Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Co-Chair of the National Service Congressional Caucus, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in a letter to AmeriCorps today encouraging the creation of an alumni engagement office within the agency. The office would help the agency and its partners find new ways to support current participants, encourage alumni to sustain their commitment to service after leaving the program, and engage alumni to strengthen the recruitment of new members. Along with Senators Coons and Wicker, the letter is signed by Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
The Senators write: “As AmeriCorps goes through a period of unprecedented growth and adapts to meet ongoing needs, the agency should devote special attention to supporting and engaging alumni as they conclude their service. This would help AmeriCorps continue to recruit high-quality volunteers, reinforce the terms of service as an integral step in one’s career development, and strengthen AmeriCorps’ contribution to our nation’s unique culture of service. It would also provide opportunities to hear directly from participants about ways the corps experience can be improved and how it has impacted their life trajectories.”
“AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors pour their talent, energy, and passion into helping people and communities in need all across the country,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President, Voices for National Service. “Intentionally supporting alumni will help AmeriCorps recruit more diverse people, reinforce pathways to education and work, and sustain their commitment to service over the long term through continued connection. We embrace the call for an Office of Alumni Engagement within AmeriCorps and commend Senators Coons, Wicker, Baldwin, Cassidy, Cornyn, and Reed for putting the idea forward.”
“Alumni of AmeriCorps are the most engaged and passionate civic leaders America has to offer. They’re our country’s future educators, community leaders, public servants, and first responders,” said Kristen Bennett, CEO of Service Year Alliance. “As the proud home of AmeriCorps Alums, Service Year Alliance is committed to doing all we can to foster and support this community, including better understanding who serves and where they go after their service in order to tell the full story of national service’s impact. We applaud this bipartisan effort to establish an Office of Alumni Engagement at AmeriCorps, which will allow for greater coordination between the agency and partners to provide the diverse support and engagement these leaders need following their service. We look forward to working with Senator Coons and his colleagues to make our shared vision for AmeriCorps alums a reality.”
“Americans of all ages and backgrounds from rural, urban, and tribal communities dedicate their time and energy to national service, which often becomes a lifetime commitment. Those alumni go on to be leaders in their communities and are some of the best ambassadors for the value of national service to our country,” said Kaira Esgate, CEO, America’s Service Commissions. “State and Territorial Service Commissions have long helped to support those members while serving, and applaud Senator Coons and Senator Wicker along with Senators Reed, Cassidy, Baldwin, and Cornyn for their leadership in identifying important ways we can better support alumni and learn from their experiences. This will fill in an important gap in a continuum of service to our nation and in addressing ongoing critical needs in our communities. America’s Service Commissions looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and the AmeriCorps agency to expand high-quality opportunities to serve our country.”
“An Office of Alumni Engagement is imperative to the future success of AmeriCorps,” said Robert Godfried, Policy Entrepreneur, Next100. “National service alumni are an untapped resource that can provide mentorship, support, and professional networks for current AmeriCorps members. In addition, increased alumni engagement can improve the program by contributing much-needed feedback to grantee organizations, state commissions, and the AmeriCorps federal agency.”
Senator Coons has long been a vocal leader in support of national service. In addition to his work as Co-Chair of the National Service Congressional Caucus, Senator Coons led the effort to secure $1 billion in supplemental funding for AmeriCorps as part of the American Rescue Plan last year. He also introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring the invaluable contributions of AmeriCorps members and alumni, which passed the Senate unanimously during AmeriCorps Week earlier this year.
The full letter is available here.
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