The Service Solution

By Alan Khazei and John Bridgeland

Friday night, Senators McCain and Obama began the first of three debates to highlight their approaches to many of our society's most chronic problems: the economic crisis, Iraq, widening health care and income gaps; a high school dropout epidemic; energy and environmental challenges; and more. The subtext of these debates is that our public and privates sectors have struggled to meet these challenges. On Saturday, more than 200,000 Americans participated in over 2,700 events across the country to showcase how citizens can play a big role in addressing these very problems through community and national service.

If there is one thing both candidates agree on, it is that the next president will have to call on all our citizens for greater sacrifice and service. The ServiceNation Day of Action provided a one-day snapshot of the extraordinary things ordinary people can achieve, especially in tough economic times, to empower service as a key strategy for uniting Americans and solving problems.

* In Fife Lake, Michigan, an entire community completed a home renovation for terminal cancer patient Larry Dillon so his wife will be able to live in their dream home after he is gone.

* In Miami, Florida, volunteers rallied to clean up the beaches of Pelican Harbor Island, a critical pelican rookery and habitat that President Theodore Roosevelt declared as the first federal bird reservation.

* In Salt Lake, Utah, volunteers helped the Community Food Co-op distribute food to more than 6,000 residents.

* In Topeka, Kansas, volunteers spent the day reading to kids at the public library.

* In Gresham, Oregon, volunteers from dozens of churches worked with the city to organize a "Graffiti Wipeout."

Recent studies show that Americans, particularly retiring Boomers and coming-of-age Millenials, want to serve. But right now, AmeriCorps and Peace Corps have roughly three qualified applicants for every position they can offer, and last year Teach For America had 24,718 applicants for just 3,700 slots. Local non-profits and faith-based institutions also want to engage more volunteers, but need support to increase capacity.

Leveraging proven service strategies, and creating opportunities for every American who wants to serve, is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. It is a quintessentially American idea, a bootstrap approach in which citizens take greater responsibility for the future and Washington stays out of the way except to provide the investment required to take successful service programs--like Habitat for Humanity, Teach For America, City Year, Citizen Schools, YouthBuild and Jumpstart--to scale.

It is also smart investing, because service dollars help kids succeed in school, and help connect Americans to training, job opportunities, and preventive health care. Every young American who ends up in a job instead of a prison cell saves the federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars, and studies show that every dollar invested in AmeriCorps returns at least $1.50 to $3.90 in direct, measurable benefits. In addition, in 2007 alone AmeriCorps programs leveraged more than $400 million in non-federal resources.

Just as important, community and national service work in virtuous synergy: AmeriCorps and other national service volunteers increase community service capacity because they are used to manage and leverage large numbers of volunteers who get nothing from government (last year 75,000 AmeriCorps members mobilized and directed 1.7 million community volunteers). This management role is particularly critical when it comes to increasing volunteer surge capacity in the aftermath of natural disasters, and has been at play throughout this past summer from the floods of Iowa to the ravages of Hurricane Ike, where just over a thousand AmeriCorps members have been organizing tens of thousands of community service volunteers helping with the cleanup.

Senators Kennedy and Hatch, longtime friends from the opposite sides of the partisan divide, get it. Their new Serve America Act will increase both community and national service opportunities, and provide targeted investments to address specific problems, such as the high school dropout epidemic. Senators McCain and Obama have signed on as co-sponsors, an unusual act of unity in the midst of a heated presidential campaign.

If you want to see what America could look like in the new era of service envisioned by Senators Kennedy, Hatch, Obama and McCain, then check out our website, www.servicenation.org to read the stories of impact from the ServiceNation Day of Action projects that occurred on September 27. Or join Mrs. Obama and Mrs. McCain, and sign the Declaration of Service, signifying a commitment to expanding opportunities for citizens to serve. Mrs. Obama and Mrs. McCain join other Declaration signers such as First Lady Laura Bush, Caroline Kennedy, Senators Clinton and Dodd, Congressman Rob Portman, and many more to stand behind the idea of service. In a time of crisis and uncertainty, you will see what Americans have always done best: going to work, united, to overcome great challenges and build a better future.

Alan Khazei is CEO of Be the Change, Inc. and Co-Founder of City Year. John Bridgeland is CEO of Civic Enterprises and former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and USA Freedom Corps. Both are lead of the ServiceNation campaign (www.servicenation.org).

Comments

[dadw5boys]

ALL THOSE PUSHING SERVICE ONLY SHOW UP FOR PHOTO OPTS.

WHAT HAS BUSH EVER DONE ANYWHERE ? PHOTO OPTS ?

ROMNEY'S KIDS WON'T EVEN CONSIDER JOINING THE MILITARY !

