This Friday, May 16th, U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) will introduce the AmeriCorps Act of 2008.
The AmeriCorps Act of 2008 will:
Raise the education Eli Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $6,185 and raise the award each subsequent year to represent the average cost of tuition and required fees at a 4-year public university;
Make the education award tax exempt;
Restore the Corporation’s previous authority to partner with other Federal agencies to use national service as a strategy to carry out Departments’ priorities; and,
Promote the Corporation for National and Community Service to Cabinet level status.
Since inception in 1994, AmeriCorps has encouraged over 540,000 citizens to volunteer, serve, and address the unmet needs of our nation. These citizens have given over 700,000,000 hours toward improving the lives of other Americans.
Your phone call to Washington is critical to ensuring this legislation passes, so please call your Senators today to urge them to become original co sponsors. The deadline is tomorrow, Thursday at 4:00pm EST.
It will only take 2 minutes to call. Here is what you need to do:
Call the Capitol Operator at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your Senators.
Ask your Senators to be original co-sponsors of the AmeriCorps Act of 2008.
To co-sponsor, interested offices should contact Mary Ellen McGuire with Senator Dodd’s office by email: MaryEllen_McGuire@help.senate.gov. Deadline for co-sponsors is tomorrow, Thursday at 4:00pm.
Build power in numbers – ask two other people in your state to call your Senators, as well. Three voices are louder than just one!
Thanks for taking action and helping to grow AmeriCorps!
Please forward THIS LINK to a friend and check back for details on how you can help to further support the AmeriCorps Act of 2008 and make National Service a national priority!
As reported here on Monday, Mr. Awais Khaleel was nearing his decision on who to back as one of the youngest superdelegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The University of Wisconsin student, Vice President of the Young Democrats of America (YDA), and friend of ServeNext Madison, Khaleel announced his decision early this morning in partnership with YDA President Lauren Wolfe after U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton’s decisive victory in West Virginia yesterday.
Khaleel said in a statement today released by the Obama campaign:
“We’ve heard from thousands of youth voices through Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and email. Without a doubt, college students are ready for change and a new kind of leadership. Senator Obama empowers our voices and makes us feel like an important part of the process. That is why we support him to be the next president of the United States.”
U.S. Senator Barack Obama, the only remaining candidate in the Presidential race with a comprehensive National Service plan, was grateful for the dynamic duo’s support:
“At this defining moment in our nation’s history — a moment when we can finally come together and bring about the change that is so desperately needed in this country — I am proud to accept the support of the College Democrats of America’s President and Vice President - Lauren Wolfe and Awais Khaleel. The College Democrats represent the future and their work is critical to a Democratic victory in November. They have worked hard to organize at the grassroots, energize their college campuses, and mobilize students for change. During this primary, young people have proven to be an incredibly powerful force at the polls and I am grateful for their support. I look forward to working with the College Democrats to continue building our grassroots movement for change in colleges and universities across the country.”
Khaleel is looking forward to his first stress-free night of sleep in months. Enjoy!
Above: Last year’s winning AmeriCorps Video Contest submission…
Recently, AmeriCorps turned to its far-flung network of members and alums for help in recruiting the next class of AmeriCorps members by hosting its second YouTube-style video contest. Five finalists have been chosen and now the National Service Community is asked to VOTE TODAY for the top video in this year’s contest, which coincides with the second annual AmeriCorps Week.
The contest asked participants to create a 60-second spot answering the question “Why AmeriCorps?” Entries could address topics such as how AmeriCorps tackles some of America’s biggest challenges; what AmeriCorps means to you; and why someone should join AmeriCorps.
The grand prize is a volunteer vacation worth up to $5,000 courtesy of Travelocity through its Travel For Good Change Ambassadors program. Second prize is an iPod Shuffle, and third prize is an AmeriCorps Alums Prize Pack, both courtesy of AmeriCorps Alums. The five semifinalists will receive a free one-year membership from AmeriCorps Alums. Help choose which of the five finalist videos will win… VOTE TODAY!
The video contest is part of AmeriCorps Week, the national recognition and recruitment event taking place through Sunday, May 18th, aimed at engaging more Americans in service, saluting AmeriCorps members and alums for their impact, and thanking the partners that make AmeriCorps possible.
Democratic National Committee Superdelegate and friend of ServeNext Madison, Awais Khaleel, has become quite popular over the last few weeks. After putting up a YouTube video (see above) asking his peers across the country what to do with the “power” of being a superdelegate in the historic 2008 Presidential Primary, he has received lots of feedback — including from actor Kal Penn, star of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and National Arts Policy Committee Member for the Barack Obama for President campaign.
Mr. Penn is one of the many prominent candidate supporters Ms. Wolfe, 25, a law student at the University of Detroit-Mercy and Mr. Khaleel, 23, a junior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, have heard from recently. But the two of them haven’t been swayed just yet. They posted a YouTube video two weeks ago asking for input from other college students on how to vote.
“Guess who might decide the leader of the free world?” Mr. Khaleel asks in the clip. “Me!”
A friend of Reilly Goodwin (our Lead Organizer at the University of Wisconsin), Khaleel took the time out of his busy schedule to speak at the ServeNext Chapter Launch event in Madison last month. His message centered on our unique moment in American history and the grassroots excitement now growing around the expansion of National Service programs. Interestingly, Penn’s open letter to Khaleel included college affordability, volunteerism, and the call for young people to play an active role in our democracy.
State after state, I have been meeting young people who, for the first time in their lives, are not simply voting, but volunteering for a campaign. After being told for years that their voices don’t count for much, they have risen up and joined us in securing a better world for all Americans. Many of these folks cannot afford a college education. Many lack health care. Some are caring for ailing parents. Others are first-generation Americans. Overwhelmingly, they’ve answered the challenge that Senator Obama has given them: to take responsibility and become involved. I ask you not to ignore them any longer.
While we know that Khaleel won’t be swayed by celebrities, Penn’s words reinforce the feeling among the National Service Community that the time to expand AmeriCorps is upon us… that there is a perfect storm brewing. We wish Awais the best of luck and, regardless of which campaign he chooses to back, we hope that he’ll bring the passion, idealism, and can-do spirit of our generation with him to Denver this summer for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
