Service Year Alliance released the following statement in response to President Biden’s call for a new era of national service at the United We Stand Summit:
“President Biden’s call for a new era of national service today at the United We Stand Summit was a massive victory for our vision of making national service part of growing up in America. Service Year Alliance applauds President Biden for this bold call to action — and specifically for calling for a $15/hour living allowance for all AmeriCorps members.
As part of our Serve America Together campaign, Service Year Alliance called on President Biden to be the Service President by prioritizing and expanding national service and making it more accessible for Americans of all backgrounds. The President’s announcement to increase bridge building and social cohesion in America through national service with the launch of AmeriCorps’ United We Serve campaign is a giant step in the right direction. Moreover, we are grateful to the President for recognizing the importance of the accessibility of service, in his call to Congress to raise the living allowance. Making national service a financially feasible option for all young Americans is a major component of our equity agenda, and we are thrilled to see the President acknowledge existing barriers to service.
To truly launch national service into a new era, it’s time to make these ideas a reality through tangible investments in AmeriCorps and national service. President Biden called on Congress to increase the living allowance for all AmeriCorps members through appropriations — we urge Congress to answer this call and increase federal funding for AmeriCorps in the FY23 appropriations bill to $1.45B. Additionally, we encourage President Biden to follow through on his commitments by supporting robust funding in his FY24 budget request for AmeriCorps to raise the living allowance for those who serve, expand access to national service opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds, and fuel civic renewal in communities across the country.
We are eager to work with the Administration, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other federal agencies to bring this shared vision for national service to life. Serving alongside people of different backgrounds and lived experiences brings Americans together in common purpose, repairing social cohesion in our country.”
Learn more about AmeriCorps’ new United We Serve campaign here.
