Iowans Helping Iowans - A Tradition of Service
America is a land of amazing abundance, but there are so many unmet needs in our midst. Iowans, more than the citizens of almost any other state, are stepping up to meet that need. In 2010, Census data determined that 37.8 percent of Iowans volunteer - making our state volunteering level the 2nd highest in the nation. Each year, an average of 883,900 Iowans perform more than 93 million hours of service and donate over 2 billion dollars of their hard earned money to charitable causes. In an effort to reflect the compassion of his constituents, Senator Harkin:
- Volunteers each week and urges his employees to give back to their communities as well. This year, Senator Harkin and his Washington, D.C. office were awarded the Congressional Service Award from the Everybody Wins! organization, a mentoring program that matches elementary school students with adults for one-on-one reading over the lunch hour. The award is presented to the Congressional office that has the most participants.
- Supports the AmeriCorps program, a volunteer civil service organization that helps rebuild schools and other infrastructure across the country. Senator Harkin helped secure funding for an AmeriCorps center in Vinton, Iowa. AmeriCorps volunteers have worked to repair damage in the wake of 2008's disastrous floods, modernize schools and assist in our neediest communities. Senator Harkin will continue to fight to support this program, which strengthens America's infrastructure, greatly reduces costs to taxpayers and showcases the best of our nation's character.