U.S. Mayors Pledge to Honor AmeriCorps, Senior Corps Members

SEATTLE, WASH. – Mayors across the country will participate in a national day of recognition on April 1 to highlight the impact of national service in their cities and thank individuals who serve, Mayor Christopher B. Coleman, of St. Paul, Minn. and incoming President of the National League of Cities, announced today. 

 

“Every day, in cities across the country, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members are making a powerful difference through national service. These dedicated citizens are tackling tough challenges facing our communities – helping kids graduate, fighting poverty, making neighborhoods safer, and much more,” said Mayor Coleman. “I believe in the power of national service and encourage mayors and city officials across the country to join in recognizing the positive impact of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps in our cities.”

 

Mayor Coleman was joined by Mayor Mike McGinn of Seattle and Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, Ariz., president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, as well as Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The announcement was made following a service project at a Seattle food bank in coordination with the National League of Cities’ Congress of Cities meeting.  

 

Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is designed to spotlight the impact of national service and thank those who serve. Participating mayors will hold public events and use traditional and social media to highlight the value of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. The initiative is led by the Corporation for National and Community Service; Cities of Service; the National League of Cities; and Mesa, AZ, Mayor Scott Smith, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

 

“The beauty of service is that those who serve don’t do it for the headlines or the recognition. They do it because they care, they want to make a difference.” said Mayor Scott Smith. “Mayors Day of Recognition is a way to show our gratitude to AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members for making our communities better places to live.”

 

On April 9, 2013, the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service united Mayors across the country to spotlight the impact of national service and honor those who serve. Altogether, 832 Mayors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico officially recognized the work that AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are doing to make cities better and stronger. Together, these Mayors represent nearly 100 million citizens, or nearly one-third of all Americans.

 

“Mayors are leaders who get things done, responding every day to needs in their cities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “I commend Mayor Coleman and Mayor Smith for their outstanding leadership, and thank all those mayors joining in this important effort to recognize the impact of national service on the critical challenges facing our cities.”

 

As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at more than 70,000 sites in 8,500 cities across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. 

 

CNCS leverages federal and private funds to support organizations that achieve measurable results where the need is greatest. A significant portion of this investment is focused on cities. Whether supporting food banks and homeless shelters, restoring city parks, building homes, providing health services, tutoring and mentoring students, and managing community volunteers, national service members help Mayors tackle tough problems.

 

For more information on the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, visit nationalservice.gov/mayorsforservice.