decades, millions of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in 
 the RSVP, Foster Grandparent, and Senior Companion programs have played 
 an important role in strengthening communities by sharing their 
 experience, knowledge, and accomplishments with the individuals they 
 serve;
Whereas, over the past 30 years, nearly 1,300,000 individuals have taken the 
 AmeriCorps pledge to ``get things done for America'' by becoming 
 AmeriCorps members through the AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps 
 VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC programs;
Whereas AmeriCorps members throughout the United States, in return for 
 completing their service terms, have earned more than $4,500,000,000 to 
 use to further their own educational advancement and career readiness at 
 colleges and universities across the United States;
Whereas AmeriCorps is a proven pathway to employment, providing members with 
 valuable career skills, experience, and contacts to prepare them for the 
 21st-century workforce;
Whereas leaders across political parties and ideologies recognize the value that 
 national service provides to their communities and country, leveraging 
 the power of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers to 
 meet the most urgent and pressing needs;
Whereas national service programs have engaged millions of people in the United 
 States in results-driven service in the most vulnerable communities of 
 the United States including in rural, urban, and suburban communities, 
 providing hope and help to individuals with economic and social needs; 
 and
Whereas AmeriCorps Week, observed from March 9 through March 15, 2025, is an 
 appropriate time for the people of the United States--

    (1) to salute current and former AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps 
Seniors volunteers for their positive impact on the lives of people in the 
United States;

    (2) to thank the community partners of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps 
Seniors for making the programs possible;

    (3) to encourage more people in the United States to become involved in 
service and volunteering; and

    (4) to celebrate the lasting impact of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps 
Seniors programs over the last 30 years: Now, therefore, be it

 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) encourages the people of the United States to join in a 
 national effort--
        (A) to salute AmeriCorps members and alumni and 
 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers; and
        (B) to raise awareness about the importance of 
 national and community service;

    (2) acknowledges the significant accomplishments across a 
 30-year history of the volunteers, members, alumni, and 
 community partners of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors;

    (3) recognizes the important contributions made by 
 AmeriCorps members and alumni and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers 
 to the lives of the people of the United States; and

    (4) encourages individuals of all ages to consider 
 opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors.
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