Initiative Highlights Millions of Americans Working Every Day to Improve Health Care

Washington, DC—The United We Serve initiative is highlighting the efforts of Americans who volunteer to promote healthy living and expand access to health services across the nation during Health Week, August 10-16. In conjunction with National Community Health Center Week, United We Serve will focus special attention on grassroots health programs addressing community needs.

“Volunteers play a critical role in promoting better health in this country, through everything from health fairs to promoting healthy diets,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Federal Agency which is leading the Administration's United We Serve initiative. “We hope to inspire more Americans to volunteer in health-related projects, as well as encourage people to incorporate healthy activities into their daily lives.”

The United We Serve issue weeks shine a spotlight on service projects taking place across the country and features stories of ordinary people who make a measurable impact in their communities.

Organizations participating in Health Week include: Lions Clubs International, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the American Red Cross, the YMCA, Right to Play International, the PGA, and CommuniCare Health Centers.

Examples of activities taking place during Health Week include:

• Vision Screenings. The Lions will offer free vision screenings in the Washington D.C. metro area; Reston, VA; Beltsville, MD; Memphis, TN; and North Liberty, IA. These events are part of a larger goal of Lions Clubs members worldwide to fight preventable blindness and provide sight-restoring eye health care for the needy. Lions volunteers in mobile health units and other facilities will screen for refractive errors, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye issues. And the Lions volunteers will screen the one millionth child through a nationwide program to detect amblyopia, known as "lazy eye," the leading cause of blindness in children.Visit http://www.lionsclubs.org for more information.
      
• Playing and Learning. The PGA of America is using the national stage of the 91st PGA Championship to take part in United We Serve. The PGA is hosting the 91st PGA Championship Community Relations Youth Golf Clinic in Chaska, MN the week of August 10. Working with 26 local charities in the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Chaska communities, the PGA invited the organizations' most deserving kids to participate. Some 250 juniors, who might not otherwise ever have an opportunity to be exposed to the game, will receive golf instruction from some of the best teachers in the world and learn lessons in life and golf from the Dennis Walters Golf Show. Visit http://www.pga.com for more information.
       
• Immunizing Kids. San Antonio-based CommuniCare Health Centers (CCHC) will host a back-to-school immunization health fair to help families in San Antonio and Hays County meet the state's new school immunization guidelines. The event, CommuniCaring for Kids, is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., August 15 at Dr. Frank Bryant Health Center, 3066 E. Commerce St., San Antonio. In addition to school immunizations, the CommuniCaring for Kids events will focus on health education and provide fun, games and prizes for children. Parents are encouraged to bring their children's shot records to expedite vaccines. The event is open to all residents and the vaccines will be administered by CCHC's licensed clinical team members.
       
• Health Fairs. United We Serve Health Week coincides with National Health Center Week, highlighting the work of health centers that provide access to services for 30 million people across the country. Community Health of South Florida is hosting a series of health fairs geared to reaching homeless people, farm workers, and children needing immunizations. For information on locations, visit http://www.healthcenterweek.org.

United We Serve is President Obama's call to service challenging all Americans to engage in sustained, meaningful community service. United We Serve initially runs from June 22 through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11, but will grow into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life for all Americans. United We Serve is led by the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information, visit Serve.gov.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America Programs. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

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