Points of Light Applauds President Obama's Request to Rename the Volunteer Generation Fund in Honor of President George H. W. Bush

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Apr 10, 2013, 03:47 ET

Points of Light Chair Neil Bush Says Family Is Pleased, "Humbled"

ATLANTA, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Points of Light applauds the release of President Obama's FY14 budget in which he requests $10 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service's Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) and recommends that Congress rename the Fund in honor of President George H. W. Bush.

"My family and I are humbled by the President's recognition of Dad and his lifelong devotion to service," said Neil Bush, chair of the board of Points of Light, the largest organization in the world devoted to volunteer service. "The George H. W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund will further expand the scope and effectiveness of volunteerism."

"I can't think of a more perfect pairing than the Volunteer Generation Fund and President George H. W. Bush," said Points of Light CEO Michelle Nunn. "This is both smart policy and a well-deserved honor for one of our country's most remarkable public servants and a leader of the modern volunteer service movement."

Nunn's statement follows:

"The Volunteer Generation Fund, a Corporation for National and Community Service program, was created by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009. This Fund provides small, competitive grants to state service commissions and nonprofits to support the recruitment, management and training of volunteers in direct response to critical national problems.

"By restoring the Fund in his budget, the President reaffirms his Administration's commitment to building a robust volunteer infrastructure in the nation. As public spending declines, volunteers are eager to be a part of real and lasting solutions to needs in their communities, and the Volunteer Generation Fund can be an important source of critically needed resources for these efforts.

"By naming the Fund the George H. W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund, the President honors the legacy of one of our country's most remarkable public servants, who more than 20 years ago heralded the power of ordinary volunteers -- "points of light" -- to create change. Bush's recognition of the "twin engines" of service --full-time, stipended national service complemented by traditional, community volunteerism – laid the groundwork for two decades of bipartisan support.

"For the past three years, the Volunteer Generation Fund has seeded an array of innovative and effective volunteer programs in 19 states:

In Sioux City, Iowa, the VGF helped create a new volunteer center that mobilized thousands of volunteers to respond to the Missouri River flooding in 2011.
Florida targeted its VGF grant to areas with high poverty rates and engaged more than 7,000 low-income volunteers in 17 counties across the state.
When tornadoes decimated entire communities near Tuscaloosa, Ala., the state used its VGF funds to support a 211 volunteer hotline that mobilized more than 60,000 volunteers to assist with disaster recovery.

"Points of Light commends the President for returning the Volunteer Generation Fund to his list of budget priorities for FY14. These volunteer-focused investments in struggling communities can make a dramatic difference – providing additional tutors in low-performing schools, skilled financial coaches for low-income clients, the opportunity for returning veterans to continue their service here at home, and more.

"We hope that Congress will embrace the President's budget request for VGF. With state after state anticipating cuts in critical social services and as the nonprofit sector plugs away on the front lines of an embattled economy, it is critical that the federal government underwrite the one resource that is low-cost, plentiful, effective, and provides a dramatic return on investment -- volunteers."

About Points of Light:
Points of Light – the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service –engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it matters most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

For more information, contact Stefanie Weiss
[email protected], 202-729-8282

SOURCE Points of Light