Thursday, September 6, 2007

Dear Friends,

August 29 marked the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Last year on that date, Arizona expressed its deepest gratitude to the 40 organizations and more than 500 citizens that volunteered as part of Operation Good Neighbor, Arizona’s organized response to the Gulf Coast disaster.

Service and volunteerism are essential to the true spirit of Arizona. Many of our citizens give their time and effort to others, volunteering in their communities, schools, faith-based organizations and other service organizations.

There is a tremendous sense of personal achievement and satisfaction when we find meaningful ways to contribute and give back to our communities. Today in Arizona, there is a growing group of citizens who have made that commitment through a program called AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps is a network of service programs that connects Americans to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. Last year, Arizona’s AmeriCorps programs contributed more than 500,000 hours of service to local communities.

This year, AmeriCorps members in Arizona will:

Work to reduce and educate the public about wildfire dangers.
Construct low-income housing.
Train adult English language learners to improve literacy skills and to support the academic success of their children.
Work to build social skills in adults with disabilities.
Mentor and tutor youth to improve academic success.
Improve neighborhoods in Arizona’s cities.
Organize high-impact community projects that engage hundreds of volunteers and engage youth in service learning activities.

AmeriCorps*State programs are funded through my Commission on Service and Volunteerism and are part of a large network of national service programs, including AmeriCorps National Direct, AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), Senior Corps and Learn and Serve programs. Arizona’s national service programs engage more than 10,000 citizens in serving Arizona communities, and receive funding in excess of $10 million from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

As we remember the important impact volunteerism made after Katrina, we should take time to thank those giving generously of their time and effort, and think about how each of us can help give back to our communities.

If you’re looking for more information about AmeriCorps in Arizona, e-mail americorps@az.gov. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my office at 800-253-0883 and ask to speak to Constituent Services.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor