The GIVE Act

Just as I said yesterday, things are moving rapidly in Washington, D.C. with respect to national voluntary service programs. I got an e-mail yesterday with a link to an excellent story on National Public Radio about the GIVE Act, which would triple the size of the Americorps program and create several new sub-programs. It's unclear at this point exactly how the program would affect our volunteer program here at Mount Rainier, though depending on how the legislation is written, it could enhance our ability to work with partners like the Student Conservation Association. The devil is in the details, of course, and I know that our friends at SCA, NPCA, and other organizations have been working feverishly to make sure that the final bill, while creating and supporting new volunteer opportunities, is friendly to our existing programs and partnerships.

As of today, the House overwhelmingly passed its version of the bill; the Senate is expected to adopt a nearly identical bill next week. I'll certainly pass on to you anything specific that filters down to the field level about specific implications of the bill for our program. Meanwhile, you can read a summary of the Act in question on Senator Mikulski's website.