VOLUNTEERS
“Volunteer ‘army’ to answer the call on Martin Luther King Day.” By Bruce Newman. San Jose Mercury-News. January 17, 2010. He was the American prince of peace, and yet on the day set aside to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr., the third-largest army in the world will rise up in his name. This great summoning is a miracle beyond the muster of any army in history. On today’s National Day of Service, more than a million volunteers will answer the call, carrying trowels to plant gardens, ladles to feed the hungry and linens to line the beds of the homeless. The only armies larger than this one-day wonder are the People’s Liberation Army of China and the United States military, the latter an all-volunteer force that costs nearly $700 billion a year to maintain. MLK Day volunteers, by contrast, work for the sheer joy of it.
“Volunteers are answering president’s call to serve.” By Ann Sanner. Boston Globe/Associated Press. January 18, 2010. Since taking office in January 2009, Obama has made it a priority to bolster national service programs. Both he and his wife, Michelle, have lectured at length on the topic, challenging others to donate their time to causes in their neighborhoods as a way to help where government alone cannot. “We need your service right now, at this moment in history,’’ Obama said in April, when he signed into law a $5.7 billion bill to expand national service programs such as AmeriCorps. “I’m not going to tell you what your role should be. That’s for you to discover. But I’m asking you to stand up and play your part.’’
“Volunteers turn out for ‘Mitzvah’ day of service in Palo Alto on MLK celebration.” By Diana Samuels. San Jose Mercury-News. January 18, 2010. As people across the country spent Monday honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with community service projects, many here on the Peninsula fulfilled that mission at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center’s third annual “Mitzvah Day.” About 650 people registered for a total of 25 different service projects, ranging from preparing soup for hospital patients to playing bingo with seniors at the Lytton Gardens Senior Communities. Jewish communities nationwide often hold Mitzvah — which can mean an act of kindness — days of service throughout the year.
“Bloomberg urges volunteerism across U.S.” No by-line. Crain’s New York. January 18, 2010. There’s a new effort to increase volunteerism in cities nationwide. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley joined Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin on Martin Luther King Day to announce grants of $200,000 apiece to 10 cities. They say the money can be used to hire senior city officials dedicated to developing citywide plans to increase volunteerism under the new Cities of Service Coalition.
“Philanthropist Earl Stafford to launch online effort encouraging volunteerism.” By Avis Thomas-Lester. Washington Post. January 20, 2010. Northern Virginia philanthropist Earl W. Stafford and comedian Bill Cosby are planning to announce a new Internet-based effort on Wednesday to encourage more Americans to volunteer by telling them about other people’s good deeds. Doing Good: The People’s Project will list volunteer opportunities and provide information about groups that are engaging in volunteer projects, Stafford said. The effort is a continuation of Stafford’s People’s Inaugural Project, which brought hundreds of poor, sick and homeless people to Washington to participate in events surrounding President Obama’s inauguration.