More than 830 mayors already signed on to recognize impact of national service
(WashingtonDC.) – Mayors across the country will participate in a national day of recognition this April 9 to highlight the impact of national service in their cities and thank individuals who serve, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, announced today at the group’s annual winter meeting.
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As part of his president’s report, Mayor Nutter told the assembled mayors that more than 830 of their colleagues across the country have already signed onto the effort, the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service.
“National service is a vital resource for America’s cities,” said Mayor Nutter. “By unleashing the power of citizens, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs have a positive and lasting impact – making our cities better places to live. I invite mayors across the country to join me on this day to thank those who serve and recognize the passion, idealism and cost-effective problem-solving that comes from national service programs in our cities.”
Locally, 107 seniors volunteers in the Foster Grandparent Program by tutoring and mentoring children in the local communities including Alton, Godfrey, Roxana, South Roxana and Wood River. These volunteers, age 55 and over, volunteer at least 15 hours a week as tutors or mentors to children in schools, Head Start programs, libraries and daycare centers. Local teachers reported through year-end evaluations that 96% of students who met with a Foster Grandparent demonstrated improved reading participation by the end of the school year. In addition, these skills had an overall impact on students’ performance as teachers reported an 85% improvement in overall reading performance.
In support of the Mayor’s Day of Recognition, Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst visited with local Foster Grandparent volunteers and children at LovejoyElementary School on April 9. He thanked the volunteers for the important work they are doing with our local schoolchildren and presented them with a Mayoral Proclamation.
The initiative will be led by U.S. Conference of Mayors President Michael Nutter, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Cities of Service, and other organizations.
“Mayors are leaders who get things done, responding every day to needs in their cities,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “I commend Mayor Nutter for his outstanding leadership, and thank all those mayors joining in this important effort to recognize the impact of national service on the critical challenges facing our cities.”
As the federal agency for service and volunteering, CNCS annually engages more than four million citizens in service at more than 70,000 sites across the country through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and other programs. CNCS leverages federal and private funds to support organizations that achieve measurable results where the need is greatest. A significant portion of this investment is focused on cities. CNCS has investments in more than 500 cities with a population of at least 30,000. Last year, CNCS leveraged more than $1 billion in investments for organizations operating or based in these cities. National service also plays a key role in many smaller cities and towns and rural areas.
The initiative has already gained support from a diverse range of mayors including big cities (Michael Bloomberg of New York, Vincent Gray of Washington, D.C., Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago), to mid-size cities (Mark Stodola of Little Rock, Richard Berry of Albuquerque, NM; Jim Suttles of Omaha, NE; and Scott Smith of Mesa, AZ; U.S. Conference of Mayors Vice President) and smaller cities (Walter Maddox of Tuscaloosa, AL; Robert Macdonald of Lewiston, ME; and John Engen of Missoula, MT). A full list is available here.
On the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, mayors participated in a variety of activities, including visiting national service programs, hosting roundtables at City Hall, issuing proclamations, and communicating about national service through social media. Participating in the day highlights the importance of citizen service, shows support for nonprofit and national service groups, recognizes the role national service members play in focusing community volunteers and inspires more residents to serve in their communities.
For more information on the Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, including background and participating mayors, visit www.nationalservice.gov/mayorsforservice.
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