An independent, nonpartisan organization, Cities of Service was started in 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to address the urgent demands at the local government level to tackle pressing issues in the community and to provide ongoing support to ensure real and lasting change. Today, the Cities of Service coalition is comprised of over 200 cities in the US and UK, representing more than 52 million people in 45 states, and more than 10 million in the UK.