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Texas Mayors to Recognize AmeriCorps, VISTA and Senior Corps in Local Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

DATE: April 8, 2013

CONTACT: Elizabeth Darling, 512-287-2062, liz@onestarfoundation.org

Click here for a copy of this Press Release in PDF format.

 

 

AUSTIN, TX — Tomorrow, April 9, more than 50 mayors across the State of Texas will be among 800 mayors nationally to join together in recognition of the impact national service participants in AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs have made on their local communities.

The first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is being led by Cities of Service, the National League of Cities, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.

In Texas, the initiative is being led by CNCS’s Texas State Office and OneStar Foundation, which serves as Texas’ National Service Commission.

“We are proud to be part of the national service family and grateful for the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members who are getting things done for Texas,” said Elizabeth Darling, President/CEO of OneStar Foundation, which administers between $8-12 million in AmeriCorps*State grants to nonprofits each year.  “Our AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members have made a significant impact on Texas’ ability to meet so many local needs, and the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is a perfect opportunity to recognize their great work.”

In Texas, more than 27,000 national service members of all ages and backgrounds are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps in 2013. Serving at more than 3,300 locations throughout the state, these citizens tutor and mentor children, support veterans and military families, provide health services, restore the environment, respond to disasters, increase economic opportunity, and recruit and manage volunteers.

Participating mayors will do site visits, roundtables, proclamations, and celebrations. All events are designed to highlight how national service works for cities and focuses on three groups that benefit from the program: the recipients of service, the people who serve, and the larger community and nation.

Highlights of the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service in Texas include events in the following cities:

  • Austin – Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Chief Service Officer Sly Majid will host a ceremony at City Hall on Tuesday, April 9th at 1:00pm for a celebration of national service. The event will be held in the Council Chambers. Free parking is available in the City Hall Garage. Leaders and distinguished guests will be present to recognize the value of national service in Austin.
  • Houston – Mayor Parker, Council Member Ed Gonzalez, and Chief Service Officer Katherine Price will host a proclamation presentation at City Hall on Tuesday April 9, 2013 in the Council Chambers. Attendees must arrive by 1:15pm and bring a picture ID. There will be a photo opportunity with Mayor Parker and Council Member Gonzalez after the presentation.
  • San Antonio – Mayor Julian Castro will address the public on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at Sam Houston High School at 2:00pm.

In addition to the Texas cities that will be hosting events, many other Texas municipalities will be celebrating April 9th with a Proclamation or in other ways. A full list of participating mayors can be found here.

“We’re proud to stand with this bipartisan group of mayors,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS.  “These leaders are shining a bright light on the many ways AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are improving neighborhoods and transforming lives across the country.”

 

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OneStar Foundation is the Governor-designated National Service Commission in Texas and administers the AmeriCorps*State grant program. The Governor-appointed Board members oversee the legal and policy governance of the AmeriCorps*Texas program portfolio. OneStar Foundation connects partners and resources to build a stronger nonprofit sector in Texas. For more information, visit onestarfoundation.org.

 

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads President’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

 

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