WASHINGTON, DC (March 12, 2019) – “We are deeply concerned that, for the third year in a row, President Trump has proposed eliminating the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps”, says Shirley Sagawa, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “The Peace Corps and YouthBuild are also on the chopping block, with proposed cuts of $14 million and $5 million, respectively. Unfortunately, the Administration has missed yet another opportunity to bring the country together and call a generation to service. The proposed cuts ignore the powerful impact that national service has in communities across the country and the long history of bipartisan support.”
Sagawa: “National service is powerful because it yields a triple-bottom line: transforming the lives of the young people who serve, the communities they serve in, and the civic health of the country. It has the power to unite Americans in common purpose and address unmet needs in our communities like the opioid epidemic and education inequity. Republican and Democratic policy makers dating back to FDR have called on Americans to serve. We are asking Congress to continue that bipartisan legacy.”
Sagawa says: “We are fighting for a future where every young person, regardless of their background, has an opportunity to serve. It is essential that we build upon our investment in programs like AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, and YouthBuild to make that future a reality. As such, we are calling on members of Congress to once more reject the President’s proposal and expand national service so a year of service becomes a common expectation and opportunity for all.”
For additional information or to interview Shirley Sagawa, please contact Thorsten Ruehlemann at 202-677-1863 or [email protected].
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About Service Year Alliance
Service Year Alliance is working to make a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans. Expanding service years, with programs like AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, and YouthBuild, has the power to revitalize cities, uplift and educate children at risk, and empower communities struggling with poverty. Learn more at ServiceYear.org.
