The CivicMinded Companion - Civic Dictionary - For people who are changing the world

Guides at-a-glance: NATIONAL SERVICE FAST FACTS

"The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for approximately 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America."

The national goal of CNCS is to increase the number of volunteers in America to 75 million by 2010. "In 2006, 61.2 million adults volunteered throughout the United States, representing 26.7 percent of the population." An additional 5.3 million Americans engaged in informal volunteering to fix or improve their communities.

In 2007, for the second consecutive year, "the Corporation for National and Community Service, in partnership with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, has produced a detailed breakdown of America’s volunteering habits and patterns by state and region." Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development. Volunteering in America: 2007 State Trends and Rankings in Civic Life, Washington, DC 2007.

The King Holiday and Service Act of 1994, passed by the U.S. Congress, gives the Corporation for National and Community Service responsibility for establishing Martin Luther King Day as a day of service.

Federal legislation requires each state to create a State Service Commission to administer national service programs and promote volunteerism at the state level.

There are many proposals for exanding national service opportunities, such as increasing the number of young people serving in AmeriCorps from 70,000 to 250,000 annually. Voices for National Service