More From NCVS
Posted on | June 23, 2009 | Comments Off
Yesterday’s kickoff of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service was amazing. It really is refreshing to see what can be accomplished by Americans when we can put aside our petty differences and pull together to make things happen. The speakers at the opening general session reflected people from all walks of life and all different social and political backgrounds, concluding with California’s Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.
The Governator’s accent aside, he did a fantastic job of highlighting efforts to increase volunteerism in the State of California and in the nation as a whole. He stressed the importance of people getting involved and taking responsibility for their communities, their states, and the United States. That tied in to Michelle Obama’s address, making the point that government can’t be everywhere and provide everything for American citizens. And it shouldn’t. America is greatest when Americans come together to solve our problems, when we roll up our sleeves and work together to make our communities better places to live, to work, and to raise our children.
That is what volunteering and service do for America. To quote a previous president, “Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.” That is what we will spend the next two days discussing and celebrating: the power to change the odds for everyone in American society.
Tags: Arnold Schwarzenegger > Governator > Michelle Obama > NCVS > Volunteerism
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