Every year, at more than 15,000 locations across the country, AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members and 4 million volunteers in national service. Since the program’s inception in 1994, AmeriCorps members have served more than a billion hours. Americans want to serve; in 2012, more than 582,000 people applied for only 82,500 available AmeriCorps positions, which means that 86 percent of applicants were turned away.

There is proof that participating in national service is an effective way for people to build skills and prepare for careers. Yet Congress repeatedly proposes to significantly reduce AmeriCorps funding. This year, there are 73,600 AmeriCorps positions. The current House Bill would cut 25,000 of these slots, while the Senate Bill would cut 20,000. With a reduced AmeriCorps program, young people across the country would miss a valuable opportunity to gain job training, education and leadership skills, and their communities would not receive the vital services that AmeriCorps members provide.