On Friday morning, at the ServiceNation summit, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Caroline Kennedy (in place of her uncle) announced the Serve America Act, legislation that will expand volunteer opportunities for Americans of all ages, and create the Education Corps, the Healthy Futures Corps, the Clean Energy Service Corps, the Opportunity Corps, and the Reserve Corps, among other initiatives. This bill is fantastic for the service sector. It doesn’t just create government programs, though it does add much-needed government support; it brings help and money to non-profits and private groups that serve.
You can download the press release here, and the summary of the legislation here.
Caroline Kennedy and Senator Hatch spoke at the end of Friday’s Morning Plenary
Tags: ServiceNation, summit
November 27th, 2008 at 5:37 am
It’s a very good site !! Very nice work, admin
Good luck !,
November 27th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Wow!! It’s getting better and better. Keep it up man.,
November 27th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
we better get on the tinatic because sinking is rising on saturday morning!,
November 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
we better get on the tinatic because sinking is rising on saturday morning!,
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Caroline
This is your calling; lead us the people in the response to Obama’s call for positive change.
We need to bring back victory gardens, war bonds (for those who really want to support war) recycling and reusing everything. Barn raisings, gleaning, soup kitchens.
Help me respond to this Declaration of Service I signed two weeks ago.
George
Boy Scout Leader
February 27th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
[...] Responsibity 101. Speaking of education in his address to the nation, Barack Obama stumped for the Serve America Act, a bill that would make participants eligible for educational awards. “I know that the price [...]
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:59 am
I think it is a great idea but what about the similarity of the forced community work to the Communist Block practices. Read what Communists used to do? I guess the revelation will be obvious.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
community service is great, but government enduced community service is dangerous.
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Is this dead in the water in the face of the GIVE Act? How in the heck can mandatory volunteerism happen in America? People tried to accuse Bush of raising up a 4th Reich, but he never proposed academies for students with uniforms!
March 24th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Hi Dr. Qasim, Casey, and Marc,
Thanks for your comments! ServiceNation has never and does not support mandatory service requirements.
Marc, the GIVE Act was passed through the House; the Serve America Act is the equivalent in the Senate. We don’t support “mandatory volunteering”, and neither bill in the Congress does either.
March 24th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
[...] The Serve America Act will create 175,000 new service opportunities in areas of need including education, health and clean energy. It will also create a Veterans Service Corps that will provide additional support for returning veterans and assist them in engaging in public service, among much more. [...]
March 24th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
The country is in serious danger of being transformed into a Nazi hell in which a central government exercises total control by a Civilian Security Force that answers to the President. I speak in terms of a
‘volunteer’, uniformed “Youth”. Paid, educated and directed by the central government. I never thought that this could happen in this country. I never thought that even one member of The U.S. House of Representatives would go for that, but I had a rude awakening. Now the Senate is rolling over on this issue as if it’s such a great thing to expand the government, yet again. You will wake up some day to have your own children reporting you to the police for reading a third party pamphlet or for leaving your lights on overnight.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:34 am
This is just sick! The people of this country need to wake the hell up and vote these power hungry dictators out of office! “Volunteer”, my a$$! Keep your corrupt hands off our children!!!
March 27th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Wow. Kristin and all.
Before reacting by shooting from the hip, try reading the legislation. This will “expand the number of national service participants to 250,000.” Less than 1% of our population. These programs are strictly voluntary.
Since when is service an evil thing? Amazing.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Lets hope for the best but learn to be prepared for the worst. Gamilitia.com
March 28th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
As an alumnus of AmeriCorps, I can honestly say that choosing to serve was one of the best decisions of my life. I feel very privileged that I was able to serve my country and my community with a diverse team of young Americans dedicated to improving our society. The Serve America Act does not mandate anyone to serve, but simply creates more service opportunities for those who are inspired to give back to our nation, and develop themselves along the way.
Also, through my year of service, I received the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award - $4,725, which is currently paying for my college education. More service corps positions means more opportunity for education and employment, which is especially critical in this time of economic downturn - has anyone else tried to find a loan or a job recently?! Good luck…
March 31st, 2009 at 12:15 am
“This is just sick! The people of this country need to wake the hell up and vote these power hungry dictators out of office! “Volunteer”, my a$$! Keep your corrupt hands off our children!!!”
It’s sick to ask (emphasis, ASK not FORCE) people to volunteer their services to this country in a way that doesn’t risk getting blown up?
They’re asking for opportunities for 250,000 volunteers.
The military has over a million people.
Do you get mad that they’re getting their hands on your children in high school, putting thoughts in their heads about the glories of war and all the opportunities they get by joining the military?
What’s so wrong about asking (once again, ASKING) people to give a little of their lives to help those less fortunate? I think it’s a wonderful idea, and something we should promote, especially among those of us who’ve been lucky enough to be born into middle class or better families, and go to decent schools and such. No one should ever be FORCED to volunteer (not in this country at least) but promoting it, what’s wrong with that? No matter what, someone’s going to be promoting something, so why not promote something that can help someone?
March 31st, 2009 at 11:36 am
This is exactly what the Serve America Act is asking for; a new era of community service which involves people of all ages and backgrounds. Forcing service on anyone would eliminate service’s key ingredients to success which are the good-natured hearts of those who volunteer.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Sounds like Hitler Youth stuff to me.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
When it is going to cost approx. 1 BILLION TAX DOLLARS (as per the written word of the legislation) I have to stand up and state that if you politicians want it…. then Pay for it From Your Own Pocket! Or make your AIPAC masters foot the bill. We the Taxpayers have had enough.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:29 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_youth
sounds familiar…… Force people to serve whether they want to or not!
April 27th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
This is a ploy to give federal money to ACORN and Move on. What about AArp, the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army - as these all going to be funded, how about garden clubs, quilting groups - will they all become federal employees? I see Acorn, Move on and the Chicago Democratic Party taking over. Who is going to run all this, which dept of the government - congress, the treasury, the fed - Acorn? The present gov’t is instituting more and more stupid ideas that the taxpayer is funding. Does the public now ignore requests for private donations since the government is running all charities.?
May 6th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
There are many worth while non-profits that do things that the government does not, cant, or wont! providing funds for non-profits to stay afloat will not only create jobs but help out communities across the country. I see this as only a GOOD thing. Service to humanity has always been the best work of life!
May 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
When you see the negative comments, you have to understand the FAR Right was so close to making us a 2 class country. Rulers of USA then… the world ! danced in their heads……
They were so close. They wont give up easy.
THEY are putting false information in peoples heads still.
LET’S MAKE THAT SENERIO not a part of HISTORY!
MAKE ALL AMERICA STRONG AGAIN
READ the facts FOR YOURSELF, PEOPLE!
THIS IS GOOD STUFF!
May 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
People, if the service act is in no way mandatory, than why is there a Rahm Emmanuel interview all over the internet where he states that ‘Citizenship is not free,” and goes on to say that people from 18-25 will be required to serve for 3 months?
Why is it stated in the legislation that one of the duties of this task force will be to serve warrants?
Volunteer programs are a great concept. I have been a democrat my whole life an would ordinarily think expanding such programs and asking people to give would be a positive thing. This smacks of something else that very few seem to be talking about.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I have been employed the last year by United Way in NJ.
After 20+ years in the corporate world I made a career change
to truly make a difference after being laid off in 2008.
This week I was laid off by United Way due to severe budgetary
problems stemming from the economy. I want very much
to continue to help the greater good through non profit employment.
Can you tell me who I might contact to offer my corporate and
non profit experience to benefit their organization?
Thank you,
Cynthia Marazo