Resolution: F-20-4: ADVOCACY FOR AMERICORPS NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMS

[Valerie Lile]

1  WHEREAS, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a national service
2  organization which organizes approximately 75,000 volunteers each year to perform valuable services to
3  communities such as helping communities recover from damage caused by natural and other disasters,
4  building affordable housing units to increase economic opportunity for those living in poverty, facilitating
5  mentorship programs to connect students with community members who can help with academic
6  performance and college preparation, removing trash and other manmade debris from local ponds to
7  promote environmental sustainability, encouraging community members to donate fresh produce to local
8  schools to promote healthy futures and reduce childhood obesity, and assisting veterans and military
9  families in filing for benefits claims so that they get access to resources they need¹; and
10  WHEREAS, the CNCS includes the subsidiary programs AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps, whose
11  interventions have been shown through scientific studies to have significant benefits to the communities
12  they serve, including lower rates of grade school drop outs, higher rates of college admittance, financial
13  counseling, employment assistance, job readiness training, environmental stewardship, and more²; and
14  WHEREAS, AmeriCorps volunteers have reported in a previous study that, following participation in the
15  program, thy have developed increased awareness of inequality, as well as development of several
16  multicultural skills including empathy, patience, attachment, trust, and respect³; and
17  WHEREAS, many volunteers credit their involvement in CNCS with career success^4,5; and
18  WHEREAS, AmeriCorps provides volunteers with college scholarship funds in the form of the
19  AmeriCorps Segal Education Award6; and
20  WHEREAS, CNCS funding is frequently in danger of being limited or discontinued by withdrawal of
21  congressionally appropriated funds despite the positive benefits^7,8,9; now, therefore, be it
22  RESOLVED, that SOMA advocate in Congress for continued and ample funding to CNCS and its
23  subsidiary programs; and, be it further
24  RESOLVED, that SOMA advocate for the AOA to similarly advocate in Congress for continued and ample
25  funding to CNCS programs.

Explanatory Statement:

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), including its subsidiary programs AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, has provided impactful community interventions since its inception in 1993. The programs have improved numerous metrics for community health, including educational, occupational, and environmental benefits. Despite plentiful data to provide evidence for its benefit and justify its continuation, the CNCS is frequently threatened with being defunded by the White House and Congress.

Relevant Existing Policies:

SOMA Policy: N/A
Policy of Other Organizations Named in the Resolved Statements (AOA/AMA/etc): N/A

References

1. Perry JL, Thomson AM, Tschirhart M, Mesch D, Lee G. Inside a Swiss Army Knife: An Assessment of AmeriCorps. J Public Adm Res Theory. 1999. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024409
2. Richman, S., Maxwell, N., Streke, A., Needels, K., & Eddins, K. (2018). Evidence of Effectiveness in CNCS-Funded Interventions: Benchmark Findings. Prepared for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Evaluation. Chicago, IL: Mathematica Policy Research
3. Einfeld A, Collins D. The relationships between service-learning, social justice, multicultural competence, and civic engagement. J Coll Stud Dev. 2008. doi:10.1353/csd.2008.0017
4. Frumkin P, Jastrzab JA, Vaaler M, et al. Inside national service: AmeriCorps’ impact on participants. J Policy Anal Manag. 2009. doi:10.1002/pam.20438
5. Friedman, E., Freeman, B., Phillips, B., Rosenthal, L., Robinson, D., Miller, H., & Porowski, A. (2016). New Methods for Assessing AmeriCorps Alumni Outcomes: Final Survey Technical Report. Prepared for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Evaluation. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, Inc
6. Corporation for National and Community Service. “Segal AmeriCorps Education Award; Amount, Eligibility, and Limitations.” gov, Februrary 28, 2020, https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/segal-americorps-education-award/amount-eligibility-and. Accessed September 26, 2020.
7. United States, White House, “Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2021.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, February 10, 2020. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp- content/uploads/2020/02/budget_fy21.pdf
8. United States, White House, “Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2020.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, March 11, 2019. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2020-MSV/pdf/BUDGET-2020-pdf
9. United States, White House, “Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2019.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, February 12, 2019. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2019-MSV/pdf/BUDGET-2019-pdf

Submitted by:

Jeffrey Edwards, OMS-II, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Colorado J
onathan Evers, OMS-II, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Colorado

Action Taken: [Leave Blank. Will be Approved by the House of Delegates or Not Approved.]
Date: [Leave Blank. Date submitted to National Vice President and the National Office.]
Effective Time Period: Ongoing

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