Pierce Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  On Wednesday, April 26, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) received the Distinguished Service Award at the 20th Annual Friends of National Service Awards.

“National service matters. As communities have faced unprecedented challenges, national service fosters resilience and builds stronger communities. At a time when we are grappling with too much division, national service fosters the spirit of unity and cooperation,” said Rep. Kilmer. “With that in mind, I am incredibly honored to receive the Distinguished Service Award and am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors to make a real difference for folks in my neck of the woods.”

“Representative Kilmer is a champion for the role national service programs play in strengthening communities and developing leaders,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President, Voices for National Service. “He is a vocal advocate for AmeriCorps funding and for expanding opportunities to serve – and puts a premium on working with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this done. In recognition of his leadership, Voices for National Service is honored to present Rep. Kilmer with our Distinguished Service Award.”

As a member of the National Service Congressional Caucus, Rep. Kilmer has been a champion for placing citizens at the center of solving pressing challenges and uniting them in common purpose. Through bills like the Building Civic Bridges Act, the IT Service Corps Act, the CORPS Act, and the AmeriCorps Education Award Tax Relief Act, he has demonstrated his belief in the power of service to respond to critical needs, develop in-demand job skills, prepare future leaders, and make our nation more resilient and unified. He is heavily involved in AmeriCorps in his district and throughout Washington state and works closely with the Serve Washington Commission to learn about the work of AmeriCorps members in the state, visit programs, and swear in new classes of AmeriCorps members at the start of their service term.

Following the event, a short video showcased voices from Washington, highlighting how Rep. Kilmer had raised public awareness of AmeriCorps and promoted service as a solution to some of the nation's most urgent problems.

Approximately 5,300 AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors members serve annually in Washington, addressing the state's most immediate and critical needs. They serve at over 700 locations statewide, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, veterans facilities, and other local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations. The AmeriCorps agency has invested more than $30.7 million in federal funding to support cost-effective community solutions in Washington, partnering with local organizations to empower individuals and help communities tackle their toughest challenges. Through this public-private partnership, every $1 Congress invests in AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors generates more than $17 in benefits to our country.

Voices for National Service advocates for programs addressing the country's most immediate and pressing challenges and promotes AmeriCorps as an effective strategy for addressing unmet needs. Established in 2003, Voices for National Service has garnered strong bipartisan support among national leaders for AmeriCorps, a public-private partnership yielding more than $17 in benefits to our country for every $1 invested by Congress. AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors' 200,000 members support local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations on the front lines of our communities, uniting the country and fostering civic character.

Original source can be found here.