Generations Invigorating Volunteerism And Education Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Chair, I'd like to engage in a colloquy with the chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for working with me on increasing the number of volunteers trained and available for immediate deployment to States with high vulnerability to hurricanes and various natural disasters, like my State of Florida.

As you know, the National Civilian Community Corps is a full-time team-based residential program for men and women aged 18 to 24 that helps meet critical community needs. The mission of the NCCC is to strengthen communities and to develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service.

Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and the U.S. military, the NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens. These members have been instrumental in assisting communities with relief and recovery needs during times of natural disasters.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, more than 2,900 NCCC members have served on disaster-related projects in the Gulf Coast region since September 2005, in coordination with such groups as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, the Army Corps of Engineers, and various State service commissions.

In all, NCCC members have contributed more than 1.4 million hours of service and have completed nearly 13,000 damage assessments, refurbished more than 6,500 homes, put tarps on thousands of homes, served 1.3 million meals, and distributed more than 2,200 tons of food.

Given the critical needs that this program provides, I would like to work with you on exploring potential options to establish an NCCC campus in Florida.

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