Mission
statement, board structure,
committees, and timeline developed
for a combined association
representing all Senior Corps
programs.
NSCA
adopt “Stronger Together”
slogan.
Conducted
search for Washington
representative.
Board
members participate in training
and technical assistance sounding
board for CNCS.
Board
members participate in conference
planning for Philadelphia
Conference.
NSCA
begins communication with all
Senior Corps project directors via
updates and alerts at least once
per month.
NSCA
conducts membership campaign.
NSCA
seeks collaboration with NARSVP
and NAFGPD for purpose of
presenting 2008 budget request to
Congress.
Mar 2007
Search for Washington representative continues.
As
explained in extensive Question
& Answer communications,
NASCPD and SCAA members were
informed that memberships would
transfer to NSCA in April 2007.
April
2007
Submit
NSCA 2008 Budget Request to Voices
for National Service (VNS).
Work
with VNS on Reauthorization.
Launch
letter writing campaign to restore
12% funding cuts for FGP/SCP.
NSCA
conducts Letters to Washington
Project.Letters from Senior Corps
project directors personally
delivered to members of Congress
on Appropriation Committees to
demonstrate impact of programs.
May
2007
Priscilla
Chatman, J.D. hired as NSCA
Washington Representative.
Campaign
to meet legislators in home
districts during Spring Recess.
Priscilla provides step-by- step
guide for project directors.
NSCA
develops Reauthorization Issues
and submits to Senator McCarthy
and Voices to National Service.
Priscilla
meets with Deborah Koolbeck,
senior staff writing the
reauthorization legislation, House
Education and Labor Committee.
Deborah reports to Subcommittee
Chairman McCarthy.
House
and Senate recommend restored
funding for Senior Corps,
eliminating 12% cut.
Congressman
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott
(D-VA) offers amendment, that was
accepted and became a part of the
House reauthorization bill, that
stated currently funded RSVP
programs would get
"priority" during the
re-competiton process.
Priscilla
meets with Brad Thomas,
Legislative Aide for Congressman
Platts (D-PA) – House Reauthorization Committee.
Priscilla
works with Congressman Joe Sestak
(D-7th-PA) staff to sponsor
amendment allowing Senior Corp
programs to accept donations.
NSCA
provides input to CNCS on new
Senior Corps marketing campaign.
NSCA
logo developed.
June
2007
Tues.
June 19th
Senior Corps Call-In Day to
eliminate FGP and SCP cuts and
advocate for increased funding for
all Senior Corps programs.
NSCA
Announcement of priorities for
GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating
Volunteering and Education);
requests response from Senior
Corps project directors in
districts of members on
reauthorization committee.
Amendment
offered by Rep. Sestak is
unanimously accepted.
The
GIVE Act (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education
Act) HR2857
passes out of the full Labor and
Education Committee in the House
and is waiting to go to the House
for a full vote.
www.nscatogether.org
launched.
AT&T
provides $5,000 sponsorship award
to NSCA.
Two
state associations (TX and MN)
provide sponsorship to NSCA
($5,000 total).
July
2007
Meetings
with Voices for National Service (VNS)
to refine language of GIVE Act
legislation.
Priscilla
attended numerous meetings with
the House Education and Labor
staff and with other members of
VNS in negotiating to improve
provisions of the GIVE Act.
Work
begins on 2009 NSCA Budget
Request.
Senior
Corps project directors welcomed
to National Conference on
Volunteering and Service at NSCA
booth.
NSCA
Board members participate in
planning for national conference
in Atlanta.
Program
committees reviewed draft of CNCS
updated handbooks for FGP, SCP,
and RSVP.
Aug
2007
Campaign
to encourage project directors to
visit legislators during Summer
Recess.
Sept
2007
Inaugural
meetings of NSCA interim Board.
Washington
Representative, Priscilla Chapman,
provides tutorial to Board on
legislative advocacy.
NSCA
meets with CNCS senior leadership
to discuss Senior Corps issues.
NSCA
Board conducts hill visits.Meetings conducted with
staff for Senator Tom Harkin
(D-IA) and Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
Chairs of Senate and House
Appropriations committees
respectively.
Priscilla
attends VNS Policy Briefing on
behalf of NSCA.
Development
of NSCA Strategic Plan.
Senior
Corps marketing communications
reviewed by Board members.
Oct
2007
Congress
plans to trim $21 Billion dollars
from the 2008 Appropriations bill.
NSCA launches email/call-in
campaign to prevent cuts to Senior
Corps programs.
NSCA
awarded contracts for Training and
Technical Assistance grants:Independent Living
Curriculum and Medicaid Waiver.
Nov 2007
NSCA
launches Call-In campaign in
support of vote in the House for
GIVE Act so it can move on to the
Senate which will introduce its
version of the bill.
Priscilla
attends National Council on Aging
Hill briefing on behalf of NSCA.
Completed
call for open nominations for
Board members from the membership.
