Hoyer Statement on the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today commemorating twenty years since AmeriCorps  launched its first class of volunteers on September 12, 1994:

“Today I join in marking twenty years of AmeriCorps working to strengthen communities through volunteerism and citizen engagement.  Often called the ‘domestic Peace Corps,’ AmeriCorps was created by the bipartisan 1993 National and Community Service Trust Act, which I was proud to cosponsor, and expanded by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009. 

“When more Americans have the opportunity to volunteer, our nation becomes stronger, families gain access to new opportunities, and our environment grows healthier.  That’s because giving freely of one’s time and energy to help others has always been a hallmark of American citizenship.  When we extend our helping hands to one another, we strengthen the bonds that hold together our diverse and vibrant democracy – and we make progress toward the important goal of alleviating poverty.  I congratulate AmeriCorps’s volunteers, alumni, and administrators for all they have done and will continue to do to help build a better future for all Americans.”