Contact Your Member of Congress To Save National Service!
Today the House Appropriations Committee released a draft of their funding bill that once again calls for dramatic cuts to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
While it preserves funding for the three Senior Corps programs, the bill directs agency staff to shut down CNCS and eliminates funding for vital programs such as AmeriCorps, the Volunteer Generation Fund, VISTA, the National Civilian Community Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund.
These programs have provided critical and countless benefits to communities nationwide, from education to nursing, infrastructure repair to disaster relief. We need them now more than ever, and we need your voice to help protect their contributions.
We’ve been here before and - with your help - we've fought back successfully, but it wasn’t easy then and it won't be easy now. CNCS has seen an 8% cut since fiscal year 2010 - that's $100 million dollars in the last two years. Our communities and families can’t let this slide continue.
The House Subcommittee will meet tomorrow to consider these recommendations. In the next 24 hours:
- Tweet your Member of Congress and tell them why #nationalservice is important in your community
- Facebook them indicating what will be lost if the Corporation for National and Community Service is eliminated
- Call their offices. You can find their number by calling the Capitol Operator (202-225-3121). Once connected to your member of Congress, identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak to the Legislative Assistant in change of national service or appropriations.
We need to put steady and consistent pressure on our legislators, urging them to take a stand for national service at a time when service organizations are more relied upon than ever. With your help, we can once and for all get off this funding merry-go-round and save service!