On September 12, 1994, President Bill Clinton led a swearing-in ceremony for the first members of AmeriCorps. 26 years later, the program continues to make an impact in communities across the US. AmeriCorps was founded to encourage citizens to engage in hands-on community service. Since 1994, more than 1 million AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.3 billion hours of service in communities across America.