03.20.09
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Senate To Debate Serve America Bill Monday Afternoon

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

The office of Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) — who is managing the bill — says that the Serve America Act will go to the full Senate Monday likely at 3 p.m. EST. Debate could last days.

Voices for National Service, Service Nation, and Serve Next urge proponents of the Serve America Act and national service to contact their senators today or Monday morning, to let Senators know where they stand.

Read the joint Press Release issued on the Serve America Act this week by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Enzi (R-WY), Hatch (R-UT) and Mikulski.

You can watch the debate live on CSPAN.

Read the amended Serve America Act approved by the Senate HELP Committee.

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03.19.09
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Senate HELP Committee Authorizes the Serve America Act

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

The Senate’s companion bill to the GIVE Act (which passed on the floor of the House yesterday) successfully moved out of committee yesterday and will likely be voted on by the entire Senate membership next week.

In the Senate yesterday, the Serve America Act (S.277) was unanimously approved by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Similar to the GIVE Act, the Serve America Act seeks to expand national service and volunteer programs, to engage citizens in solving problems facing communities throughout the country.

In his State-of-the-Union-esque address to Congress last month, President Obama specifically asked congressional leaders to pass the Serve America Act introduced by Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Hatch (R-UT). (Read also his TIME Article from today, calling for a “New Era of Service.”)

Read the joint press release (PDF) issued yesterday by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Enzi (R-WY), Hatch (R-UT) and Mikulski (D-MD).

Read the amended Serve America Act (PDF) approved by the Senate HELP Committee.

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03.18.09
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Musician and Artist Service Corps Amended into House Legislation

The Music National Service Initiative, which is in its start-up phase, got the backing of legislators today through an amendment to the national service legislation that passed on the floor of the House.

Rep. Crowley was able to include following language, stipulating an artist and musician corps, in Rep. George Miller’s Manager’s Amendment to the GIVE Act, H.R. 1388.

“(Q) A musician and artist corps program that trains and deploys skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low income communities, education, healthcare and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages.”

To learn more about Music National Service, MusicianCorps, and MusicMentors, check out the Idealist podcast featuring founder Kiff Gallagher.

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03.18.09
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With Bipartisan Support, the House Passes GIVE Act

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

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a major overhaul and expansion of national service.

The House passed H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act bill by strong bipartisan vote of 321 to 105. According to Alan Khazei, the founder of the Service Nation movement, this represents a 75% super-majority and broad bi-partisan support.

The vote came after a floor discussion where both Democratic and Republican Members of Congress cited numerous examples of volunteers and national service participants helping Americans in need through mentoring at-risk youth, building homes, teaching in under-served schools, caring for veterans and seniors, and helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.

According to Voices for National Service, here are some amendments to the legislation:

Amendment offered by Rep. Hill (D-IN) to make sending care packages to soldiers Continue reading →

03.18.09
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New Podcast: AmeriCorps for Legal Experts – Equal Justice Works’s Cole McMahon and Marty Costello

picture-6In 2009, hundreds of emerging legal experts across the United States will offer assistance in helping people who face mortgage foreclosure and other problems through the Equal Justice Works 2009 Summer AmeriCorps program and the one-year AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program.

Every year in this country, four out of five low-income people in need of legal assistance are denied services because of overwhelming case loads at legal services offices and a dire shortage of attorneys who can help them.

Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps plays a crucial role in closing the gap between the supply and demand of legal assistance. AmeriCorps attorneys secure affordable housing, lost wages, orders of protection, health care, public benefits, adoption services, and education for low-income and underserved communities.

Today’s guests on Idealist podcast are Marty Costello, Program Manager, and Cole McMahon, Senior Program Manager, from Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps. They joined me to talk about the Summer Corps, a 300-hour AmeriCorps Education Award program for law school students, as well as its one-year, full-time AmeriCorps Legal Fellows program.

Download the podcast and listen!

The Equal Justice Works 2009 Summer Corps application opens today Wednesday, March 18 and closes Continue reading →