(Washington, D.C.) — The Corporation for National and Community Service today released new public service announcements and videos showing the power of the volunteer response to Katrina and encouraging more Americans to serve in the Gulf as volunteers and AmeriCorps members.

More than 550,000 Americans have traveled over the past year to the Gulf region to volunteer in response to Katrina, but the recovery effort is in its early stages, and volunteers will be needed for many years to come. The new “Help and Hope in the Gulf” videos encourage Americans to continue traveling to the Gulf region on volunteer projects and to serve within their own communities. The videos can be viewed at http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/katrina_video.asp.

The video release is part of the agency’s “Serve to Remember. Remember to Serve” campaign, which is using the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks to spur greater interest in volunteer service by Americans. The campaign also includes the release of a new “National Service Responds” report, a compilation of new data about the volunteer mobilization after Katrina, and a tour of volunteer recovery operations in Louisiana and Mississippi by members of the agency’s Board of Directors and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

“From the moment Hurricane Katrina struck, volunteers and national service participants were mobilized to the Gulf to help with recovery efforts,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps. “Volunteers have had a significant impact on the pace of the recovery efforts in the Gulf States, and their continued service is greatly needed.”

In response to the 2005 hurricanes, the Corporation has ramped up its support for the people and communities of the Gulf Coast. In total, more than 35,000 national service volunteers have served over 1.6 million hours in hurricane recovery and have managed the efforts of more than 92,000 other volunteers. Working in cooperation with the Red Cross, FEMA, and local and state authorities, they have established and operated shelters, provided meals and social services to evacuees, assisted with communications, coordinated the warehousing and distribution of donated goods, answered phones, cleared debris, provided information on housing and other resources, organized children’s activities, raised funds, and managed community volunteers, among other activities.

In June, the agency approved $49 million in new AmeriCorps funds which will support more than 5,400 AmeriCorps members over the next three years to help communities recover from last year’s hurricanes and prepare for upcoming disasters. The new openings are in addition to 900 AmeriCorps positions approved by earlier AmeriCorps augmentation grants and other opportunities to make a full-time service commitment through AmeriCorps VISTA and the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

The video and PSA topics and lengths are:

• National Service: Hope and Help in the Gulf combines pictures of devastation with images of hope and recovery, while reminding us that much work remains to be done. The call to action is to direct viewers to http://www.volunteer.gov. Running time: 3 minutes.

• AmeriCorps: Hope and Help in the Gulf combines pictures of devastation with images of AmeriCorps members and teams helping in recovery efforts, while reminding us that much work remains to be done. The call to action is to drive viewers to http://www.americorps.gov. Running time: 3 minutes.

• AmeriCorps Service in the Gulf is a public service announcement that combines pictures of devastation with images of AmeriCorps members and teams helping in recovery efforts, while reminding us that much work remains to be done. The call to action is to direct viewers to http://www.americorps.gov. Running times: 60-second PSA and 30-second PSA

The videos were produced by the August Jackson Company of Washington D.C. For information about PSA distribution, please contact Jackie Aker at jaker@cns.gov.

AmeriCorps membership is open to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents age 17 and older. Members serve full or part time over a 10- to 12-month period. Upon successful completion of their service, members receive an AmeriCorps Education Award of up to $4,725 to pay for college or graduate school or to pay back qualified student loans. During their service, members receive health coverage, training, and student loan deferment. About half the members also receive a modest annual living allowance. Members who serve part time receive a partial AmeriCorps Education Award. For more information or to apply, visit http://www.americorps.gov.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Providing service opportunities for millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Corporation programs include Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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