More than 1,800 organizations in 413 Congressional districts have joined the national sign-on letter urging Congress to support our communities by providing $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is sending the letter in THIS WEEK. Signatories can be local, state, and national organizations, including nonprofits, congregations, labor unions, corporations, and government agencies. If your organization has not yet joined the letter, click here to sign.

"My name is Dennis Cornelissen, I am 18 years old and I am from   Germany. I am currently a student at a German school and I will graduate in summer 2010 with a German university entrance diploma. Every German male citizen has to go through either a 9 month military service or 10 months of civil service at a social institution in Germany - or can do a "Foreign Civil  Service" for 12 months and I have a great interest in doing such a service at your organization. I desire to work in a charity organization like yours. I have the impulse to  help people, who have grown up and live in another social class. If you talk about America in Germany you immediately think of the American Dream... But like in every other country or state, there are also dark sides, especially during the financial crisis, when no one wants to donate for or spend some money on homeless people. ... No one can imagine how these people are suffering, but I think working with them one year, would give me a small insight into their lives and problems. In my opinion it is important to give people in need the strength to go on and to be able to deal with their future. That is exactly what I want to give these people, the feeling to be a part of the community. What I expect of my volunteer year is helping as many people as possible and also shouldering responsibility by taking over a part of your highly-esteemed work.