The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. This legislation is the most significant overhaul and expansion of national service programs in 16 years. The bill is a reaction to President Obama’s call to increase service opportunities for Americans of all ages to address the econmic crisis and usher in a new era of service and responsibility for our nation. The GIVE Act would update and strengthen national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency created in 1993. The Corporation engages more than four million Americans in result-driven service each year, including 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students, and 2.2 million additional community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.

Some of the GIVE Act’s Provisions

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a new four-year, $15 million initiative designed to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children in public health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the states’ Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  More than nine million children in the U.S. are uninsured and more than seven million are eligible for either Medicaid or CHIP but are not enrolled in either program. To boost the number of children with health coverage, the foundation’s Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program will provide funding and technical support to departments of health in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Virginia will receive up to $1 million and significant technical assistance through the initiative to help assess and strengthen their systems, policies, and procedures as they develop new strategies and approaches to maximize enrollment among eligible children.

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The Virginia Health Care Foundation will raise $1 million to meet a challenge grant from state funds to help pay for enhanced mental-health services in Virginia. The $2 million will be distributed to Virginia’s health safety-net providers through a competitive grant process. The foundation anticipates having up to 10 three-year grants to cover primary health care to the seriously mentally ill or expansion of basic mental-health services, such as helping uninsured patients who suffer from depression and anxiety. Find out more.

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The Phoenix Project will present “Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship: How Technology is Knocking Down Doors and Fueling Social Innovation,” May 4, at George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.  The conference will explore the role of technology in creating social change and transforming communities. The goal is to leverage social networking connectivity to enable individuals to find opportunities for service and to spur social change. The Phoenix Project has joined forces with the Corporation for National and Community Service, Community Wealth Ventures, George Washington University, Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, Old Dominion University, and Root Cause to present the day-long event.  The conference will also be simulcast to Old Dominion University, in Norfolk. Find out more and register today.

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Connor Bell, 17, of Lynchburg and John Yates, 13, of Richmond have been named Virginia’s top youth volunteers for 2009 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The award program is a nationwide effort honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism and is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. As State Honorees, both will receive $1,000, an engraved award and trip to Washington, D.C., in May where they will be honored at several events. Connor, a senior at Virginia Episcopal School, organized a community event featuring a 20K bike ride, 5K run, and children’s bicycle parade to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. John, an eighth-grader at Lucille M. Brown Middle School, initiated and managed the complete renovation of his school’s running track so that the school’s P.E. classes, track team, and community members would have a modern, safe facility for outdoor exercise. Read more about the awards.

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