The U.S. House announced $100 million in budget cuts recently, including eliminating the Corporation for National & Community Service, including Americorps.
I am in my second term of service with Americorps and understand the value of this program and thought the House of Representatives did, too.
Right now, more than 40,000 people are serving in Americorps across Pennsylvania assisting veterans and the elderly, providing tutoring and assistance for at-risk youth, working on environmental restoration and responding to disasters.
If Americorps is eliminated, all of its great work will be lost.
Americorps keeps unemployment down and provides valuable services to those who need it most much more efficiently and cheaply than other government agencies.
Locally, many non-profits rely on the service of Americorps members including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Van Zandt VA Medical Center, the United Way and Operation Our Town.
Many of these organizations would not be able to provide the scope of services they are able to without the support of Americorps members.
National service is a vital part of this country and we should all feel obligated to volunteer and serve in our communities.
Please let your representatives know that national service is important and we need to keep Americorps alive.
Courtney Remacle
Altoona