Dec
2007
Legislative
Committee submits final Action
Plan to full Board.
Speaker
of the House, Nancy Pelosi, agrees
to cut spending in all 12
appropriations areas to meet the
limits set by the President. NSCA
launches email and Call-In
campaign to voice opposition to
funding cuts for Senior Corps.
Priscilla
meets with staff of the Senate
HELP (Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions) Committee who will begin
writing Senate version of
Reauthorization Bill.
Sent
out proposed ballot as no
additional nominations were
submitted with the exception of
solicited open vacancies.
Finalize
NSCA first election of Board
members and officers.
NSCA
Board participates in CNCS
conference calls and provides
input for FAQ documents regarding
OMB Circular on Fundraising as it
affects FGP, RSVP, and SCP
programs.
Jan
2008
Membership
appeal sent to sponsors of NSCA
members.
NSCA
elected board begins term of
office.
Priscilla
contacts Senator Kennedy’s
staff (Chair, HELP Committee) to
begin discussion on Senate
Reauthorization Bill.
NSCA
increases initial budget request
to align with NARSVPD.
NSCA
communicates with NAFGPD to reach
common 2009 budget requests to
present to Congress.
In
consultation with University of
Arkansas School of Social Work,
developed Senior Corps Director
survey on 5 issue areas:Director’s Interests,
Funding, Volunteers and
Recruitment, Clients and Stations,
Evaluation. Survey distributed to
all Senior Corps directors.
Feb
2008
Priscilla
meets with staff of the Senate
HELP (Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions).
Priscilla
meets with committee that will
begin writing Senate version of
Reauthorization Bill. NSCA
provides list of priority issues
expanding on requests in the House
version.
Further
revisions on 2009 Budget Request.
NSCA calls for increased funding
for all Senior Corps programs and
elimination of approximately 40%
cut for FGP.
NSCA
provides NSCA’s budget request
rationale to NAFGPD.NSCA continues discussion
with NAFGPD to align 2009 budget
request (requesting NAFGPD to
increase their request to align
with NSCA).
Priscilla
attends Friends of National
Service Reception in Washington on
behalf of NSCA.
New
Board member Ann Hammond (RSVP –
CA) joins Legislative Committee.
Launch
Call-In Campaign to Senate to
include seniors in stimulus
package; Senate votes to include
seniors in stimulus package.
Priscilla
meets with Senator Mikulski (D-MD)
staff to being work on Senate
reauthorization bill.
Fred
Lugo meets with representative for
AARP, Humana Corporation and
Southwest Airlines to discuss
future collaboration.
Priscilla
Chatman meets with Experience
Corps to determine their goals and
objectives.
NSCA
issues alert to Senior Corps
project directors concerning need
for volunteers (especially low
income) to file tax return in
order to receive economic stimulus
rebate.
NSCA
issues alert with sample letter
for project directors to use in
requesting that Senior Corps be
among their elected officials’
2009 funding priorities.
Board
members re-affirm NSCA mission
statement, goals, short and
long-range goals.
NSCA
approves 2008-2010 Strategic Plan.
March
2008
After
meeting with House Education and
Labor committee staff,
NSCA is asked to assist them by
providing materials to be used by
Representatives on the House Floor
to support the GIVE Act.
NSCA
supplied in-depth rationale
for: 1) why income eligibility
should be
increased for FGP and SCP, 2) why
Foster Grandparents and Senior
Companions volunteers should
receive a stipend as some members
of
Congress object to
"paying" volunteers, 3)
why accepting donations
should be an allowable practice,
4) why re-competition would
potentially
be detrimental to RSVP programs
and 5) why age requirements should
be
lowered to 55 for FGP and SCP.
NSCA
sends letters of support to the
House for the GIVE Act.
NSCA
submits to the Senate HELP
Committee a list of issues to be
included in the Senate
Reauthorization Bill.
NSCA
submits to Senator Mikulski's
Office some personal Senior
Corps stories for Maryland.
NSCA
signs onto the letter of support
for the GIVE Act coming
from Voices of National Service.
NSCA
signs onto a Leadership Council of
Aging Organizations
letter supporting the GIVE ACT.
NSCA
conducts nationwide Call-In to
Representatives telling them
to support the GIVE Act.
NSCA's
official appropriations request is
submitted to the House
and the Senate. NSCA Board members
had personally delivered this
request
to Members of Congress and our
Washington Representative
submitted the
request to the staff of the
Appropriations Committee.
April
2008
Washington
Representative attends the
Leadership Council of
Aging Organizations general
meeting where Congressman Cohen
(D-TN)
discussed the growing cost of the
Medicare program and growing
federal
budget.
NSCA
signs onto Leadership Council of
Aging Organizations letter
which asks the federal government
to further supplement states on
Medicaid funding because states
have growing budget shortfalls
that are
forcing them to cut Medicaid
services.
NSCA
officially launches 2008
Membership Campaign for year
beginning July 1 , 2008 and ending
June 30, 2009.
