National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness

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In today's world, we should be doing everything we can to provide opportunities for young people to serve their communities. AmeriCorps involves young people in civic life, helps them to expand their educational experience through participation in service, and encourages them to become active members of society. In addition, AmeriCorps members perform important services such as teaching at-risk students, running mentorship programs, and cleaning up rivers and parks.

President Bush has repeatedly praised AmeriCorps and promised to dramatically expand the program, even making it a priority in his 2002 State of the Union speech. But under his watch, the program is severely threatened, and the White House has done little to help.

Poor management and questionable accounting at the program under the Bush administration spurred Congress to make dramatic cuts to their 2003 budget that will eliminate at least half of the nation's AmeriCorps members. These cuts would mean an end to many valuable programs. Despite his vocal promises to support AmeriCorps, the President has done nothing to prevent these cuts or challenge Congress to reverse them. In fact, the 2004 budget request from the President actually asks for $40 million less for AmeriCorps than he requested in 2003. President Bush has repeatedly failed to back up his promises to support and expand the program.

Contact President Bush and urge him to submit a supplemental budget request to fully fund the AmeriCorps program in 2003.

Follow these 3 easy steps to help out.
1. Look over the message below, and feel free to add your own comments. Using your own words makes the message more meaningful.

Dear President Bush, cc: House, Senate members AmeriCorps is a vital program that funds critical programs around the country, and gives young people an opportunity to serve their communities. Surely, that is why you have praised the program and called for its expansion. However, in spite of your stated goal to expand AmeriCorps, the program is facing deep cuts that will result in at least a 50% reduction in the number of AmeriCorps members this year. This situation is largely the result of errors by your appointees. In order to fulfill your pledge to increase Americorps, I urge you to immediately take the following steps: - Submit a supplementary budget request to add $200 million in new funding in this fiscal year to ensure that AmeriCorps reaches at least 50,000 members across the country. Without additional funds, proven programs, deprived of members, will have to close their doors and thousand of citizens who want to serve with AmeriCorps will be turned away. - Urge Congress to lift the arbitrary 50,000 cap on the number of AmeriCorps members who can serve in a given year. - Make good on your commitment to expand AmeriCorps by increasing appropriations in 2004 to 75,000 AmeriCorps members, including fully funding the National Service Trust. Sincerely,

2. Sign the letter by filling in the form below. We will not share your information with anyone else.

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3. Click the button to send your message.

The Campaign is committed to ending hunger and homelessness in America by educating, engaging, and training students to directly meet individuals immediate needs while advocating for long-term systemic solutions.