Nonprofits are feeling the pain of the ongoing recession as fewer charitable donations are being made.
But as the federal government allocates millions in stimulus funds to states, businesses and individuals nationwide, new legislation is aimed at bringing service back to life as well.
Last week the Senate passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, intended to help spur volunteerism and encourage Americans to give back to the community.
Senator Barbara Mikulski who had a hand in bringing the bill before Congress said, "This is a public investment that will pay dividends long beyond anything we can imagine."
According to Senator Kennedy, the bill is a significant step beyond existing national and community-based service programs.
The timing of the bill is crucial, say Senators Hatch and Enzi who joined Mikulski and Kennedy in crafting and bringing the legislation before the Senate. Despite the worst economic period in recent history, Americans still want to serve their country and need to know how to give back, they said.
"The passage of the Serve America Act is a significant milestone for our country. By increasing opportunities nationwide for Americans to serve and, thus, enabling private citizens to do more for their communities, personal and community responsibility will take the place of direct government aid," said Senator Hatch.
The bill will create programs that address a number needs including education. New tactics to address the dropout crisis and to generally strengthen the school systems are included in the legislation.
Serve America Act also creates a Summer of Service program aimed to encourage young adults to partake in community service and an Encore Fellowships giving older Americans the opportunity to serve the country.
After being passed by the Senate last week the bill moved on to the House where it was approved on Tuesday. It will soon land on President Obama’s desk to be signed into law.
