Today President Bush released a 2004 budget for the Corporation for National and Community Service that would provide opportunities for 2.5 million Americans to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America.

The Corporation's programs are a vital part of President Bush's USA Freedom Corps initiative to build a culture of service, responsibility, and citizenship that strengthens communities and helps those in need. The 2004 request would support 75,000 AmeriCorps members, nearly 600,000 senior volunteers, and 1.65 million students in service-learning programs.

"We are very pleased with this budget and proud to be a part of USA Freedom Corps," said Leslie Lenkowsky, CEO of the Corporation. "This budget is a strong vote of confidence, and we are fortunate to have the President's support for our efforts to reform and enhance these important programs."

The budget increase will enable the Corporation to continue its longstanding commitment to meeting the needs of children and youth through teaching, tutoring and mentoring, while putting increased emphasis on homeland security and empowering faith-based and grassroots organizations. The budget reflects the President's principles of providing more state and local control, helping charities better recruit volunteers, and increasing the accountability of grantees. In his State of the Union Address last week, the President urged Congress to support these reforms by passing the Citizen Service Act reauthorization bill.

Highlights of the budget include:

• $212 million for Senior Corps, including $106 million for the Foster Grandparent Program, $58 million for RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), and $46 million for the Senior Companion Program.
  
  
• $20 million for Special Volunteer Programs, a four-fold increase over 2002, to support public safety, public health, disaster relief; the Parent Drug Corps, and other service initiatives.
  
  
• $554 million for AmeriCorps to support 75,000 members in 2004 though AmeriCorps grants, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps). Members serve with national and local nonprofits on activities such as teaching children to read, making neighborhoods safer, responding to natural disasters, building affordable homes, and recruiting several hundred thousand community volunteers.
  
  
• $43 million for the Learn and Serve America program to build a lifelong ethic of civic engagement and service in more than 1.65 million students in schools and colleges across the country.
  
  
• $962 million for the Corporation overall, a 30 percent increase over 2002, the most recent enacted budget. Within this amount is $118 million across all Corporation programs for homeland security efforts that engage volunteers in public safety, public health, and disaster relief and preparedness.

Created in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in improving communities through service in Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. The Corporation and its programs are part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility, and help all Americans answer the President's Call to Service. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.org.

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