Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this fall we celebrate the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps. Since President Kennedy challenged Americans to serve our Nation abroad in the Peace Corps in his famous University of Michigan speech, generations of Americans have recognized that our greatest strength as a nation is our compassion. But it wasn't until AmeriCorps was founded about 30 years later, 1994, that we truly addressed the need for service here at home. When I think about the work AmeriCorps members do, I think about the words of a speaker at a Martin Luther King breakfast in my home city of Cleveland on a cold January morning, and the speaker said: Your life expectancy is connected to your ZIP Code. Think about that. Your life expectancy is connected to your ZIP Code. Whether you grow up in Appalachia or Ohio, Indiana, whether you grow up in a city, an inner-ring city suburb, a small city like I did in Mansfield, or a small town, your ZIP Code often determines whether you have access to quality healthcare or good education and the social support necessary to succeed. Whether it is through City Year or Senior Corps or VISTA--all parts of AmeriCorps--America works to fight that and ensure that so many Americans, regardless of their ZIP Code, have the opportunity not only to succeed but to thrive. I have seen firsthand what a difference AmeriCorps makes in people's lives. My two daughters had amazing, life-changing experiences, teaching for a year through City Year.…”