SENATE MEMORIAL 116

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

John Pinto

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING FEBRUARY 28, 2017 "AMERICORPS AND NATIONAL SERVICE DAY" IN THE SENATE.

     WHEREAS, service to others is a hallmark of the American character and is central to how America meets its challenges; and

     WHEREAS, states are increasingly turning to national service and volunteerism as a cost-effective strategy to meet their needs; and

     WHEREAS, AmeriCorps and senior corps participants address the most pressing challenges facing our communities by educating students for the jobs of the twenty-first century, supporting veterans and military families, providing health services and helping communities recover from natural disasters; and

     WHEREAS, national service expands economic opportunity by creating more sustainable and resilient communities and providing education and career and leadership skills for those who serve; and

     WHEREAS, in 2016, the corporation for national and community service celebrated the induction of the one millionth AmeriCorps member; and

     WHEREAS, more than four thousand five hundred AmeriCorps and senior corps participants serve in approximately seven hundred locations across New Mexico, bolstering the civic, neighborhood and faith-based organizations that are so vital to New Mexico's economic and social well-being; and

     WHEREAS, national service represents a unique public and private partnership that invests in community solutions and leverages non-federal resources to strengthen community impact and increase the return on taxpayer money; and

     WHEREAS, national service participants demonstrate their commitment, dedication and patriotism by making extensive commitments to public service; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico commission for community volunteerism, the workforce solutions department, the corporation for national and community service and national service programs across New Mexico engage residents, improve lives and strengthen communities;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that February 28, 2017 be declared "AmeriCorps and National Service Day" in the senate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that recognition and congratulations be extended to New Mexico's national service programs for their contributions; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of workforce solutions and to the chief executive officer of the corporation for national and community service.

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