Dear RSVP Directors,

It was a pleasure to see so many of our members at the National Conference in Atlanta. I only wish that CNCS would sponsor more national level meetings. Unfortunately the funding for RSVP and for national service has been level for so many years that I doubt that big national conferences are in our future.

Now that summer is nearing an end, we’re gearing up for transition. NARSVPD and our Washington Representative, Gene Sofer is continuing to hold conversations with the staffs of both Presidential candidates as we let them know our issues and concerns. We’re also talking with key Senate and House staff members regarding bills to expand national service and reminding them that RSVP is well positioned to engage baby boomers in meaningful service (just give us the money!). We’ve had some meaningful conversations with the Senate staff regarding National Service reauthorization and continue to let them know that we believe recompetition will have a major impact in displacing existing volunteers.

We’ve worked with Senator Dodd’s staff in response to a bill he plans to introduce called the Encore Service Act of 2008. The purpose of the bill is to offer Americans 55 years of age and older the chance to serve their communities and use their expertise to give back to the country. Most of the funding for this expansion comes from AmeriCorps. This bill is unlikely pass the Senate this year, but could be a starting point for reauthorization next year.

NARSVPD has actively worked with AARP and Experience Wave in developing a plank to double the size of Senior Corps by 2012 for the ServiceNation Campaign. The purpose of the ServiceNation campaign to promote citizen service and to call on the next President and Congress to enact a new era of service and citizenship in America. This campaign will launch with a Summit event on September 11, 2008 in New York City. Both candidates have agreed to participate in a town hall meeting to discuss the expansion of national service, and a day of national service is planned for September 27, 2008. For more information on ServiceNation go to: http://bethechangeinc.org.

NARSVPD will hold its fall board meeting from September 13-17 in Washington, D.C. If you have any issues or concerns that we can help you with, please contact your Cluster Delegate or Alternate, or feel free to call or email me.

Yours in Service,

Melodye Kleinman

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