President Obama signs national service legislation


President Obama signed into law yesterday a measure designed to strengthen national community service efforts by boosting federal funding for thousands of volunteers in fields ranging from clean energy to health care and education.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, recently renamed to honor the Massachusetts senator's sponsorship of the measure, will more than triple the number of positions in the AmeriCorps program, from 75,000 to 250,000, by 2017.

"Our government can help to rebuild our economy ... [but] we need Americans willing to mentor our eager young children, or care for the sick, or ease the strains of deployment on our military families," Obama said. "All that's required on your part is a willingness to make a difference. And that is, after all, the beauty of service. Anybody can do it."

The law creates four national service corps and launches several other initiatives, including, among other things, a "Summer of Service" program to spur greater community outreach by middle- and high-school students.

(Via CNN)

Comments

Anonymous said…
President was and always will be a community organizer.
April 22, 2009 at 1:20 PM
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