Title
Urging the U.S. Congress to Restore Federal Funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service to its Fiscal Year 2004 Level.
Body
WHEREAS, The Corporation for National and Community Service was established in 1993 as the central organization to oversee a broad range of domestic community service programs including, but not limited to: VISTA, the National Civilian Community Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service; and
WHEREAS, Since the inception of the Corporation, more than one billion volunteer hours have been generated by Senior Corps volunteers; more than 400,000 individuals have served in AmeriCorps; and, more than one million high school students participate annually in service-learning initiatives funded by Learn and Serve America; and
WHEREAS, Through these national community service programs, millions of volunteers tutor at-risk youth, build homes for low-income people, respond to natural disasters, and care for homebound seniors; and
WHEREAS, The proposed federal budget presented by President Bush calls for a 5.4% reduction which represents a $48.5 million cut for Fiscal Year 2007 and continues the unfortunate trend of cuts to these critically important programs which began in FY 2004; and
WHEREAS, The current proposed reduction will mean a 5% cut to AmeriCorps, an 8% cut to Learn and Serve, and a complete elimination of the National Civilian Community Corps; and
WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, there are nearly 2300 active AmeriCorps members, and over 22,400 Learn and Serve participants; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, the City benefits from hundreds of volunteers in these programs, including, but not limited to: City Year Greater Philadelphia, Youthbuild, Teach for America, Habitat for Humanity, Education Works, and the Red Cross; and
WHEREAS, AmeriCorps funds are critically important to these programs as demonstrated by the fact this funding stream provides 44% of the annual budget for City Year Greater Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, City Year Greater Philadelphia is in its 9th year of service to our City and will have over 1,000 graduates with this year's class of corps members who will have performed 1.7 million hours of service ranging from tutoring in the public schools, cleaning neighborhoods, and assisting an array of non-profit organizations; and
WHEREAS, Graduates of City Year are 45% more likely to vote than others in their age group, continue to volunteer an average of ten hours a month (a rate 65% higher than their peers), and 80% go on to complete additional schooling after their year of service; and
WHEREAS, The federal dollars invested in these national service programs is very small compared to the major return received through the thousands of participants and countless hours of community service throughout the country, and the lasting impact these service programs have on the lives of the participants; and
WHEREAS, Voices for National Service is urging Congress to restore AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, and the National Civilian Community Corps to their Fiscal Year 2004 levels which would be an overall increase to the Corporation for National and Community Service of $88 million to the proposed FY 2007 Federal Budget; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby urge the U.S. Congress to restore federal funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service to its Fiscal Year 2004 Level.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the members of the Philadelphia Congressional Delegation.
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