Last week, my wife Jackie joined First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and approximately 160 Congressional spouses at the Capitol Area Food Bank for a day of service here in DC. The event aimed to provide 2,000 bags of food for hungry children in the area as part of the "Weekend Bag Program." Jackie and the other volunteers assembled five meals worth of groceries, enough food to feed a child over the weekend, when school meals are not available.

As a former Peace Corps volunteer and long time supporter of national service, I am proud of the time Jackie and the other volunteers spent helping those less fortunate. President and First Lady Obama have turned their inspiring words into actions by giving back to the community in which they live. I’m pleased that more Americans will have the opportunity to follow suit, in large part due to the recent passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. This new law will expand AmeriCorps, provide opportunities for students to engage in service-learning, and allow older Americans to put their lifetime of experiences to good work by improving their towns and neighborhoods. Many ideas in the Serve America Act were taken from my Service for All Ages Initiative, a group of four bills I introduced last Congress. I was pleased that in a bi-partisan fashion, the House, Senate, and White House joined together in committing to provide all Americans with the opportunity to serve.

Please take a look at the Feed America flickr page for a few photos from the event.