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New Poll: As President Biden Calls for National Unity, Majority of Americans Support National Service to Bridge Divides 

Nearly 7 out of 10 Americans Believe President Biden Should Prioritize Programs that Work Towards Healing the Nation

WASHINGTON, DC – New polling data released today by the Serve America Together campaign show that the majority of Americans support President Joe Biden’s focus on healing the nation and believe an expansion of civilian national service opportunities for young Americans can help accomplish that goal. President Biden’s inaugural speech focused largely on the idea that for the nation to heal and move forward national unity must be prioritized, arguing that we never fail when we act together. More than three-quarters of respondents to the poll said they support Congress passing legislation that would expand national service opportunities, such as AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. 

By JEFF HUBER, December 27, 2020

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Prominent Americans Urge Presidential Candidates to Expand National Service to Renew Civic Spirit

In an open letter to President Trump and Vice President Biden, bipartisan group advocates for national service to be prioritized as solution to countries’ challenges

WASHINGTON, DC (October 29, 2020) – In the final days of the presidential election, a diverse group of more than 120 Americans from across the country today called on President Trump’s and Vice President Biden’s campaigns to prioritize the expansion of national service in the next presidential term as a way to address the polarization of the nation. In a letter released as a part of the Serve America Together campaign, former governors and members of Congress as well as leading philanthropy, thought and faith leaders, impressed upon the importance of national service as a tool to unite Americans and to help renew the nation’s civic spirit. 

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National Business and Workforce Development Leaders Call on Presidential Campaigns to Prioritize Expansion of National Service

More than 60 of the nation’s leading business and workforce development leaders sign bipartisan letter 

WASHINGTON, DC (October 26, 2020) – The Serve America Together campaign today released a letter signed by more than 60 of the nation’s leading business and workforce development leaders calling on President Trump’s and Vice President Biden’s presidential campaigns to prioritize the expansion of national service.

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Over 80 National Security Leaders Sign On to Letter Calling on Presidential Campaigns to Prioritize National Service

National security leaders including former cabinet secretaries, State Department officials, and Pentagon appointees, join former National Security Council members and veterans on bipartisan letter to campaigns

WASHINGTON, DC (October 13, 2020) – Today, the Serve America Together campaign released a letter signed by over 80 diverse and bipartisan national security leaders to President Trump and Vice President Biden’s presidential campaigns calling for an expansion of national service. The letter, which is signed by national security leaders including former cabinet secretaries, State Department officials, Pentagon appointees, National Security Council members, and veterans from across the Armed Services, urges the candidates to prioritize national service in their potential future administrations as a way to maintain the strength and security of our nation...

By JOE HECK, October 5, 2020 

Throughout the course of history, Americans have, time and again, come together in moments of crisis to confront our challenges and move the country forward. As I envision a path out of the current crises facing our nation, I believe this moment is no different.

For the past three years, I served as the chairman of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service, a position I was appointed to by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and which allowed me to continue my own service to our country, building upon my current service in the Army Reserve and my experience as a former three-term Republican congressman. Throughout the congressionally-mandated Commission’s tenure that explored America’s appetite for service and the potential need for a military draft, we traveled across the country hearing from Americans about their desire to serve, the barriers to service, and their ideas for inspiring more people to serve.

By JOHN BRIDGELAND, October 4, 2020

Even as we face the hard realities of a pandemic, the fight for social justice, and divisive national politics, recent national polling offers a spot of good news. More than seven out of 10 Americans believe they have more in common with one another than many people think.

Those findings are part of a recent survey conducted for Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights and Institute of Politics. Americans, it turns out, are not as divided as our politics and news media might indicate.

By JESSE COLVIN, September 22, 2020

Our country faces mounting public health, economic, and educational crises, as well as a nationwide reckoning on racial injustice — challenges that require thoughtful solutions to move the country forward. When it comes to addressing these critical issues, there are few solutions that have both bipartisan support and can be a true antidote in helping to rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a proud member of the Nonprofit Infrastructure Investment Advocacy Group (NIIAG), convened by Independent Sector and KABOOM!, Service Year Alliance is thrilled to see NIIAG lifting up national service as a way to strengthen our country’s civic infrastructure.

As we determine how best to address each of these individual challenges, we also must confront the growing lack of trust in our institutions and the hyperpolarization that threaten the civic fabric of American society. If we are to truly tackle these issues, it will require a solution that unites Americans around a common cause in order to knit our communities back together.

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Coalition of Leading Military and Civilian Service Organizations Calls on Presidential Campaigns to Prioritize National Service

The coalition is part of the Serve America Together campaign to make national service part of growing up in America.

WASHINGTON, DC (September 14, 2020) – Today, over a dozen leading military and civilian service organizations released a letter calling on President Trump and Vice President Biden’s presidential campaigns to prioritize a significant expansion of national service in the first 100 days of their potential administrations. The first-of-its-kind coalition — which is the backbone of the Serve America Together campaign to make national service part of growing up in America — unites the military and civilian service movements under one banner behind a bold call to action for national service expansion.

We, at Service Year Alliance, are deeply saddened by the tragic, brutal, and thoroughly preventable death of George Floyd. We offer our sincerest condolences to Mr. Floyd’s family, friends, and community members.

We stand in solidarity with African Americans across our nation who have been marginalized, mistreated, and discriminated against for decades because of the color of their skin. We hear you! We understand you! Together, we want to work alongside you to have the difficult, yet necessary conversations to address and break down systemic racism and inequities that exist in our country. When you cannot breathe, we cannot breathe as a country. 

Until black lives matter, our mission to make national service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans cannot be realized.