National Service has long played an important role in American history. Over the years it has grown into a movement that boasts over 60,000 active, enrolled members annually, and engages thousands of additional Americans in service in their local communities. With the introduction of President Bush's USA Freedom Corps, these numbers are expected to drastically increase over the next few years.
The early roots of National Service can be traced back to Franklin D. Roosevelt's National Civilian Conservation Corps (NCCC). The NCCC was started in the 1930's to provide financially struggling young men the chance to earn income by providing a variety of public services, such as repairing public roads or clearing forests.
In the 1960's, President John F. Kennedy launched the Peace Corps on the steps of the University of Michigan's student union. Since that time, the Peace Corps has provided committed Americans from all walks of life the opportunity to act as ambassadors of good will in other areas of the world by providing support in local community building efforts.
In the 1960's as well, President Linden Johnson launched Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). VISTA was created as a domestic version of the Peace Corps that placed Americans in some of the poorest communities in the country to provide support in meeting local needs.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed AmeriCorps into legislation and the first AmeriCorps programs were launched the following year. President Clinton also created the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to act as an umbrella over all AmeriCorps programs nationally. At this time, VISTA and the NCCC were brought under the supervision of CNCS..
In 1997, America's Promise was spearheaded by General Colin Powell at the President's Summit for America's Future as a way to help communities assure local youth were provided access to the Five Promises needed to become successful and happy individuals. The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program was also placed under the supervision of CNCS.
In 2001, President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps. The Freedom Corps calls for an increase in the size and scope of AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, and also calls for the creation of a Citizen Corps to focus on local support when emergencies arise. These three branches of National Service will all fall under the supervision of the USA Freedom Corps at the federal level and work together to provide all Americans the opportunity to make a difference in their local communities.
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