Rebuilding Together Joins ServiceNation in Historic Campaign to Inspire Young Americans to Serve
Eighteen of the Leading National Service Organizations Make A Year Of Service Part Of The American Way Of Life
WASHINGTON, DC- April 4, 2014 /3BL Media/ - Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit with a vision of a safe and healthy home for every person, announced today that it is one of eighteen of the country’s leading service organizations involved in a campaign led by ServiceNation to connect content creators in Hollywood with AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country.
The campaign aims to inspire millions of Americans to serve by enlisting the voices of prominent leaders from both political parties, the entertainment industry, digital partners, major companies, leading nonprofits, and AmeriCorps alumni. The ultimate goal is simple, but ambitious: We envision a day when young Americans turn to each other and ask, “Where will your year of national service be?”
In the coming months, Americans interested in a year of service will be able to visit the campaign website, www.serveAyear.org. On that site, they will learn about how AmeriCorps programs are tackling some of our nation’s toughest problems -- from disaster relief and veteran reintegration to college access and childhood nutrition -- and the organizations that are on the ground doing the work. The campaign breaks these issue areas down to nine “Pillars” and has details on how someone could get involved by serving a year.
Rebuilding Together will partner with St. Bernard Project to lead the Disaster Relief and Recovery pillar, providing the stories and faces of AmeriCorps members who respond and rebuild.
“A cornerstone of Rebuilding Together’s mission is the concept of service to others and making a difference to those in need,” said Charley Shimanski, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. “It is a great honor to have our organization representing the national service movement in this country and we hope to inspire others to join in a year of service to help make our communities better.”
The campaign will highlight the following opportunities to serve:
- Responding after a disaster with Rebuilding Together and St. Bernard Project
- Fighting poverty with Habitat for Humanity and LIFT
- Creating a healthier America with FoodCorps and National Health Corps
- Building lifelong readers with Reading Partners and Reading Corps
- Empowering young leaders with YouthBuild and The Corps Network
- Inspiring students’ interest in STEM with Citizen Schools and FIRST
- Helping students succeed with College Possible, City Year, and Playworks
- Teaching with Teach For America
- Empowering veterans with Vet Corps
- Along with the campaign’s National Strategic Partner, AmeriCorps Alums
This past November, ServiceNation, Next Generation, and the Clinton Foundation co-hosted a conversation with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton, ServiceNation Executive Director Zach Maurin, and Next Generation co-founder James Steyer about how Hollywood could raise awareness for national service and early childhood education. Actor and director Rob Reiner moderated the expert panel before an audience that included some of the entertainment industry's biggest players including Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, the award-winning actor and creator of Girls, Lena Dunham, and Producers Guild President and Criminal Minds Executive Producer, Mark Gordon.
Over the next three years, ServiceNation will continue to meet with entertainment companies and TV show executives in hopes that they will integrate powerful stories of service by AmeriCorps members into scripts of their shows. Only two weeks ago, AmeriCorps was mentioned in an episode of HBO's True Detective, a direct result of this effort. In the coming months, the campaign plans to roll out other partnerships with humorous digital platforms, YouTube stars, social-minded brands, athletes, celebrities, and more successful integrations that will help tell the story of national service in America.
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About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our 187 local affiliates complete more than 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of 100,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trades professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us – visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.
About ServiceNation
This campaign will build on the work ServiceNation has done over the last six years. With a coalition of nearly 400 organizations, a membership of 140,000+ individuals, and a field team, ServiceNation seeks to take the national service movement to the next level through an unprecedented cultural campaign that will inspire Americans and expand opportunities for Americans in national service. Learn more at www.servicenation.org.
