June 6-8 National Conference Aims to Build a Nation of Volunteers

(KANSAS CITY) – More than 2,500 volunteer and national service leaders will gather in Kansas City on June 6-8 with a shared goal of motivating more Americans to volunteer and to make their service even more effective in meeting social needs in communities throughout the country.

The conference comes at a time Americans are answering the call to service in growing numbers. A recent federal study found that 64 million Americans volunteered in 2003, an increase of 4 million over the previous year. The national service programs Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America are growing to record levels. Charities and congregations say they can take on an additional 6 million volunteers, according to another recent study.

The annual conference is convened by the Points of Light Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year. The theme of this year’s conference is “Changing our Communities – One Volunteer at a Time.” Representatives of Volunteer Centers, corporations, nonprofits, state service commissions, and national and community service programs will attend the three-day event, which provides training and networking opportunities.

Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin, who serves on the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, will be the opening speaker for the conference on June 6. Former President George H.W. Bush will deliver the keynote address June 8, and will present the Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs. He also will present the George Bush Corporate Leadership Award to Robert Haas, chairman of the board of the Levi Strauss & Co.

“When people volunteer, good things happen—those who receive the services are helped, those who provide the services are bettered, and our communities are enriched, said Robert Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation. “Volunteering is an essential complement to services provided by our government and large private organizations.”

“With support for volunteerism and service at perhaps its highest level ever, we have an incredible opportunity to seize the momentum and build a culture of service and a nation of volunteers,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “National and community service programs work hand in glove with the volunteer world to strengthen the impact of the nation’s 64 million volunteers, and we will be focusing more of our efforts on that goal as we move forward.”

In conjunction with the conference, more than 400 volunteers from the Kansas City region will partner with the Kansas City Vet Center, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and other local community groups to implement Heart of America Stand Down June 4 through June 6. They will set up a tent city at the Manual Career Center, 1215 E. Truman Road, with the intent of providing health screenings, job skills, and other services to area homeless veterans and their families.

“Kansas City is recognized nationally as a community with a true heart for volunteering,” said Denny Barnett, vice president of Kansas City Promise and co-chair of the service project committee working with Heart of America Stand Down. “There is no better way to kick off this conference than by demonstrating the true power of volunteering.”

The majority of National Conference activities will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center. Topics to be addressed include family volunteering, intergenerational volunteer programs, engaging persons with disabilities, working with youth, corporate social responsibility, fundraising, evaluation, and marketing.

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The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network supports the vital work of millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communications nationwide. For more information about local volunteer opportunities, call 1-800-VOLUNTEER, or visit www.1-800-VOLUNTEER.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities through its programs Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility. For more information, call (202) 606-5000, or visit www.nationalservice.org.