This week, the United States Senate will vote on the Serve America Act, legislation that will triple the number of national service opportunities and enable more Americans to take an active role in solving some of the most pressing social issues in our communities.

Arkansas, for example, has nearly 700 AmeriCorps members serving in a variety of organizations throughout the state, addressing a range of needs including literacy, homelessness, community blight, and hunger.  In Pulaski County, City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock – one of Arkansas’s largest AmeriCorps programs – brings young people from around the country and state to give one year of their lives to work in the public schools as tutors, mentors and role models.

The Serve America Act will create 175,000 new service opportunities in areas of need including education, health and clean energy. It will also create a Veterans Service Corps that will provide additional support for returning veterans and assist them in engaging in public service, among much more.

I hope  Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Sen. Mark Pryor see the value of this bill and vote to support it. If you agree, feel free to give their offices a shout and let them know.