America Forward | Serve America Act

Get Mayors to Sign Letter in Support of the Serve America Act

March 19, 2009

Update March 27, 2009: The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act passed. America Forward is working with ServiceNation and Voices for National Service to build support for the Serve America Act in the Senate. As a part of this effort we are asking your help to sign on mayors to letters of support that will [...]

Shirley Sagawa on Social Innovation

March 13, 2009

America Forward policy advisor, Shirley Sagawa, spoke to the committee about the critical importance of funding social innovation. When an organization takes an out-of-the-box approach to solving a problem, it often finds few sources available for sustainable funding. The Serve America Act will provide these organizations with much needed resources and support. As Shirley notes: [...]

Michael Brown on “Expanding Opportunities for Americans”

March 13, 2009

Michael Brown addressed the committee not only as City Year’s founder and CEO, but as a champion of national service. Michael is an active leading member of three national coalitions—America Forward, ServiceNation, and Voices for National Service—that represent widespread support for the Serve America Act. In his remarks, Michael focused on the need to revitalize [...]

Read testimonies on “The Next Generation of National Service”

March 13, 2009

America Forward coalition members Michael Brown(City Year)and Lester Strong (Experience Corps), along with America forward policy advisor Shirley Sagawa, spoke out in strong support of the Serve America Act during the Senate HELP committee hearing on Tuesday.These three leaders each offered their own insights into the importance of the legislation in advancing social innovation and [...]

Lester Strong on the “Promise for America”

March 13, 2009

In his testimony, Lester Strong spoke about his experiences with Experience Corps. Founded in 1995, Experience Corps mobilizes adults in their 50’s 60’s and 70’s to address serious social needs within their communities. Mr. Strong spoke about the deeply personal impact Experience Corps has had on his own life, and the powerful impact of the [...]

Become a Citizen Co-sponsor of the Serve America Act

March 11, 2009

Want to help pass the Serve America Act? ServiceNation is rallying Americans to sign on as citizen co-sponsors and help drive momentum behind this landmark piece of legislation. By joining the more than 20 congressional co-sponsors of the Serve America Act, you can help demonstrate to Congress the importance of national service as a solution [...]

Senator Barbara Mikulski joins the ranks of Serve America Act supporters!

March 10, 2009

Often called “the Godmother of community service,” Senator Barbara Mikulski has championed legislation in support of national service programs for two decades. On March 10th, Senator Mikulski issued a strong statement in favor of the bill before the Senate HELP committee, during a hearing to discuss the Serve America Act, which she chairs. In her [...]

Encourage Papers to Publish Editorials and Op-Eds

March 10, 2009

An important way to support passage of The Serve America Act is by encouraging your paper to publish an editorial in support of the legislation, by submitting a letter to the editor or an op-ed to the local newspaper. Be sure to reference our talking points for guidance in making the pitch for an editorial [...]

Talking Points on the Serve America Act

March 9, 2009

Looking for talking points on the Serve America Act? Use the list below for guidance as you talk to your congressional representatives or write letters to the editor of your local newspaper. The Economic Case for Service The average full-time AmeriCorps position costs the federal government $9,621 plus an education award of $4,725. The average [...]

Senator Kennedy Promotes National Service Bill

March 1, 2009

In anticipation of the Senate hearing on the Serve America Act, Senator Kennedy issued a powerful statement in support of the service and social innovation bill. Yesterday Susan Milligan captured Kennedy’s comments in an article in the Boston Globe: Americans young and old are looking for new ways to serve their communities and give back [...]

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