I am a summer intern in the Office of the Mayor of New York City, and I am a proud member of the brand new NYC Service team. NYC Service is a new municipal initiative by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to answer President Obama’s national call to service, and its primary goal is to increase volunteerism and civic engagement in the city.

This summer, I had the opportunity to help plan, coordinate, and engage in numerous volunteer activities throughout the city, but the highlight of the summer was a beautification project at Coney Island.

Coney Island has been in decline for much of the latter half of the 20th Century, and it has continued on a downward spiral to this day. The amusement district has been largely ignored, there is high unemployment in the area, and the quality of life in the neighborhood is dismal.

A redevelopment plan that will improve infrastructure and bring commerce back to the area is underway, but NYC summer interns were called to help get some work started. Dubbed “Service by the Seashore,” over 150 interns and staff from the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Office of Management and Budget, helped freshen up local playgrounds and areas near the beach during a full day of service.

We painted park benches and gates, picked up litter, weeded, put down mulch, and planted trees. The best part of the day was talking to people in the community while serving, and they were not only appreciative, but also looked to give a helping hand. It was truly amazing to see how witnessing service inspires others to want to join in.

Volunteering while working for NYC Service has definitely been a worthwhile experience. The people who live at Coney Island definitely appreciated the work we accomplished that day, and I believe it helped initiate all the dramatic changes needed to transform Coney Island in the future.

Among the many difficulties facing the Appalachian communities of Southwest Virginia is the quality of education. With limited funding, many primary and high schools struggle to meet the Standards of Learning (SOL), set forth by the state of Virginia in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act. In recent years, the rural elementary schools of Russell County have sought to incorporate an environmental education aspect in their curriculum. They’ve experienced difficulty in implementing the project due to lack of resources and few qualified instructors.
 

Linda Loi has been volunteering in the Golden Gate National Park for the last five years. First in the Urban Trail Blazers Program and most recently with the program Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders, Loi has dedicated hours of her time each week to giving back, not just environmentally but also as a youth leader and role model to others in her programs.
 

What started with a single vegetable garden on the grounds of USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. has grown into global movement. In their offices across the country and all over the world, USDA employees are volunteering their time to create community gardens, demonstrate sustainable agricultural techniques that everyday people can incorporate into their homes and lives, and showcase the importance of preserving the environment and conserving energy.
 

The YMCA Earth Service Corps joined forces with the Washington Trails Association to get dirty at Mount Saint Helens for a week of environmental restoration.
 

United We Serve to Save Energy & the Earth!! I organized a home energy efficiency event in Battle Creek, Michigan. The overarching goal was to reach out to the Battle Creek community to help lower their energy costs and decrease carbon pollution emissions.
 

Governor Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia participated in two United We Serve volunteer projects at the end of July including a park clean up and weatherization of a home.
 

One of the most beautiful places in the Deckers Creek watershed is the scenic gorge along route 7 in Morgantown, WV. Despite the beauty found here, the area is frequently used as a dumping ground for trash.
 

When I arrived at work the other day (I collect tolls and distribute information at a booth along a 20-mile stretch of road that cuts through the park), a memo sat by the cash register: To: All Department of Interior Employees From: Secretary Subject: United We Serve What a revelation. Just a short time ago, I sat in an audience hearing from the First Lady about the idea that this summer, service would become an activity of all Americans. Now, two months later, a memo from the DOI Secretary announces a “call to action for all employees to participate in United We Serve and commit to a volunteer service goal this summer.”
 

My name is Robby Riess, Assistant Cubmaster of Pack 353 Brooklyn, NY & Brooklyn District Committee Camping Chairman.  We set out to tackle the task of getting a few scouts for the much needed clean up of the shorelines of Floyd Bennett Field which impacts the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge area of Gateway National Parks.
 

I started interning with New Jersey Community Water Watch , which is a program ran by AmeriCorps and NJPIRG in a joint project. The program works by informing community members and students and encouraging them to be active stewards of their local water ways.
 

Students at Scituate High School decided that their school was not “green” enough and decided to take action by entering Do Something’s “Increase Your Green” competition, where students across the nation competed to see who could get their school to be the most environmentally friendly.
 

Working with other community organizations, businesses, the City Council, Solano County, faith-based groups, non-profits, WIA and colleges, I am happy to report that we are helping to develop youth training programs, which empower youth to finish school and get jobs. Solano Community College also plans to have a Green Center, teaching green job practices, which will lead to more jobs with livable wages.
 

Over 4,500 pounds of water chestnut were hand pulled from the pond in just one day, a volume of 14 cubic yards.
 

On June 14, 2009 groups of volunteers emerged to “Go Beyond” and help clean and restore the baseball field and park surrounding the Roller and Recreation Facility in St. Louis, Missouri.
 

LHVA is currently building a 40-mile trail along the Lackawanna River. A mile and a half of it runs through Scranton and this section of the trail tends to be one of the dirtiest areas
 

My name is Mitch and I am a volunteer fishing instructor for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and an Anglers’ Legacy Ambassador. The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) Anglers’ Legacy Program is a nationwide mentoring program to introduce newcomers to fishing and boating.
 

At Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School in Tennessee, a group of students decided to take Do Something’s “Increase Your Green” challenge, where students across the nation competed to see who could make their school most environmentally friendly.
 

MillionTreesNYC is a 10-year initiative to plant and care for one million new trees throughout the City’s five boroughs.
 

I am an advocate for energy efficiency and have replaced all the light bulbs in my home with CFL's.
 

I am the day to day manager of a nonprofit farmers' market that was founded in February, 2008 with the mission of growing and sustaining a local food economy in and around Pass Christian, Mississippi.
 

The US Forest Service has hosted a volunteer historic preservation program called "Passport in Time" since 1989.
 

On June 22nd, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined volunteer and youth groups at Shenandoah National Park as part of a national kickoff for President Obama’s new “United We Serve” campaign.
 

On June 23, 2009 St. Johns Housing Partnership (SJHP) launched its first volunteer-based weatherization project under the President’s United We Serve initiative.