[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1152 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1152

   Celebrating Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) on its 45th 
anniversary and recognizing the national service program's contribution 
                     to the fight against poverty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 9, 2010

   Ms. Moore of Wisconsin (for herself and Mr. Berman) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 
                               and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Celebrating Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) on its 45th 
anniversary and recognizing the national service program's contribution 
                     to the fight against poverty.

Whereas Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) has made an extraordinary 
        contribution to alleviating poverty and improving society in the United 
        States since the program began in 1965;
Whereas more than 175,000 people in the United States of all ages and walks of 
        life have answered VISTA's call to devote a year of full-time service 
        living and working in low-income communities to help eradicate poverty;
Whereas VISTA members helped create many successful and sustainable community 
        initiatives in the United States, including Head Start centers, credit 
        unions, and neighborhood watch groups, and VISTA alumni are serving in 
        leadership positions in government, private, and nonprofit sectors;
Whereas VISTA, which became part of AmeriCorps in 1993 and is administered by 
        the Corporation for National and Community Service, annually engages 
        more than 7,000 members in helping more than 1,000 local organizations 
        build sustainable antipoverty programs;
Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA members improve the lives of the Nation's most 
        vulnerable citizens by fighting illiteracy, improving health services, 
        reducing unemployment, increasing housing opportunities, reducing crime 
        and recidivism, and expanding access to technology;
Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA members develop programs, recruit community volunteers, 
        generate resources, manage projects, and otherwise build the capacity of 
        nonprofit organizations to become sustainable, thereby strengthening the 
        nonprofit sector in low-income communities;
Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA members generate more than $100,000,000 in cash and in-
        kind resources annually for organizations across the United States and 
        recruit and manage more than 1,000,000 volunteers who provide 10,000,000 
        hours of community service for local organizations; and
Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA acted swiftly to implement the American Recovery and 
        Reinvestment Act, engaging more than 3,700 members in distressed 
        communities to provide foreclosure prevention and financial counseling, 
        expand college access, and support health care and independent living 
        services: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the more than 175,000 men and women who have 
        served in Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) for their 
        dedication and commitment to the fight against poverty;
            (2) recognizes VISTA members for leveraging human, 
        financial, and material resources to increase the capacity of 
        thousands of low-income areas across the United States to 
        address challenges and improve their lives and communities; and
            (3) encourages VISTA's continued commitment to creating and 
        expanding programs designed to bring individuals and 
        communities out of poverty.
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