The House Appropriations subcommittee has approved a $60 million cut in Americorps



AmeriCorps has long served as a safety net in our country, filling in the gaps where there are the greatest needs. Without a safety net, what or who will be there to help these communities back on their feet? Take a stand; don't allow this service movement to wither into non-existence.

The House Appropriations subcommittee has approved a $60 million cut in Americorps

If AmeriCorps loses, everyone in WNY loses
By MARK P. LAZZARA

7/31/2006
Communities nationwide are in danger, because AmeriCorps is once again in crisis. AmeriCorps, the program that stands for communities, for the American people, for helping our neighbors, for access to higher education and for helping our environment, has been threatened. The House Appropriations subcommittee has approved a $60 million cut in federal funding for the nation's largest national service program, a cut that threatens to severely limit, or even close, AmeriCorps programs around the country.

Known as the domestic Peace Corps, AmeriCorps programs have engaged more than 1.5 million volunteers in service nationwide, helping to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, the environment and disaster response each year. Federal cuts will reduce the number of members throughout the country and lessen the impact they have in their communities.

Currently, Western New York AmeriCorps has 400 members performing more than a million hours of service. These members are involved in tutoring and mentoring inner-city students, building low-income housing, restoring community centers, caring for senior citizens, delivering food to area pantries and protecting our urban and rural environments. Some members have traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. The proposed cuts would jeopardize all of these programs and translate to immense loss of services to those who need them most.

Not only will this budget cut hurt the people and areas AmeriCorps supports and sustains, but it will also drastically affect AmeriCorps members. Along with the overall reduction in program funding, Congress also voted to reduce by $650,000 the educational award for members who successfully complete 1,700 hours of service.

Despite ever-rising education costs, the amount of the education stipend has remained stagnant throughout AmeriCorps' 13-year history. The few pennies the government will save by the proposed cut will not only make college and graduate school an even heftier financial burden for young people, but it will send the wrong message about the importance of national service in this country and devalue the hard work of AmeriCorps members.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that volunteerism is on the rise across the nation, with 65 million volunteers donating the equivalent of $150 billion in services per year. Western New York is one of the wealthiest communities when it comes to the spirit and willingness of people to volunteer, and AmeriCorps plays a big role in mobilizing these volunteers throughout the area.

AmeriCorps has long served as a safety net in our country, filling in the gaps where there are the greatest needs. Without a safety net, what or who will be there to help these communities back on their feet? Take a stand; don't allow this service movement to wither into non-existence.


Mark P. Lazzara is executive director of West Seneca Youth Bureau/AmeriCorps.

When this story was posted in September 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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Meet Ron Tschetter - Our Next Director Read our story about Ron Tschetter's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was carried on C-Span. It was very different from the Vasquez hearings in 2001, very cut and dried with low attendance by the public. Among the highlights, Tschetter intends to make recruitment of baby boomers a priority, there are 20 countries under consideration for future programs, Senator Dodd intends to re-introduce his third goal Peace Corps legislation this session, Tschetter is a great admirer of Senator Coleman's quest for accountability, Dodd thinks management at PC may not put volunteers first, Dodd wants Tschetter to look into problems in medical selection, and Tschetter is not a blogger and knows little about the internet or guidelines for volunteer blogs. Read our recap of the hearings as well as Senator Coleman's statement and Tschetter's statement.

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Chris Shays Shifts to Favor an Iraq Timetable In a policy shift, RPCV Congressman Chris Shays, long a staunch advocate of the Bush administration's position in Iraq, is now proposing a timetable for a withdrawal of American troops. How Mr. Shays came to this change of heart is, he says, a matter of a newfound substantive belief that Iraqis need to be prodded into taking greater control of their own destiny under the country’s newly formed government. As Chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on national security, he plans to draft a timetable for a phased withdrawal and then push for its adoption. A conscientious objector during the Vietnam War who said that if drafted he would not serve, Chris Shays has made 14 trips to Iraq and was the first Congressman to enter the country after the war - against the wishes of the Department of Defense.

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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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Support the US-Peruvian Trade Pact Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, the Peace Corps President, has been lobbying both Democratic and Republican legislators to support the US-Peruvian trade pact before July 28, when his term ends and a US congressional recess begins. If President Bush fails to get approval before Congress goes on recess, it will be a case study proving that the United States does not reward its friends. Please call your representatives.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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