Obama signs legislation tripling Americorps' size

Parent Cafe
1

<p>As the mom of a former Americorps volunteer (Younger S did Americorps during a post high school gap year), this delights me.</p>

<p>"WASHINGTON - Calling on Americans to volunteer, President Barack Obama signed a $5.7 billion national service bill Tuesday that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college…</p>

<p>The legislation provides for gradually increasing the size of the Clinton-era AmeriCorps to 250,000 enrollees from its current 75,000. It outlines five broad categories where people can direct their service: helping the poor, improving education, encouraging energy efficiency, strengthening access to health care and assisting veterans.</p>

<p>AmeriCorps offers a range of volunteer opportunities including housing construction, youth outreach, disaster response and caring for the elderly. Most receive an annual stipend of slightly less than $12,000 for working 10 months to a year…</p>

<p>In March, the organization received 17,038 online AmeriCorps applications, nearly double those received in the previous month and nearly triple the 6,770 received last March.</p>

<p>Alan Solomont, who chairs AmeriCorps’ board, said former President John F. Kennedy’s call to service inspired more people to help others than just those who joined the Peace Corps. He said this national service legislation could produce the same effect.</p>

<p>“It is not unlike the moment in 1960 when President Kennedy asked Americans, you know, to serve, but it is certainly going to engage millions more today,” Solomont said in a conference call arranged by the White House…"
[Obama</a> signs national service bill - White House- msnbc.com](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30322060/]Obama”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30322060/)</p>

2

<p>I’m thrilled!</p>

3

<p>As someone who is seriously considering doing Americorp after I finish up undergrad. This makes me very pleased.</p>

4

<p>My D is thrilled too; she’s a rising junior (college) and is pretty certain she’ll apply for Americorp when she graduates in two years.</p>

5

<p>And in our present quasi-Depression, this is an initiative similar to the WPA. Sounds like a good investment.</p>

6

<p>I was planning on doing this too after college. I am glad it will be expanded and better funded by then!</p>

7

<p>What a waste of American taxpayer money. In these time of budget crisis we should be getting rid of non essential spending and Americorp is just that. If kids want to feel good about themselves they should go work for charities.</p>

8

<p>It has been recently forecasted that the next few years, the USA, USA, economic GDP will be 1 to 2 %, this of course will mean that the employment growth rate will be considerablely less than the net increase of eligible workers (college grads, HS, CC) and factoring in the Stimulus programs. Even during the boom years of the mid 2000’s, Bush barely kept up with the growth of potential workers and that growth mostly appeared as constuction jobs and less desirable jobs taken by undocumented aliens.</p>

9

<p>Not sure why prior posts bashed this prgram.</p>

<p>I volunteer alot and these young men and women from Americorps are essential to these organizations.</p>

<p>With their youth comes passion and they are a gtrea asset. </p>

<p>Many organizations have increased demand for services while funds are decreasing and without these people assististing imprtant services would not happen.</p>

<p>These recent grads woork very hard for little money.</p>

<p>God bless them and the work they do.</p>