Causecast

by MELISSA JUN ROWLEY, Contributing Writer

President Obama raised National Volunteer Week to new heights on Tuesday April 21, when he signed a $5.7 billion piece of legislation designed to enhance and expand volunteerism in the U.S. In a ceremony filled with nonprofit leaders and members of Congress, the Commander in Chief autographed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act at the inner city SEED School of Washington, D.C., and marked his commitment to cultivating civic engagement in America.

A product of bipartisan sponsorship, the national service bill will launch on October 1. But social change advocates see yesterday’s signing as their cue to grab onto the new legislation with both hands, as nonprofit groups that target specific age groups stand to benefit.

The organization Civic Ventures, which strives to engage individuals age 55 and above in cause-related career and volunteer opportunities, is one of them.

John Gomperts, president of Civic Ventures, views the new law as a huge gain for the baby boomer demographic.

“The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act recognizes that millions of people who have finished their midlife careers are ready to make a big commitment to meeting the challenges we face in education, health care, energy and environment,” said Gomperts in a statement. “That recognition marks the beginning of a new story about how an aging society can use its experience to make life better for us all.”

During the signing, Obama said the bill is “the boldest expansion of opportunities to serve our communities and our country since the creation of AmeriCorps.”

As previously noted on Causecast, AmeriCorps will triple the size of the organization’s volunteer programs for teenagers and young adults.

In a speech he gave in February before a joint session with Congress, Obama said he’s observed an increase in activism among the youth.

“I’ve seen a rising generation of young people work and volunteer and turn out in record numbers,” the president said. "They’re a generation that came of age amidst the horrors of 9/11 and Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an economic crisis without precedent.”

Appreciation for the good deeds carried out by the young and their elders comes with the new legislation through its link to education. According to the Associated Press, the Serve America Act connects public service to school tuition aid across generations.

Baby boomers and senior citizens who volunteer are eligible to receive $1,000 in education awards that can be bestowed to their children or grandchildren. Similarly, students ranging from grades 6 to 12 can earn $500 to go toward their schooling.

In a country that has long underestimated the young and taken advantage of those past midlife, it seems change is indeed on its way.

Image by Speaker Pelosi, flickr