Rep. Tobocman offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 105.

A resolution designating May 13-20, 2007, as Michigan AmeriCorps Week in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, The AmeriCorps national service program has proved to be a highly effective way to engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in meeting a wide range of community needs and promote the ethic of service and volunteering since its creation in 1994; and

Whereas, Each year AmeriCorps provides opportunities for 75,000 citizens across the nation, including 1,300 in Michigan, to meet critical needs in education, the environment, public safety and other areas by serving with national and local nonprofit and community organizations, VISTA, or the National Civilian Community Corps; and

Whereas, AmeriCorps was designed to give a key role to states and state service commissions including the Michigan Community Service Commission in deciding where resources should be directed to best meet state and local needs; and

Whereas, AmeriCorps has strengthened America’s independent sector by investing more than $3 billion in grants to support the efforts of tens of thousands of nonprofit, community, educational, and faith-based community groups nationwide; and those grants have leveraged hundreds of millions of additional funds and in-kind donations from other sources; and

Whereas, Since 1994, 500,000 men and women across the nation, including 13,500 from Michigan, have taken the AmeriCorps Pledge to “get things done for America” by becoming AmeriCorps members; and

Whereas, Those AmeriCorps members have served a total of more than 637 million hours nationwide, including more than 385,000 hours served by residents from Michigan, helping to improve the lives of our most vulnerable citizens, strengthen our educational system, protect our environment, and contribute to our public safety, and;

Whereas, AmeriCorps members last year recruited and supervised more than 1.2 million community volunteers, including 8,111 volunteers in Michigan, resulting in more than 71,000 additional hours of community service, demonstrating the value of AmeriCorps as a powerful volunteer catalyst and force multiplier; and

Whereas, AmeriCorps members, after their terms of service end, remain engaged in our communities as volunteers, teachers, public servants, and nonprofit leaders in disproportionately high levels; and

Whereas, The inaugural AmeriCorps Week, May 13-20, 2007, is an opportune time for the people of Michigan to salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact; thank all of AmeriCorps' community partners in Michigan and around our nation who make the program possible; and bring more Americans into service; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body designate May 13-20, 2007, as Michigan AmeriCorps Week and urge citizens to thank AmeriCorps members and alumni for their service and to find ways to give back to their communities.