Presidential Candidate Announces Volunteerism Proposal

Sen. Chris Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, said during a campaign appearance that he would work to double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011, expand AmeriCorps, and make community service mandatory for all high-school students, reports the Associated Press.

Senator Dodd’s plan, which he said would cost the federal government about $10-billion over eight years, would also give tax credits to employers who give paid time off to their employees who volunteer.

In addition, he would give $1,000 grants to elderly Americans who help out in schools and create a group of retired military people and service corps alumni to work alongside firefighters and police.

Other Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, and John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, have also offered programs to promote community service.

The Chronicle reported on a federal study released this spring outlining the state of volunteerism and challenges nonprofit groups in recruiting paid workers.

(A paid subscription or short-term pass is required to view the Chronicle article.)