FEATURED ARTICLE FOR SEPTEMBER '09
Since the dawn of the twentieth century, president after president has called on his fellow Americans to answer the most pressing needs of our country and our world through volunteerism. In 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps, providing opportunities for millions of young men to help restore the nation’s parks, revitalize the economy, and support their families and themselves. President Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961 stating: “The wisdom of this idea is that someday we’ll bring it home to America.” Three years later his successor, President Johnson, followed-through with this vision when he created a number of national service programs including VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) and a National Teacher Corps. Echoing the early leaders of this country, recent administrations have continued to raise the bar, reminding us all of our civic responsibility to each other, our community and our world.
On April 21, 2009 President Obama, accompanied by the most influential faces on Capitol Hill including First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, President Clinton, Senators Hatch and Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, Colin Powell, Harris Wofford and many others, signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. Launching a new era of service, the Act will create 175,000 new service opportunities and give Americans of all ages the chance to help our nation recover and make progress. Following is an excerpt from President Obama at the signing:
The President: Thank you... Thank you. Well, what an extraordinary day. It is good to be here with all of you.
I want to thank the students and the faculty of the SEED School, our hosts for today—and their headmaster, Charles Adams, a shining example of how AmeriCorps alums go on to do great things. This school is a true success story—a place where for four of the last five years, every graduate from the SEED School was admitted to college—every graduate.
It’s a place where service is a core component of the curriculum. And just as the SEED School teaches reading and writing, arithmetic and athletics, it also prepares our young Americans to grow into active and engaged citizens. And what these students come to discover through service is that by befriending a senior citizen, or helping the homeless, or easing the suffering of others, they can find a sense of purpose and renew their commitment to this country that we love.
The rest of this article can be found in the Dep Leppard Issue of ABILITY Magazine www.ABILITYMagazine.com
Reprint of this article was provided by Chet Cooper, Publisher of ABILITY Magazine