NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
On Sunday, September 11th, ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs will join Citi employee volunteers to participate in the largest volunteer effort in New York City commemorating the annual 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. This day, established into law in 2009, is designed to honor those who were lost on 9/11 and encourage a continued sense of unity through service and reflection. In New York City, ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs will serve as team leads for thousands of volunteers, including hundreds of Citi employee volunteers, to prepare 500,000 meals for New Yorkers in need.
This service event will follow events on Saturday where 80 ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs will pledge a year of national service. General Stanley McChrystal, retired U.S. Army general and former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, will administer the pledge of service to the VISTAs during Opportunity Nation’s 2016 National Opportunity Summit, a convening focused on expanding economic opportunities for youth, including an emphasis on making civic engagement opportunities in communities more accessible.
“A year of paid, full-time service -- a service year -- can be a transformational experience for young people,” said General Stanley McChrystal. “Programs like ServiceWorks are contributing to the growing social acceptance of service years as part of growing up in America. As we remember 9/11, I am proud to help send off these ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs as they begin their individual journeys to make a meaningful difference in communities across the United States."
ServiceWorks is the nation’s largest corporate-sponsored AmeriCorps VISTA program, which launched in 2014 with a $10 million investment from the Citi Foundation and in partnership with Points of Light and the Corporation for National and Community Service. This program is a key component of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, a three-year, $50 million commitment to jumpstart economic opportunities for 100,000 young people in cities across the United States, including New York.
“The inspiration to serve our communities is a worthy legacy of 9/11 and we are proud to do our part,” said Ed Skyler, Citi’s Executive Vice President of Global Public Affairs and Chairman of the Citi Foundation. “ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs work year-round serving communities in New York City and across the country and continuing to impact thousands of youth.”
“Through ServiceWorks, we’ve seen thousands of young people improve their college and career readiness. They’re setting goals for their future and building a path for achieving them,” said Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light. “They learn important applied skills like problem-solving and communications, while expanding their professional networks. Through volunteer service, these young adults have transformative experiences and realize the value they bring to their neighborhoods by helping others and creating positive change.”
The AmeriCorps program is administered by the Corporation for National & Community Service, which also supports the annual 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance. “Civic engagement and service leadership have proven to be effective strategies to prepare youth for college and career success,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National & Community Service. “By kicking off their year of service participating in the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, these ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs will help signal that this generation of youth is engaged and eager to help solve some of our nation’s toughest challenges.”
The Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.
Points of Light
Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. Every year, Points of Light convenes the Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world’s largest service-related convening of nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.
Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160909005124/en/
