WYOMING AMERICORPS WEEK
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; and
WHEREAS, AmeriCorps is designated 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 other sources; and
WHEREAS, those AmeriCorps members in Wyoming have served a total or 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
NOW THEREFORE, I, DAVE FREUDENTHAL, Governor of the State of Wyoming, do hereby proclaim Friday, May 11-18, 2008 as
“WYOMING AMERICORPS WEEK”
in Wyoming and urge all citizens to thank AmeriCorps members and alumni for their service and to find ways to give back to their communities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Executive Seal of the Governor of Wyoming to be affixed this 9th day of May, 2008.