Mayor Nutter Announces First Annual Mayor’s Award for Distinguished National Service

Posted by on March 04, 2013

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the first annual Mayor’s Award for Distinguished National Service to recognize the outstanding contributions of a current AmeriCorps member, a current Senior Corps member and a National Service alumnus living in Philadelphia.
“National service is vital to the success of our city,” said Mayor Nutter. “AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members provide a cost-effective resource for stemming the drop-out crisis, engaging at-risk youth, enhancing environmental sustainability, catalyzing community revitalization, and much more.  Further, the significant contributions of National Service alumni are felt across our great city as AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members transition into important roles in their communities and the workplace.  Together, they are essential to what makes Philadelphia great.  I am proud to establish an award that will recognize the critical contributions of these important individuals for years to come.”

Each of the three award winners will receive four free tickets to a Phillies game in the Mayor’s Box and will have their names engraved on a plaque to be placed in or around City Hall.  The top four finalists in each category will be invited to join the winners at a Professional Networking Luncheon in May, sponsored by Comcast and hosted by Richard Negrin, Deputy Mayor of Administration and Coordination, and Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia.

“AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members make an intensive commitment to service, and our cities and our nation are much better off because of their dedication and sacrifice,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  “I salute Mayor Nutter for creating this new award to recognize the contributions of outstanding service leaders, which we hope will inspire others to follow their own path of service.”

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, March 15, 2013 and the winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 during an awards ceremony at City Hall to mark the first annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service.  Anyone may submit one or more nominations, including current and former national service members, program staff and board members as well as members of the general public.  Self-nominations will also be accepted.  A committee of the Mayor’s Executive Team will identify the top nominees in each category and present them to the Mayor for final selection.

Further information, including the nomination form, is available at www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com

In addition, a paper nomination can be picked up and submitted to the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Service, Room 112 of City Hall.
About National Service Programs
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than 4 million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.  AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment by making an intensive commitment to service.  SeniorCorps taps the skills, talents, and experience of more than 330,000 Americans age 55 and over to meet a wide range of community challenges through three programs — RSVP, the Foster Grandparent Program, and the Senior Companion Program.

For more information, visit: www.nationalservice.gov

About the Mayors Day of Recognition for National and Community Service:
To spotlight the impact of national service and thank those who serve, mayors across the country will participate in the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service on April 9, 2013. On this day, more than 200 mayors from across the country will hold public events and use traditional and social media to highlight the value and impact of national service to the nation’s cities. This initiative is being led by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; the Corporation for National and Community Service; Cities of Service; and other organizations.

For more information, please visit: www.SERVEPhiladelphia.com

Deadline is March 15, 2013