Statement of support for CNCS nominee by Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity wholeheartedly supports President Obama’s nomination of Wendy Spencer as the Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service. As a community development leader and most recently as the head of Volunteer Florida, Ms. Spencer has helped to foster a culture of volunteerism.
The primary program Volunteer Florida manages is AmeriCorps, which is a program of CNCS that provides opportunities for Americans to make an ongoing, intensive commitment to service.
As an organization that is totally dependent upon engaging an increasing number of volunteers—including AmeriCorps members—Habitat for Humanity is pleased that the President has nominated someone with the expertise and passion for community service that Ms. Spencer has demonstrated.
In this troubled economy where everyone is feeling the pinch, it is imperative that the public, private and nonprofit sectors work together to address the challenges of local communities. Ms. Spencer’s experience in the nonprofit and private sectors to mobilize volunteers and solve problems makes her an ideal candidate to lead the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Following the hurricanes of the previous decade, many organizations, including Habitat and Volunteer Florida, were challenged to coordinate and mobilize a record number of volunteers. Under Ms. Spencer’s leadership, Volunteer Florida coordinated more than 252,000 volunteers and donated items totaling more than 85 million.
We look forward to working with Ms. Spencer and continuing our partnership with CNCS, which has provided vital support to our efforts to revitalize communities all across America.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat’s blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.