• Americans have proven that they will step up to serve. Even when public confidence in government approaches an all-time low, volunteerism and civic participation since the 1970s are nearing all-time high. Following the 9/11 attacks and hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans jumped at the call to help their fellow citizens. Americans are willing, but have not been asked to serve.

• Investing in individuals creates our next civic leaders. Studies by service organizations have shown that members of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other service organizations are more likely to vote, volunteer, mentor and donate to charitable causes. Service programs provide valuable job training skills, leadership skills and real world experience that enhances the development of service personnel.

• We can tackle our nation’s greatest problems. Service organizations see their opportunity to rollup their sleeves and tackle our greatest domestic and international challenges. Domestically, they can provide tutoring for some of the 7 million children who cannot read at grade level, provide safe and productive after-school environments for some of the 14 million kids who have no supervised place to go each afternoon, help staff rural health clinics, build homes for some of the 754,000 Americans who are homeless and work in the post-Katrina Gulf Coast to offer help and encouragement to fellow citizens in need.

• Americans and Western New Yorkers specifically are generous and hard working. We must tap into the energy and creativity of our citizens to tackle our nation’s most trying problems.
  
  

1. Attract Talent to America’s Public Sector

Like the recent G.I Bill rewarding our men and women in uniform for their service and providing educational funding, we must launch a Professional Public Service Program similar to ROTC, encouraging high school and college aged citizens to enter service professions. As America faces shortages in critical occupations, we must reward training and public service into professions that serve our public good but are often overlooked for lacking financial incentive. Helping and recruiting our region’s best talent will ensure secure, long-term jobs here in Western New York.

• Encourage Students to Enter Nursing
  America is facing a nursing shortage. At a time when the Baby Boom generation is retiring, not only will we loose our most experienced members of the work force, but we will need more nurses. The Healthcare Association of New York State showed a vacancy rate for nurses at 8.8% statewide. In Western New York, that raises to 13.2%. We need nurses and we need them now.
  A Health Corps should be established drawing younger citizens into the nursing field by engaging them in public health issues.

• Increase the Number of Teachers and Educators
  We are suffering from a national teacher shortage. According to a study from the New York State Education Department, in the 2006-2007 school year, 18% of full time or full time equivalent teachers in New York were age 55 or older, a larger share than has been found in recent years.
  We must encourage programs like Teach for America and create an Education Corps that provides after school programs, and works with students who cannot read at grade level.
  

• Encourage Professional Social Workers
  Social workers and counselors ranked as the seventh most wanted professionals according to a national report released in June by Jobfox. Currently, the Buffalo-area only has approximately 3% of its workforce employed as counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists.
  We must establish a Caring Corp that encourages mentoring programs for younger students. 
  
  

2. Increase Service Learning for our Students.

We must engage our most energetic citizens through service learning programs. These programs integrate community service with learning opportunities giving students lasting ties to their communities in Western New York.

• We must make service learning a universal experience for all college students. We will help our SUNY and CUNY systems along with local private colleges establish and expand service learning programs. In our high schools we must encourage Participation in Government curriculums and establish green collar job training programs and other training for jobs of the future.
  

• We must make service in college a financial possibility. The cost of higher education is rising and many students who spend non-academic time working find service opportunities to be a financial impossibility. We must support tax credits for students completing 100 hours of community service during the school year or over the summer.
  

• We must encourage vocational programs and apprenticeships for non-college students leading them into public service professions.
  

• Nationally, we can engage 20 million young people per year in school and community-based service learning.
  
  

3. Develop and Encourage Service Mentoring for our Seniors

More than 40% of the American workforce will be eligible to retire by 2010 at a time when we are living longer and staying more active.

• We must provide opportunities for Americans over the age of 50 to use their lifetime of learning and leadership to mentor and teach their younger peers.

• According to an AARP survey, 80% of Americans between 50 and 60 said they were planning to work during retirement. We must work with non-profits and provide opportunities in service-related encore careers.

4. Fund and Expand Service Organizations

Existing service organizations have developed wonderful networks with specialized charities that need work and have established recruitment methods that reach out to local colleges, high schools and community groups. These programs should be funded and expanded and incentives should be given to students that will serve in the non-profit sector.

• We must create programs nationally that lace 1 million Americans per year in full- and part-time national service programs.

• We must expand current programs like AmeriCorps to 250,000 members nationally and double the Peace Corps to 16,000 citizens.

5. Encourage Volunteerism in our Communities

• We must help non-profits and civic organizations recruit, train and utilize volunteers with the goal of engaging 100 million Americans in community volunteering.

• We must help corporations and other organizations understand the opportunities to volunteer in groups with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels and other organizations that help our local communities.