STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Daniel Donovan visited SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives) Wednesday afternoon to receive thanks for fighting to restore funding for service organizations.
On May 23, President Donald Trump sent his official fiscal year 2018 budget to Congress.
The budget proposed the elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which funds thousands of service organizations throughout the country.
This proposal was part of a broader framework aimed at increasing funding for defense and national security without increasing the national deficit.
Donovan and his constituents fought in Congress to have the funding restored, and while it's not official yet, it appears as though the CNCS will continue to operate and provide services to the American public.
"We negotiated and through a re-appropriation process got that money restored that had been zeroed out by the president," said Donovan. "And all though it's not a done deal yet, it will quickly become one."
SCORE, as well as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), were among the thousands of organizations whose funding was being threatened by the president's proposed budget.
SCORE
SCORE provides small businesses with a variety of resources to help them get started or expand their business.
The organization offers free, real-world mentoring that pairs small business with former industry professionals to help them strategize and develop their business plan.
It also offers a variety of online workshops and resources covering a wide array of topics -- from funding, to marketing, to web-based retailing.
RSVP
RSVP pairs retired/senior volunteers with non-profit organizations in need of additional help.
On Staten Island, there are 583 active RSVP volunteers who provided over 124,000 hours of service in 2016.
Volunteers offered their services to a variety of organizations, including hospital and health care facilties, cultural institutions, food pantries, soup kitchens, schools and senior centers.