III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 449 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 9, 2010 Mr. Rockefeller (for himself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Begich, Mr. Feingold, and Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Celebrating Volunteers in Service to America on its 45th anniversary and recognizing its contribution to the fight against poverty.

Whereas Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) has made an extraordinary contribution to alleviating poverty and improving American society since the program began in 1965; Whereas more than 175,000 individuals of all ages and from different 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 have helped create many successful and sustainable community initiatives, including Head Start centers, credit unions, and neighborhood watch groups, with VISTA alumni going on to serve in leadership positions in government, private, and nonprofit sectors throughout the United States; 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 anti-poverty programs; Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA members improve the lives of the most vulnerable citizens in our Nation 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 enhance the ability of nonprofit organizations to become and remain sustainable, thereby strengthening the nonprofit sector in low-income communities across the United States; and Whereas AmeriCorps VISTA members generate more than $100,000,000 in cash and in-kind resources annually for organizations throughout the Nation, as well as recruit and manage more than 1,000,000 volunteers who provide 10,000,000 hours of community service for local organizations: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)commends the more than 175,000 men and women who have served in 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 ability of thousands of low-income areas across the country to address challenges and improve their communities; and (3)encourages the continued commitment of VISTA members to creating and expanding programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.