|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, The 2011 Central Texas wildfires destroyed more than |
|
1,600 homes and devastated the Bastrop State Park ecosystem, yet in |
|
the aftermath of this terrible disaster, numerous emergency first |
|
responders stepped forward to help the communities and their |
|
citizens rebuild; and |
|
WHEREAS, Among these outstanding volunteers were AmeriCorps |
|
members from American YouthWorks who soon began working with |
|
authorities in Bastrop; taking on key leadership positions, they |
|
organized thousands of participants to help homeowners remove |
|
debris; the initial team consisted of American YouthWorks and the |
|
Washington Conservation Corps, and later these organizations were |
|
joined by members of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community |
|
Corps and the Hoopa Tribal Civilian Community Corps of California; |
|
and |
|
WHEREAS, AmeriCorps members devoted 9,336 hours to recovery |
|
efforts in Bastrop County as well as in Travis and Waller Counties; |
|
in addition, they recruited more than 4,000 volunteers who provided |
|
over 26,000 hours of direct service to the region; together, the |
|
groups assisted more than 190 households; and |
|
WHEREAS, The OneStar Foundation, which supports AmeriCorps |
|
programs as well as the nonprofit sector throughout the state of |
|
Texas, has allocated resources to support American YouthWorks's |
|
critical role in future times of disaster; and |
|
WHEREAS, Through their hard work, cooperative spirit, and |
|
dedication to the greater good, AmeriCorps members from American |
|
YouthWorks contributed enormously to their community during a time |
|
of dire need, and it is indeed fitting to honor them for their role |
|
in the Central Texas wildfire recovery operations; now, therefore, |
|
be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
|
Legislature hereby commend American YouthWorks and its AmeriCorps |
|
members for their service in the wake of the 2011 wildfires and |
|
extend to them sincere gratitude for their accomplishments; and, be |
|
it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for American YouthWorks as an expression of high regard by |
|
the Texas House of Representatives. |