Political Quotes

“I rise today to recognize volunteers doing extraordinary service to our country. Twenty years ago, on September 21, President Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, establishing the Corporation for National and Community Services and its three main programs: AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America. In Illinois and across the Nation, volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are stepping up to help others. More than 800,000 people have served as AmeriCorps members since 1994, and more than 1 billion hours have been invested in improving lives and strengthening communities. In Illinois, 30,000 Illinois residents have served 37 million hours through AmeriCorps, qualifying for Segal AmeriCorps Education awards of $93 million. This year, more than 3,600 Illinoisans joined AmeriCorps to engage in results-driven service that meet education, environmental, health, economic, and other pressing needs in communities across our State. Young men and women in AmeriCorps accept challenging assignments in tough towns and neighborhoods. When the town of Joplin, MO, was devastated by a tornado in 2011, AmeriCorps members from Belleville, IL, helped with the recovery effort and with rebuilding the community. When low-income families are cash- strapped and hungry during the holidays, members of AmeriCorps prepare festive and nutritious meals at a community center in their neighborhood.…”