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