Presidential Proclamation Kicks Off Week-long Celebration of Volunteers

(Washington, D.C.) – In a proclamation issued yesterday for National Volunteer Week, President Bush praised the dedication of America’s 65 million volunteers and urged more Americans to help their neighbors in need and serve a cause greater than themselves.

The proclamation kicks off a week of volunteer service projects and special recognition events to thank America’s volunteers during National Volunteer Week, which is April 23-29. Events will involve Americans of all ages and backgrounds – from kindergartners to cabinet secretaries, teens to TV stars, seniors and CEOs – all aimed at recognizing America’s volunteers and encouraging more to get involved.

“Our Nation is a force for freedom and prosperity, and our greatness is measured by our character and how we treat one another,” said the President. “During National Volunteer Week, and throughout the year, we appreciate the millions of volunteers across America and strive to be a more compassionate and decent society. The President urged Americans to find information about volunteer opportunities in their own hometowns by visiting the USA Freedom Corps website at http://www.volunteer.gov.

David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service -- the nation’s largest grantmaker supporting service and volunteering -- echoed the President’s praise for volunteers. Last year, participants in the Corporation’s Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs provided more than 200 million hours of service and engaged an additional 1.3 million community volunteers. In February, the Corporation released a five-year Strategic Plan that set a national goal of increasing the number of Americans who volunteer each year to 75 million by the year 2010. The plan noted that reaching that goal will require not just more volunteer recruitment but an investment in the capacity and infrastructure to support volunteers, matching volunteers with appropriate and meaningful opportunities, and volunteer training and recognition.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of our nation. Schools, hospitals, shelters, parks - organizations of every type in every community depend on the time and talent of volunteers,” said Eisner. “When nature showed its worst in the Gulf, America showed its best, with an unprecedented outpouring of volunteer compassion that continues to this day. As we pay tribute to volunteers this week, we must redouble our efforts to engage more Americans in serving their communities and country.”

Several recent studies have shed new light on the benefits and demographics of volunteering in America:

• Volunteer service in America continues to rise. This past year, 65.4 million Americans volunteered with formal organizations, a 5.6 million increase since President Bush issued his call to service in January 2002.
  
  
• America’s volunteers are a powerful economic force. Using Independent Sector’s estimate that an hour of volunteer time is worth $18.04, multiplied by the estimated 8.6 billion hours Americans volunteered in 2005, the estimated total dollar value of volunteer time for 2005 is $148 billion.
  
  
• Teens volunteer more than adults. An estimated 15.5 million youth – or 55 percent of youth ages 12 to 18 participate in volunteer activities; nearly twice the adult volunteering rate -- with youth contributing more than 1.3 billion hours of community service each year.
  
  
• Boomers Have High Volunteer Rates. A recent study shows that 33.2 percent of all boomers – 25.8 million people – volunteered for formal organizations in 2005. This represents the highest rate of volunteering of any adult age cohort. A new campaign http://www.getinvolved.gov aims to increase that percent, especially as boomers begin to retire and have more free time.

National Volunteer Week, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering.

The 2006 theme is "Inspire By Example" to reflect the power volunteers have to inspire the people they help, as well as, to inspire others to serve.

National and Global Youth Service Day falls during the weekend of April 21-23 and millions of young people will participate. Youth in the U.S. will join peers in more than 100 countries to address immediate community needs such as disaster relief, literacy, hunger alleviation, public safety, healthcare, and environmental conservation.

Senior executives from the Corporation for National and Community Service will be participating in both commemorations. Among others, COO Elizabeth Seale will join Mayor Anthony Williams and Serve DC in kicking off National and Global Youth Service Day in Washington D.C., where more than 6,000 youth will participate in some 60 projects over the weekend; and Senior Corps Director Tess Scannell will speak about engaging Baby Boomers in volunteer service to the Association of Americans for Civic Responsibility.

Also during National Volunteer Week, members of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation join President George W. Bush in releasing a new Radio PSA Campaign, "Make a Difference. Volunteer." The campaign's English and Spanish version spots feature actor Stephen Baldwin, NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne, actress Patricia Heaton, University of Texas Chancellor Mark Yudof and other national leaders encouraging Americans to volunteer. The PSAs direct listeners to http://www.volunteer.gov to find volunteer opportunities that best fit their needs and experience.

The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation has recognized the dedication of more than 400,000 Americans with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Thousands of organizations will honor their volunteers during National Volunteer Week at ceremonies across the country. Members of the President’s Council will also be making special appearances during the week at service projects and recognition events throughout the country. To learn more about the program, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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