[TimZimm]

The Day of Action was another great milestone in the ServiceNation campaign. Reports are being cataloged on www.servicenation.org. Next big goal: a million signatures on the Declaration of Service! Start now at http://bethechangeaction.org/servicenation/take_action/declaration

[Kcameron]

Saturday was an affirmation of hope, in a world that is a off kilter right now. In Dallas, Texas our school district is in serious trouble. Our children are in jeopardy. On Saturday, September 27th, community members, corporate volunteers, evacuees from Hurricane Ike, parents, students and teachers put aside personal agendas and started a ripple of hope at Clara Oliver Elementary School. No one asked, "what do I get?" the most common question was "what can I do next?".
Students at Clara Oliver will come to school today to a beautifully landscaped front entry. Their front hall is freshly painted and clean. Beyond the cosmetics, the message is that someone cares and they are important. In addition, relationships are blooming that will have long term positive impact - What if the corporate volunteers adopt the school? What if the community volunteers join with the teachers and students to incorporate science and math skills using experiential learning through a junior master gardener program? As we work to build the capacity of a severely under-served school we build self-esteem, capacity for the school and future citizen volunteers.
We united. We had fun. And most importantly, we made a difference. Now THAT is hope! Check www.servicenation.org to see pictures and videos from our Day of Action.

[HandsOnNEO]

This is right on the money. I run the Volunteer Action Center in Cleveland, Hands On Northeast Ohio www.handsonneo.org. On Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio we revitalized a street with over 10 foreclosed homes and painted a school in need of a face lift. We had one young women on the street we cleaned say, "I thought I was on a different street" because it was so transformed. Service is power. It is each and every person's way of changing their communities, schools, and workplaces. We must serve and we must fund entities that have the power to organize service. Cleveland is in the top 5 in poverty, top ten in the forclosures and is one of the places hit hardest by the recent economy which is even more of a reason to empower citizens to feel like they are a part of something, that they matter and that they can do good. We have a grand tradition of service and we must continue to think how we can make it easier to do and more powerful in its impact.

[emilyc]

The 2,700 Day of Action events that took place in all 50 states on Saturday, demonstrated the power and impact of service. The day was about the "What If"...creating a vision of a world that ought to be, a world that had expanded opportunities to serve. "What if" every child had a mentor? "What if" every kid graduated high school? "What if" our park, rivers, and open spaces were taken care of by our fellow citizens? "What if" service was not seen as a punishment or a privilege, but rather an American ethic and a rite of passage.

The past Saturday, citizens inspired all of us, to realize that service brings people together and demonstrates that our commonality as a people, is so much greater than our individual differences.

Imagine what we could do as a country with more opportunities for citizens to serve. Imagine if the "What if" became a reality.

[bjsaunders]

Americans are eager to devote their energy, skills, and creativity to tackling the serious challenges that face our country. A meaningful investment in service will allow us to tap into this tremendous resource. Imagine a nation in which Americans of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to serve in their communities or at the national level, helping to address issues like hunger, health disparities and educational inequity and redefining citizenship in the process.

It's an exciting vision, and I, for one, can't wait to see it become a reality.

[jpfromjp]

I really appreciate "the extraordinary things ordinary people can achieve, especially in tough economic times, to empower service as a key strategy for uniting Americans and solving problems." What an empowering statement. I hope this reminds us, the ordinary citizen, that we CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - no matter what is going on around us. The most satisfying experiences of my life have been in service to others and give my life meaning.

[elgray]

The ServiceNation Presidential Forum on September 11th, and the subsequent Summit on the 12tht and grassroots Day of Action this past Saturday were all incredible events to be a part of. You should check out the great photos and videos on www.servicenation.org to see just how many people across the country - including politicians, celebrities, and average Americans - believe in the power of service to bring us together and solve big challenges.

[MalloryJosol]

I helped to coordinate and facilitate a ServiceNation Day of Action event in New Orleans, Louisiana this weekend and saw how natural a fit citizen service is for the masses.

The Declaration is an effective tool and is easy to use as I did not find one person who was reluctant to sign it after reading it. People were proud to say that they support the expansion of national service programs. I also feel that they were proud that we asked for their support in the first place.

This response should expected if elected officials and other decision makers called us to serve and provided us with the opportunity. We will be waiting.

[mabsher]

The Day of Action was the end result of months of hard work and dedication. Everyone at Be the Change and ServiceNation have been running full speed ahead for the big day.
This was a very inspiring job and I love it. Not even the rain could not stop us hear in the Appalachian Mountaians.
I want to say thank you to everyone at ServiceNation and Be the Change for making all of this possible. Tomorrow is a brand new day.