As I’m sure you’re aware, there has been a HUGE increase in the number of volunteers within the past year or so. Now there is a bill, the Serve America Act, that will help mobilize those volunteers and recruit more to help address the pressing needs of society. I think that this is a huge step in the right direction for our country. It will help to create a new generation of volunteers by incorporating service-learning into curriculum across the board- elementary, high school, college and beyond, in addition to offering incentives or stipends in exchange for service. There are many different facets to the Serve America Act; if you want to learn more about it you can read it in full online, or check out this summary from Service Nation.
Alan Khazei, the CEO and founder of Be The Change Inc., wrote a great piece about the new legislature that I had to share. You can find it here: Alan Khazai – ‘A New Patriotism’ .
The Serve America Act has come at just the right time… The citizens of this country will now have more access to volunteer opportunities, enabling us to pick up the pieces that government has left and may not be able to fix without our help. I think everyone keeps waiting for the government to fix everything for them. Newsflash: they can’t! But with this piece of legislation, we are now more able than before to be the change we want to see in our communities and the world around us.
And don’t think that New York City won’t be a major player in all of this.. This week Mayor Bloomberg announced the expanding opportunities that will address the most urgent needs of the city, making the volunteer experience more effective by assisting non-profit agencies, and keeping track of the progress our City makes as a result of these changes. For more, check out the new NYC Service site.
Excited? Pissed off? I’d love to hear what everyone thinks….
Give & Get NYC 