Fwd: Save Service Campaign Update and District Day 2/25/11

[Norman Fiering]

Speak of irony. Four months after our conference at Dartmouth focused in part on the importance of voluntary work service, nationally and worldwide, it is possible that in this country the entire concept will be eradicated as a government program.  The  Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that funnels money, appropriated by Congress, for  Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Some 5 million people are engaged by it. In different guises, its work goes back to 1973. (You can read about the CNCS at <http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/role_impact/history.asp>.  It is hard to imagine any program that generates so much good work for so little money.  This is our domestic peace corps. It is as though no distinction is being made now between an investment and an expense; and all sight is lost of our nation being a single community, in which people are given guided opportunities to help each other. No non-profit organizations, churches, etc., can possibly take the place of the CNCS and the scale on which it operates on local, state, and national levels.  The potential wreckage is astonishing.

Norman

Begin forwarded message:

From: Voices for National Service <in...@voicesforservice.org>

Date: February 18, 2011 6:49:07 PM EST

To: <norman_...@brown.edu>

Subject: Save Service Campaign Update and District Day 2/25/11

	Stay Informed • Be A Voice • Support National Service
	A Special Message from AnnMaura Connolly President of Voices for National Service   Dear Voices for National Service Members and Friends:   Tonight, the House of Representatives continues to debate H.R. 1, a continuing resolution that will cut government programs by $100 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year. As you know, this bill eliminates the Corporation for National and Community Service and all the service programs. This drastic act – if signed into law – would end thousands of service initiatives around the country and immediately remove all service participants from schools, after-care programs, health centers, food banks, and thousands of other community and faith-based organizations.  This cuts jobs and denies services to millions of Americans who need them most. This is very serious news.   Voices for National Service has joined forces with two other coalitions America Forward and ServiceNation to coordinate an immediate campaign to "Save Service."  We believe by uniting efforts we will maximize the reach of our members and we will dramatically improve our chances for fighting off these cuts.  As we have seen before, by combining our voices we can save service!   Next week Congress will be in recess and our legislators will back in their states/districts talking to their constituents.   While they are home, we will host "Save Service District Day" on Friday, February 25th.  I encourage you to visit www.saveservice.org for more information and to sign up to visit your local congressional district office with other service champions.  On that site, you will also find a Save Service widget to add to your your website.   We should take full advantage of this congressional break.  Please submit letters to your editor or attend town hall meetings.  At every available opportunity we should be talking about what will be lost in communities if H.R. 1 becomes a reality.   The House will take a final vote on H.R. 1 tonight or early tomorrow.   Unfortunately, leadership has the votes they need to pass the bill.  But H.R. 1 in this form will not be the final funding package. The Senate and President Obama have both said they oppose H.R. 1, and agreement between the House, Senate and the White House must reached before any bill can become a law.  That said, we know a compromise must be reached before March 4th or the government will shut down.  Tough choices on funding priorities will be made and we have to work very hard to ensure that any compromise maintains funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service.   How we respond to H.R. 1 next week will impact the end game, and will determine whether we can stop these cuts from becoming a reality.  We need support from Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate.     I will begin to send you messages from an email address created for the “Save Service” campaign.  We want to try and streamline the many messages you receiving from all the partners engaged in this campaign.  Please refer to these emails for important updates and calls-to-action at critical times.     We will need your continued help if we are going to fight off this threat.  Thanks for everything you are doing in D.C. and locally.  Sincerely, AnnMaura Connolly
Website: www.voicesforservice.org, Email: in...@voicesforservice.org, Fax: 202.742.7401

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Norman Fiering

(Director and Librarian, Emeritus

John Carter Brown Library)

Correspondence should be directed to:

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