Urgent Action Needed!

Funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service, including AmeriCorps, will be dramatically cut or eliminated in the appropriations proposal to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. United Way opposes the funding cuts and we are working with our Partners at Service Nation to preserve the funding. United Way of PA is working closely with both federal and state partners regarding the federal budget situation. We are extremely concerned about a number of proposals, especially those with negative impacts on such initiatives as AmeriCorps, heating assistance and charitable giving.

As you know, the past three years the North Penn United Way has used the incredible talents of AmeriCorps Vista members to advance our work in the community, work that no agency in the community has had the capacity to undertake: This is very time sensitive and NEITHER EMAIL MESSAGES NOR LETTERS will make it in time. Please read about action we need to take today!!!

AmeriCorps Vista members in the North Penn Community have produced the following results:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance helps working families secure free tax assistance, claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, and receive banking services and budget counseling, and avoid predatory lending. The program increased volunteerism in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program last year by 62%. 63 community members provided free income tax assistance to 375 working families in our community. The work of these 63 volunteers represents nearly 2000 hours of volunteer services equaling $40,500 worth of service to the community. Vista Members increased the number of sites from 4 to 10 creating greater access to hard working families in the North Penn and Indian Valley community. This represents 150% increase. Increased families served by 191%---from 129 families to 375 last year. Dollars returned to the community were $535,710 a 315% increase over the prior tax season. This saved these families an estimated $84,375 in tax preparation fees. Work was also advanced in the Korean community: 54 families served. Members secured a $41,000 grant for our community through IRS to better serve the community in the 2010-11 filing season.

AmeriCorps also advance the organization of the North Penn School Readiness Initiative. This program involves the North Penn and Souderton School Districts and 19 lead early care organizations such as Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Montgomery County Childcare consortium, Headstart, etc. The group is looking to better systems, cross system communication with an emphasis on LOW-COST, NO-COST solutions that encourage civic engagement and volunteerism. Volunteers tutor kids and educate families and caregivers about the value of early literacy skills. Members are looking at ways to identify at risk children and better prepare them for entering school ready to succeed. Investment in bettering early childcare returns at least $7 to $17 DOLLARS FOR EVERY $1 INVESTED. Early care and education are a critical component on Pennsylvania’s economic recovery. It helps local businesses prosper, creates jobs, reduces employee absenteeism and turnover, increases the ability of PA businesses to attract skilled employees, establish a much needed foundation for sustained economic growth because early learning is the key to ensure that future employees have the early 21st Century skills PA businesses need.

Please take the following action today to preserve funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service—Particularly the preservation of AmeriCorps: The return on investment in their work in advancing our Community Impact work is returning $40 for every $1 invested in the programs our AmeriCorps members run and support. This is not “busy” work…this is real and needed work in our community that will be lost without this program!

Talking Points for the House of Representatives:
I am calling to urge you to vote NO on any proposal to eliminate funding for AmeriCorps or the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The CR will decimate vital services in our communities when millions of Americans need food, shelter, healthcare, job training and educational support. Communities are counting on AmeriCorps members, national service participants and community volunteers to meet the increased demand for services. Provide an example of your local impact and what will be lost if your program is eliminated. Example: The North Penn United Way has 3 AmeriCorps members serving in our community.

Nearly 400 families will go without free tax assistance services that have been injecting over $600,000 dollars into our local economy. The efforts of the North Penn School Readiness Initiative will be hampered and hundreds of at risk children and families in our community will not benefit from the volunteer tutoring offered by this group. The CR will only push unemployment rates up. Unemployment numbers -- particularly for young people, veterans and military spouses, older Americans and people of color-remain alarmingly high. For Americans who are struggling to find work, national service programs offer participants the opportunity to earn a subsistence-level stipend, develop skills, and create pathways to future employment. Eliminating programs like AmeriCorps will result in jobs lost for the corps members and the staff who supervise them. Example: If Congress eliminates AmeriCorps, our 3 AmeriCorps members and the staff that supervise them may be out of work. The federal investment made in faith based and community organizations through the Corporation for National and Community Service leverages $799 million in matching funds from companies, foundations and other sources. If you defund the national service programs, whole organizations will shut down and most will not be able to reopen again even if funding is restored.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS:

We need to focus on the following members of congress:

Allyson Schwartz (D): Washington- 202-225-6111 office phone; 202-226-0611 Fax-- Montgomery County Office 215-517-6572 office phone; 215-517-6575 office fax

Charlie Dent (R): Washington-202-225-6411 office phone; 202-226-0778 fax; Montgomery County 215-541-4106 office phone; 215-541-4109 fax

Jim Gerlach (R): Washington 202-225-4315 office phone; 202-225-8440 fax; Montgomery County 610-409-2780 office phone; 610-409-7988 fax

You can call your Representatives directly or be connected through the House Operator (202-225-3121). Once connected, identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak to the Legislative Assistant in change of national service and education issues

Given the severity of the cuts proposed by the House, you may experience some difficulty calling the Capitol. It is important that you keep trying. If you can't reach your representative by phone, please send a fax communication to their office. This is time sensitive ask. Email messages or mailed letters will not reach the decision makers in time. It is critical that our lawmakers hear from the constituents directly impacted by their decisions.

Over the weekend United Way of PA started to develop PA specific material for the field to use for advocacy efforts. They will be finalized in the next day or so. In the meantime, here is what you can do today! Please take action. This program is critical to the success of our United Way’s impact in the community.