WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation that will expand the culture of volunteerism in this country.  The GIVE Act will  more than triple the number of volunteers serving in this country, create a new Summer of Service program with stipends that students can use to pay for college, and create new innovative programs to help improve student achievement and graduation in low-income schools.

 

Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Chairman of the Democratic Caucus said, “Getting our country out of this recession will take hard work and sacrifice from every American.  True recovery will not begin in Washington; it will begin on the streets and in the homes of neighborhoods across the country.  It will involve changing a culture of greed into a culture of cooperation and shared responsibility.

 

“That is why this legislation is so important.  It rewards members of our communities who are helping others by helping them pay for college or health care.    It expands opportunities for average Americans to make a difference in their neighborhoods.  

 

“The GIVE Act is really a stimulus bill.  It is estimated that every dollar spent on service initiatives is worth three dollars of investment in a community.  That is dollars going to repair community centers, build homes and bring back the neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the economic downturn.  That is money going to give our students the resources they need to go to college and the skills that will help them land jobs when they are done.  

 

“This legislation speaks to what is at the heart of American values.  America is strongest when we are united and work together.  The GIVE Act encourages just that spirit.”