Teaspoons-a-Go-Go

National service bill to get Obama's signature:

The AmeriCorps program started by President Bill Clinton will triple in size over the next eight years, and tens of thousands of other Americans will soon see new opportunities to give back to their communities.

It's all part of a $5.7 billion national service bill President Barack Obama is scheduled to sign Tuesday to foster and fulfill people's desire to make a difference, such as by mentoring children, cleaning up parks or building and weatherizing homes for the poor.

Bolstering voluntary public service programs has been a priority of Obama, who credits his work as a community organizer in his early 20s for giving him direction in life.

The White House said Monday that the president "will call on people across the country to serve their communities and work together to tackle the nation's tough challenges."

...The legislation provides for gradually increasing the size of AmeriCorps to 250,000 enrollees from its current 75,000. It outlines five broad categories where people can direct their service: helping the poor, improving education, encouraging energy efficiency, strengthening access to health care and assisting veterans.

The signing ceremony is set to be held at the SEED School of Washington, "a public boarding school that serves inner-city students facing problems in both the classroom and at home," and will be attended by the ailing Senator Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who has championed the legislation, which also bears his name.