[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 125 (Friday, September 20, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1356-E1357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 20, 2013

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments of twenty years of service to our communities from the 
AmeriCorps program. I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating 
with AmeriCorps members past and present the many lives changed and 
neighborhoods improved through the immensely important work of the 
AmeriCorps volunteers.
  Twenty years ago, on September 21, President Clinton signed into law 
the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. This legislation 
created the Corporation for National and Community Service, and under 
it the three CNCS administered programs: Senior Corps, Learn and Serve 
America, and AmeriCorps. I was fortunate enough to be at the White 
House for the inception of AmeriCorps, and am thankful for this 
opportunity to celebrate its achievements over the last twenty years.
  Since 1993, more than 800,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed 
more than 1 billion hours in service across the country. In my hometown 
of Sacramento, we currently have 144 full time AmeriCorps volunteers 
who serve Sacramento in a multitude of ways. AmeriCorps volunteers 
serve in our schools and in the aftermath of disasters. I would like to 
thank all of our local AmeriCorps volunteers for their continued 
commitment to improving our community--one neighborhood at a time.
  In recent years, we as a country have faced natural disasters from 
Hurricane Sandy to the tornadoes in Oklahoma. Through these moments, 
the American people have responded with a spirit of service and 
ingenuity. We must keep investing in service and volunteer programs, to 
help to prepare us to handle unforeseen crises. Furthermore, community 
service is a proven pathway to employment. As communities recover from 
the recent recession, the skills learned and networks created through 
service have helped many Americans return to full time employment. 
AmeriCorps has consistently leveraged a small amount of

[[Page E1357]]

federal dollars to provide lasting impact on areas of the country that 
need it most.
  Mr. Speaker, again I thank the members and alumni of the AmeriCorps 
Program for their tremendous service to our country. This twenty years 
marks a successful milestone for the program, and I look forward to 
seeing the accomplishments of the AmeriCorps Program over the next 
twenty years.

                          ____________________