FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov 06, 2015

Fourth Annual Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service Announced for 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mayors and county officials across the country will participate in a national day of recognition on April 5, 2016, to highlight the impact of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps and thank individuals who serve. The announcement of the fourth-annual Mayor and County Recognition Day of National Service was made today by Councilmember Melodee Colbert Kean, of Joplin, Mo, incoming President of the National League of Cities.

“It doesn’t take an election to make a leader. Daily, millions of people make the lives of others better through dedicating their time to community service,” said Councilmember Colbert-Kean. “The work of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps volunteers is pivotal to the existence of thriving and engaged communities. I am honored to join with Mayors from all around America to honor their work.”

Councilmember Kean was joined for the announcement by Mayor Megan Barry, of Metro Nashville, Tenn. and Davidson County; Mayor Curtis Hayes of Livingston, Tenn., president of the Tennessee Municipal League; Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and more than 150 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members from the Nashville area. The announcement was made to coincide with the National League of Cities annual meeting. 

“Mayors are leaders who get things done, responding every day to needs in their cities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. “I commend Councilmember Kean, Mayor Barry, Mayor Hayes, and other mayors and county officials for their outstanding leadership and for joining this important effort to recognize the impact of national service on the critical challenges facing our cities.”

Last year, a bipartisan group of 2,786 mayors, and for the first time, county officials across the country from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico participated in the third-annual Recognition Day for National Service. These mayors and county officials represented more than 150 million citizens, or one-third of all Americans.  

Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service is designed to spotlight the impact of national service and thank those who serve. Participating mayors and county executives will hold public events and use traditional and social media to highlight the value of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs in their communities. This initiative is led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National League of Cities, National Association of Counties, and Cities of Service. 

“I greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication of the more than 1,000 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members who serve the citizens of Davidson County,” said Mayor Barry. “They are tutoring and mentoring kids, protecting our environment, caring for our seniors, providing health services, supporting the homeless, and much more. Volunteers like these strengthen our city and make Nashville such a great place to live.”

“Every day, AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are making a powerful difference in counties across the country,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.  “We are pleased to support this recognition day and encourage county officials to sign up to participate.”

“Mayors are leading the way in engaging citizens to help solve the most pressing challenges in their own communities,” said Myung Lee, Executive Director of Cities of Service. “We are honored to partner with mayors in cities across the country to do this important work and are thrilled to join the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National League of Cities, and the National Association of Counties to recognize the critical role that national service members play in our efforts."

As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages more than five million citizens in service at 60,000 locations sites in more than 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 Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service, visit nationalservice.gov/RecognitionDay.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.