WHEREAS the AmeriCorps program has proven to be a highly effective way to engage Wyoming citizens and Americans across the country of all ages and backgrounds in meeting a wide range of community needs and promote the ethic of service and volunteering since its creation in 1994; and

WHEREAS each year AmeriCorps provides opportunities for approximately 200 people from Wyoming and 75,000 citizens across the nation, to meet critical needs in education, the environment, public safety and other areas by serving with nonprofit and community organizations, VISTA, or the National Civilian Community Corps;

WHEREAS AmeriCorps is designed to give a key role to Governors and state service commissions including ServeWyoming in deciding where resources should be directed to best meet state and local needs; and

WHEREAS AmeriCorps has strengthened America’s independent sector by investing more than $3 billion dollars in grants to support the efforts of tens of thousands of nonprofit, community, educational, and faith-based community groups nationwide; and those grants have leveraged hundreds of millions of additional funds and in-kind donations from others sources; and

WHEREAS AmeriCorps members last year recruited and supervised more than 1.2 million community volunteers, demonstrating AmeriCorps as a catalyst and force multiplier; and

WHEREAS 1,433 men and women from Wyoming and over 540,000 across the nation, have taken the AmeriCorps pledge to “get things done for America” by becoming AmeriCorps members since 1994; and

WHEREAS those AmeriCorps members in Wyoming have served a total 1,648,342 hours out of 704 million hours nationwide, helping to improve the lives of our most vulnerable citizens, strengthen our educational system; protect our environment, and contribute to our public safety, and;

WHEREAS AmeriCorps members, in return for their service, have earned $3,466,069 in Wyoming and more than $1.4 billion nationally to use to further their own educational advancement at colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS AmeriCorps members, after their terms of service end, remain engaged in our communities as volunteers, teachers, public servants, and nonprofit leaders in disproportionately high levels; and

WHEREAS, AmeriCorps Week (May 11-18, 2008) is an opportune time for the people of Wyoming to salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact; thank all of AmeriCorps' community partners in Wyoming and around our nation who make the program possible; and bring more Americans into service;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Dave Freudenthal, Governor of Wyoming, by virtue of the authority vested in me, do hereby designate May 11-18, 2008 as Wyoming AmeriCorps Week and urge citizens to thank AmeriCorps members and alumni for their service and to find ways to give back to their communities.

The Honorable Dave Freudenthal, Governor of Wyoming

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