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Roosevelt Room

11:32 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  I just had a fascinating discussion with members of my administration and some of our citizens who deeply care about the future of the country.  Laura and I want to thank you all for joining us.  We had two people who actually study the importance of volunteerism for the health of the country.

A couple points I'd like to make.  One, we are a nation of people who take time out of their lives on a regular basis to help a fellow citizen realize the full potential of America.  We've got a lot of people volunteering in the country, and one of my calls is for people to do more of it.  And there's plenty of opportunities to find out where you can volunteer.  You can go, for example, on the USAFreedomCorps.gov web page and you can find programs close to you that will give you an opportunity to follow your heart.

Secondly, I fully recognize there's an important role for government in our society, but I also want our fellow citizens to know there's a really important role for you.  If you're concerned about the future of America, you can volunteer to help make our future brighter.  You can mentor a child, you can teach somebody to read, you can go visit the elderly, you can feed the hungry, you can find shelter for the homeless, and you'll make a significant contribution to America.  And as you do so, you'll find you make a significant contribution to your own self worth and your own soul.

We're heralding volunteerism here today.  It is a really important aspect of American society.  I'm proud of our fellow citizens who have answered the call.  I encourage you to continue on.  And for those of you who want to enrich your own life, you can find a way to volunteer and help somebody else, and it will do just that.

So thank you all for joining us.  Appreciate your good work.  God bless those of you who are volunteering.

END

11:35 A.M. EST