Bill Clinton returns to White House for AmeriCorps anniversary

Reporting from Washington —  Former President Clinton returned to the White House on Friday to celebrate the AmeriCorps program begun during his tenure, standing alongside as President Obama announced several new initiatives aimed at getting more Americans to serve.

On the 20th anniversary of the program’s start, Obama thanked current and past AmeriCorps volunteers for their service and reflected on his time as a community organizer in Chicago.

“I began to understand what citizenship meant -- not just some abstraction, not just words on a page, not just rights and privileges, but duties and responsibilities,” he said on the South Lawn of the White House. “It gave me a sense of direction about how I wanted to live my life.”

He also thanked Clinton for starting the program and noted that at the time, Clinton said it would change America.

“Bill, you were right,” Obama said. “AmeriCorps has changed the life of our nation. And now it’s up to us to make sure it continues.”

Clinton praised AmeriCorps’ return on investment and called on Congress to “reconsider its opposition to its budget requests and give us a chance to help AmeriCorps grow some more.”

Obama also announced an initiative to encourage employers to hire more alumni from AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. NBCUniversal, Disney, Comcast and the American Red Cross have signed on to the effort.

“If you are an employer who wants to hire talented, dedicated ... energetic workers, look to AmeriCorps, look to Peace Corps,” Obama said. “[Employers] know what we know. Citizens who perform national service are special. You want them on your team.”

About 900,000 Americans have participated in AmeriCorps since the program’s inception, and about 75,000 people will volunteer this year in schools, nonprofits, agencies and faith-based groups, according to the White House.

Clinton highlighted the long-term dedication to public service of AmeriCorps alumni and emphasized the importance of the program’s diversity.

“Look at you, look at the rainbow of diversity united to advance our common humanity,” he told the current and former volunteers at the ceremony. “That is the secret of our future. Till my last day on Earth, I will be grateful that I had a chance to start AmeriCorps.”