My family and I spent our morning assembling care packages for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms. I would like to thank Serve DC and Operation Gratitude for providing us with one way to give back.

Please Take a look at my flickr page for a few photos from the event.

For me, Monday is a day on—not a day off—to serve my country.  I remember standing as a boy, watching President Kennedy’s inauguration many years ago.  I remember being inspired as he asked his fellow citizens to serve their country, to give back to the country that has given us so much.  Those words have stayed with me throughout my career.  Whether it was during my time in the Peace Corps, building libraries in the Dominican Republic, or my time in Congress, working to expand service opportunities, I have strived to serve my country in all endeavors.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a Returned Peace Corps volunteer and one of the Senate’s leading champions of national service, today attended the ServiceNation Summit in New York City.   Dodd spoke about his current efforts to expand volunteer opportunities for Americans of all ages.

The full text of Senator Dodd’s remarks as prepared for delivery is below:

Prepared Remarks: I want to take a minute to thank my friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy.  While he may not be here today – he’s here today, believe me.  There is no greater champion of the ideals and goals we are discussing this week.  And he’ll be fighting with us every step of the way to turn them into a reality.

Long a champion of causes affecting children and families, he formed the first children’s caucus in the Senate and spent eight years fighting to enact the Family and Medical Leave Act. A strong advocate of better education for America’s children, Dodd was honored as National Head Start "Senator of the Decade" for his efforts and is a Founder and Chair of the bipartisan Senate Afterschool Caucus.

Recently, Senator Dodd joined with Senator Thad Cochran in founding the National Service Congressional Caucus in the Senate.  This bipartisan endeavor supports national service programs across the nation by raising awareness of national service and expanding service opportunities for all Americans.  Dodd, a leading champion of both the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, is also currently working to pass Summer of Service legislation that would provide middle school students with a chance to serve in their local communities.  Senator Dodd has also championed the Encore Service Act, which would offer older Americans the chance to serve their communities and use their expertise to give back to their country, and the Semester of Service Act, which would offer young people the chance to spend a semester in service to their communities during their junior or senior year of high school. 

Following his graduation from Providence College, Dodd spent two years in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. He then enlisted in the Army National Guard and later served in the U.S. Army Reserves.

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All too often, we fail to draw upon the experience, knowledge, and ideas of older Americans. The potential pool of Americans 55 years of age and older who serve their communities is substantial and expected to grow by more than 22 percent in the next decade. Today, more than half of the individuals considered a part of the Baby Boomer generation are interested in providing meaningful service to their communities, but research shows that they are not adequately connected to national service opportunities.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, today announced the final two pieces of legislation in a comprehensive strategy to expand and strengthen service opportunities for all Americans.  He was joined by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the Chairman of the HELP Committee, in introducing the Semester of Service Act and the Encore Service Act.  These bills will target two distinct and critically important populations – young adults and Americans 55 years of age and older.