[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 81 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REAUTHORIZATION OF THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AMENDMENTS ACT OF 
                                  2000

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2000

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, ``Volunteerism,'' as defined by 
the American Heritage Dictionary--``To give or offer to give on one's 
own initiative.'' The time has come for Congress to recognize the 
lasting contribution of volunteerism in America by passing the National 
and Community Service Amendments Act of 2000. This bill reauthorizes 
the national service programs administered or funded by the Corporation 
for National Service, including AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, the 
National Senior Service Corps, Learn and Serve America, and the Points 
of Light Foundation. These public-private partnerships are transforming 
our communities and successfully challenging our citizenry to make 
something greater of themselves.
  As communities and as a nation we are stronger and healthier because 
of the volunteers the Corporation for National Service provides. They 
tackle problems like illiteracy, crime, and poverty while instilling a 
commitment to public service in Americans of all ages, in every 
community nationwide. Our society works precisely because lots of folks 
are out there are helping other folks in many different ways. In fact, 
we have a social contract to help each other.
  In this country, we have young people in need of basic reading and 
writing skills, we have teenagers in need of mentors and role models, 
we have home-bound seniors in need of food and companionship, we have 
families in need of homes, and we have communities in need of disaster 
assistance. Solutions to these problems can best be found when 
individuals, families, and communities come together in service to 
their neighbors and fellow citizens. We can make a difference, but 
volunteers are critical to finding these solutions and touching these 
lives.
  That's where the Corporation for National Service comes in. National 
Service volunteers fill these needs by providing the essential people 
power at the local level. In my own state of California, we have more 
than 145,000 people of all ages and backgrounds working in 289 national 
service projects. Nationwide, more than 40,000 Americans served in 
AmeriCorps in 1998-99, bringing the total number of current and former 
members to more than 100,000.
  They have taught, tutored, and mentored more than 2.6 million 
children, served 564,000 at-risk youth in after school programs, 
operated 40,500 safety patrols, rehabilitated 25,180 homes, aided more 
than 2.4 million homeless individuals, and immunized 419,000 people. 
And, they have accomplished all this while generating $1.66 in benefits 
for each $1.00 spent.
  Volunteers also have a profound impact on the communities they work 
in by embodying the values of public service for all. Studies have 
found that people are more likely to volunteer if they know someone who 
volunteers regularly or were involved as a youth in an organization 
using volunteers. AmeriCorps members generate an average of 12 
additional volunteers around the nation! Not only are they helping our 
communities, they are setting an example for others to follow.
  It's time we reclaimed the bipartisan tradition of support of 
national service that has long been the hallmark of American politics. 
Members of Congress now have a unique opportunity to separate policy 
from politics and reach a bipartisan consensus on the value of our 
national service programs. At this time of great concern about the 
future of our youth, it's essential that as many as possible be called 
upon to do something more challenging and rewarding--service to their 
fellow citizens. Support for the Corporation for National Service will 
build a stronger nation and ensure a brighter future for us all.

                          ____________________