03.26.09
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Serve America Act Passes the Senate

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Update, April 21, 2009: President Obama signs the Serve America Act into law. To take effect October 1, 2009.

Today in the U.S. Senate, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act passed, 79-19.picture-43

The legislation re-authorizes and expands domestic and international service opportunities for all Americans. See how your senators voted. Last week the companion bill passed the House.

Senator Orrin Hatch added an amendment at the last minute to re-name the legislation after Senator Edward Kennedy.

The bill was amended on the Senate floor and the legislation was expanded to include the following:

  • Baucus Amendment to express the Sense of the Senate that Congress should preserve the income tax deduction for charitable contributions and look for ways to continue to encourage charitable giving.
  • Burr Modified Amendment to improve the provisions relating to criminal history checks.
  • Warner Amendment to conduct a study regarding the establishment of a Volunteer Management Corps program.

The bill is expected to be sent back to the House of Representatives for quick approval of the Senate’s changes, with the goal of getting the bill to President Obama for signature next week.

Senator Mikulski said, “I want to thank Senator Kennedy, Senator Hatch and Senator Enzi for their hard work crafting this Continue reading →

03.26.09
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Notre Dame AmeriCorps

picture-33In the world of national service, spring and early summer is prime time to apply for open positions—most of which will start this fall. In the coming weeks, The New Service blog will bring you details about a variety of programs that are currently recruiting. To find more program introductions, also check out the “Service Corps Programs” category in the pull down menu in the left-hand sidebar of this blog.

My alma mater, Notre Dame AmeriCorps, offers AmeriCorps opportunities in 16 areas throughout the United States. The program also offers eight placements mentoring kids through the Children of Incarcerated Parents (CHIP) program.

Founded and operated by Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Notre Dame AmeriCorps places corps members in schools, after- Continue reading →

03.24.09
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Answering the Call from Citizens Who Want to Serve

AmeriCorps muscleThese days the fate of national service seems tied more than ever to the greater economic struggles our nation is facing. Citizens want to serve in their communities, and this week the Senate is debating legislation that would make it possible for more people to serve than ever before.

September 11th and 12th of last year, the Service Nation Summit convened hundreds of leaders, service corps alumni, and celebrities to talk about the need for expanded national service opportunities, to meet the growing demand among people of all ages to serve full-time in their communities.

While Summit participants were still returning home in the glow of that inspiring event, Lehman Brothers—just blocks from where the Summit took place in mid-town Manhattan—crumbled, and the bottom began to fall out of the economy.

This week, the U.S. Senate will take a hard look at the Serve America Act, a piece of legislation announced at the Service Nation Summit by Senator Orrin Hatch (while his partner Sen. Edward Kennedy, convalescing at home, joined him in spirit).

Little known in September was just how desperately needed this legislation would become by the time it saw the floor of the Continue reading →

03.23.09
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Update on Senate Discussion of the Serve America Act

Update, April 21, 2009: President Obama signs the Serve America Act into law. To take effect October 1, 2009.

In the Senate today, discussion got underway on the Serve America Act.

60 Senators are usually needed to vote “cloture” to allow discussion on a bill. According to Alan Khazei of Be The Change, Inc., and Service Nation, 74 Senators voted cloture, “an extremely strong bi-partisan vote, with 22 Republicans joining 50 Democrats and 2 Independents voting in favor.”

To find out if your Senators voted to allow the Serve America bill to proceed, check out this list of “Yea” voters: Continue reading →

03.20.09
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My Thoughts on National Service

Katrina MathisThe New Service welcomes new blogger Katrina Mathis. This is her introduction.

I decided to join the Peace Corps in the 10th grade during a brief Civics class discussion about volunteers in Africa.

Years later, during my senior year in college, I threw caution to the wind and finally dropped that “no postage necessary if mailed in the U.S.” tear card in the mail box, requesting an application from Peace Corps. A month or two or three later—I honestly can’t remember—I received my Peace Corps application and began a life changing journey.

At 22, when I touched down in Guinea, West Africa—to live abroad, immersed in another culture and language — my primary Continue reading →