skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

1,000 in WA Step Up, Sign On for AmeriCorps

play audio
Play

Friday, October 21, 2011   

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The U.S. Senate wants to keep it; the U.S. House wants to eliminate it. And despite this uncertainty, AmeriCorps is going strong in Washington.

Today (Friday) in Seattle, 1,000 people take their oaths and begin a year of community service. Modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, AmeriCorps pays people a living allowance of $1,100 a month and offers college tuition assistance after their year of service.

Bill Basl is executive director of the Washington Commission for National and Community Service, the state agency that administers AmeriCorps in Washington. For every opening, he says, there are seven applicants - many of them veterans.

"And I think part of this is due to the downturn in the economy. So, AmeriCorps is providing an opportunity for folks to make a sincere contribution, to step up and serve the country at a time when the country needs them the most - which is right now."

He says AmeriCorps funding has been threatened before, making it difficult to plan from year to year.

This year's new members range in age from 17 to 83. They'll tutor in low-income schools, do stream restoration and conservation projects, work at food banks and more, across the state. For the younger AmeriCorps members, it's a chance to check out a career and build work references. But at any age, Basl is convinced the year of service makes people better citizens.

"The long-term investment is, doing a year of national service changes people forever. They're more giving. I think there's a broader sense of compassion and understanding. It allows folks to see life with different perspectives. That is so important."

Those who want to cut the program's funding in Congress say volunteers can do community service work. Basl thinks they're missing the point.

"If we would say, 'Well, you can do this, but you're not going to get a living allowance,' - well, then who would be able to do that? Perhaps only people who have some kind of other support system or are people of means, who could take a year off and do that. But providing a living allowance provides all Americans an opportunity to step up and make a contribution."

Washington has the second-highest number of AmeriCorps members in the nation, at about 1,600. Only California has more.

The oath ceremony for new members is Fri., Oct. 21, 10:00 a.m., in the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. There is more information about AmeriCorps online, at www.ofm.wa.gov/servewa/.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021