FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 31, 2014
CONTACT: Elizabeth Darling, 512-287-2062, liz@onestarfoundation.org
AUSTIN, TX — Tomorrow, April 1st, 124 mayors across the State of Texas will be among 1,760 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.
Given the many social needs facing communities – and the fiscal constraints facing government at all levels – mayors are increasingly turning to national service as a cost-effective strategy to meet city needs.
The second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is a nationwide bipartisan effort to recognize the positive impact of national service in cities, to thank those who serve, and to encourage citizens to give back to their communities. The day is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the National League of Cities, Cities of Service, and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Scott Smith, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona. CNCS is the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.
In Texas, the initiative is being coordinated by CNCS’s Texas State Office in partnership with 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 $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.”
This year, more than 26,000 national service members of all ages and backgrounds are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement in Texas through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps (Texas National Service Profile, 2013-14). Serving at more than 3,200 locations throughout the state, these citizens tutor and mentor children, assist the elderly, 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, assist with service projects, present proclamations, and host celebrations. Highlights of the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service in Texas include events in the following cities:
- Amarillo – Mayor Paul Harpole will present a Proclamation and participate in a service project on April 1st at 10:00am alongside Senior Corps RSVP and Amarillo Independent School District AmeriCorps members at the Snack Pak warehouse (909 SE 2nd Ave., Amarillo, TX 79102) to prepare cases of food for a weekend food program.
- Austin – Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Chief Service Officer Sly Majid will host a ceremony at City Hall on April 1st at 11:00am 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. Attendees must arrive by 10:45am and bring a picture ID.
- Corpus Christi – Mayor Nelda Martinez will present national service volunteers with a certificate and a lapel pin at a ceremony on Apri1 1st at 8:00 am at the Congressman Solomon Ortiz International Center (402 Harbor Drive). More than 200 volunteers are expected to attend.
- Dallas – Mayor Michael Rawlings will present a Proclamation recognizing national service volunteers in Council Chambers at the April 2nd City Council Meeting, Dallas City Hall (1500 Marilla Street, Briefing Room 6ES) at 9:00am.
- El Paso – Mayor Oscar Leeser will present a televised Proclamation recognizing national service volunteers at the April 1st City Council Meeting (300 N. Campbell) beginning at 8:00am.
- Fort Worth – Mayor Betsy Price will participate in two events on April 1st: a special recognition event at 4pm at Cornerstone Assistance Network (3500 Noble Avenue) and a Proclamation presentation at 7pm in the Council Chamber at City Hall (1000 Throckmorton, Fort Worth, Texas).
- Houston – Mayor Annise Parker will host a proclamation presentation at City Hall on April 1st in the Council Chambers. Attendees must arrive by 1:15pm and bring a picture ID.
- Texarkana – Mayor Bob Bruggeman will host a joint meeting with his Arkansas Mayoral counterpart on April 1st at 11:00 a.m. at the Bi-State Justice Building (100 State Line Avenue) in Texarkana, during which the Mayors will read a joint proclamation thanking national service volunteers for their participation in the local community.
In addition to the Texas cities that will be hosting events, many other Texas municipalities will be celebrating April 1st or throughout the month of April with a Proclamation or in other ways. A full list of participating Texas mayors can be found here.
“I am proud to be working with Mayors across America as we continue to strengthen communities through national service,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Mayors are leaders who get things done. They know firsthand the value of national service in tackling city problems. I commend the participating Mayors for working with us to improve lives and strengthen communities through national service.”
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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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