The National Service Honor Is a Trusted, Verified Alternative
As of May 27, 2025, AmeriCorps has paused the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) indefinitely, halting new award orders and Certifying Organization approvals. This has left many schools and service programs scrambling for ways to continue recognizing the incredible impact of their student volunteers.
Since its founding in 2003 by President George W. Bush, the PVSA has honored over 400,000 Americans for their service—setting a national standard for civic recognition. The program has historically provided:
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A personalized certificate
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A congratulatory letter from the President
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A lapel pin recognizing the level of achievement
Without a clear path for the PVSA’s return, Helper Helper is proud to launch a new national recognition initiative to fill the gap.
Introducing: The National Service Honor, Presented by Helper Helper
The National Service Honor is a verified, prestigious award program modeled after the PVSA. It recognizes students, families, and individuals for their community service hours completed over a 12-month period—or across a lifetime.
Every award includes:
- A personalized digital certificate
- A physical lapel pin recognizing Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Lifetime Achievement levels
- Verified validation through Helper Helper’s service tracking system
Simple for Helper Helper Schools—No Applications or Fees
If your school or organization already uses Helper Helper, you’re automatically eligible.
We already track and validate all your student volunteer hours. You won’t need to apply, submit hours, or pay for the award. Just let us know that you’d like to participate, and we’ll handle the rest—including covering the cost of pins and mailing.
🏫 Recognition is free for current Helper Helper institutions.
📫 We’ll deliver digital certificates and ship pins directly to schools or students.
Not Using Helper Helper Yet? You Can Still Apply
For individuals, families, or schools not currently using Helper Helper, you can still nominate yourself or others to receive the National Service Honor.
You’ll simply:
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Track your hours over a 12-month period or lifetime.
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Submit a completed application and verification form.
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Pay a small fee to cover the cost of the pin and certificate package (typically $10–$30 depending on quantity and shipping).
Apply by emailing us at support@helperhelper.com, and we’ll walk you through the process.
Award Criteria
To maintain alignment with the PVSA, we use the same award levels based on age and hours served:
Why Recognition Still Matters
Recognizing service:
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Strengthens scholarship and college applications
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Validates the efforts of students, families, and staff
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Reinforces long-term commitment to civic engagement
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Keeps volunteerism a central part of school culture
Why Schools Are Switching to the National Service Honor
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Free for Helper Helper schools
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Automatically verified via existing service logs
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Includes both digital and physical recognition
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Streamlined, accessible, and student-first
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Trusted and scalable for schools and nonprofits
How to Get Started
If you’re a Helper Helper school:
You’re eligible. Just reach out to your account manager or email support@helperhelper.com to opt in. We’ll confirm your reporting window and begin issuing awards.
If you’re not a Helper Helper user yet:
You can still apply! Email support@helperhelper.com for details on how to submit your hours and receive your certificate and pin.
Let’s Keep Celebrating Service
Even while PVSA is on pause, the need to honor student volunteers remains stronger than ever. With the National Service Honor, presented by Helper Helper, we can keep recognizing the students, families, and communities who make service a part of everyday life.