Fwd: Tune in Tonight on NBC for a Special Celebration of Service
Norman Fiering
From: AnnMaura Connolly <acon...@saveservice.org>Date: March 28, 2011 3:15:13 PM EDTTo: <norman_...@brown.edu>Subject: Tune in Tonight on NBC for a Special Celebration of Service
Dear Save Service Partners,
Tonight on NBC, you have the opportunity to watch a very special celebration of service in America.
Last Monday, the Points of Light Institute brought together a star-studded line-up of talent and three former presidents to pay tribute to President George H.W. Bush’s lifelong commitment to service, in an event called “All Together Now: A Celebration of Service.” Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter joined musical talent including Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood and more to celebrate President Bush’s vision for the role service could play in mobilizing Americans to address our most pressing problems.
Invite your friends to join you and tune in tonight at 8/7c to watch the broadcast of “All Together Now: A Celebration of Service” on NBC.
A number of us from the Save Service Coalition were honored to be in the audience that evening. The tributes to President Bush were moving, the musical performances were sensational, the stories of volunteers who have changed the world were truly inspiring, and the vast array of dignitaries, citizens, celebrities and elected officials from both sides of the aisle in attendance were a powerful reminder that service truly is the common ground on which citizens unite every day in communities across the country.
In his 1989 Inaugural Address, President Bush spoke of “a thousand points of light” spread across the nation, citizens, rolling up their sleeves to help solve pressing problems in their communities. In 1990, President Bush created the first White House Office of National Service, and signed into law the National and Community Service Act, which established the Commission on National and Community Service. Building on that foundation, President Bill Clinton established the Corporation for National and Community Service and created AmeriCorps, President George W. Bush expanded AmeriCorps and created the USA Freedom Corps, and President Barack Obama signed the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which significantly expands national service opportunities for all Americans with a strong focus on results.
President Bush’s “thousand points of light” are the millions of volunteers of all ages who have answered the call to take part and pitch in, but they require infrastructure, resources and support in order to effectively serve their communities. AmeriCorps, Learn & Service and Senior Corps programs are a critical human capital stream for community and faith based organizations, schools, homeless shelters and community health centers, helping to recruit, train, organize and supervise millions of “points of light” across the country every day.
In the next two weeks, Congress will continue negotiations on what we anticipate will be the final budget for FY11. The current Continuing Resolution will expire on April 8. As we approach the homestretch of this important campaign, it is vital that Members of Congress continue to hear how much the constituents and communities they serve depend on national service. I hope you will join us for Make the Call Day 2, next Monday, April 4th.More details will be shared soon, but please mark your calendars.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll invite your friends and family to watch the broadcast this evening, and encourage them to sign up at www.saveservice.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for ongoing updates on the campaign.
Thank you for being a light to our cause—and for all you are doing to help us Save Service in America.
Sincerely,
AnnMaura Connolly
Save Service Campaign Director
