Report Recommends Huge Boost for Public Service Amid ‘Unprecedented Challenge’ of Coronavirus

As the country is reminded of the value of everyday acts of beneficence during the coronavirus pandemic, a federal commission laid out plans to create an army of helpers over the next generation.

Service would be a rite of passage for millions of young adults if the federal government provided more education, increased financial incentives, and elevated a national service coordinator to cabinet-level rank, according to a set of recommendations issued by the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service.

After nearly three years of study, the congressionally chartered group’s final report made 49 recommendations to boost military and civilian service. The report sets a goal of having more than 1 million people sign up for civilian service positions, such as in AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, which support 75,300 and 207,100 service members, respectively.

“We envision a society where there is a common expectation of service among American people,” said Joe Heck, chairman of the commission and a former Republican U.S. representative from Nevada.

Barbara Stewart, chief executive of the Corporation for National and Community Service, praised the report for its “thoughtful” recommendations.

“During a time when our nation faces an unprecedented challenge, responding to the coronavirus epidemic, this call to service should resonate with millions who seek ways to move forward and help others during this crisis,” she said in a statement.

Low Pay a Barrier

One of the big obstacles to getting a larger contingent of service members is low pay.

“The poverty-level compensation and relatively inflexible benefits provided to service members leave an impression that the nation places little value on service and provides shaky ground upon which to build propensity to serve,” the report states.

AmeriCorps State and National members are paid little more than the 2019 federal poverty level of $12,490 for a single-member household. Many rely on outside income or apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) to help.

The report recommends a number of changes designed to make serving more financially rewarding, including an increase in service members’ stipends, in-state tuition for service alumni, and more flexibility in how certain service fellowships are used.

Cabinet-Level Prominence

The report recommends that the position of assistant to the president for military, national, and public service be made a cabinet-level position. That person would develop a coordinated plan to recruit and retain people in service positions and oversee the creation of a single internet portal for all national service opportunities.

“We need to make it easier for Americans to get involved,” said Mark Gearan, a member of the commission and former director of the Peace Corps.

The report also suggests a massive increase in federal support for civics education. Only eight states require a full year of civics instruction to graduate from high school. To promote both civics education and courses on service, the commission proposed that Congress include a total of $450 million a year for both areas of study.

That would be a significant increase over the $5 million a year in federal civics-education expenditures in fiscal 2019, and well above the $150 million in the federal budget at its peak in fiscal 2010, according to figures compiled by the commission.

Foundations directed more than $194 million in grants to support civics education and leadership between 2016 and 2019, according to Candid, a group that collects and analyzes foundation data.

“Though the nonprofit community based on civics education is growing, foundation funding alone cannot offset the reduction in federal investment,” according to the report.