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United Way Blog

Volunteering Gets a Big Boost

Volunteering Gets a Big Boost

United Way is always seeking ways to engage more volunteers.  On July 15th President Barack Obama gave us and others in the volunteer sector reason to cheer when he not only honored former President George H.W. Bush for his exemplary lifetime of public service, but also issued a Presidential Memorandum aimed to expand national service.

Expanding national service is a key strategy for taking on some of our nation’s most pressing problems. As President Obama said, the goal is “….to take a fresh look at how we can better support national service, in particular on some of our most important national priorities – improving schools, recovering from disasters, mentoring our kids…  In times of tight budgets and some very tough problems, we know that the greatest resource we have is the limitless energy and ingenuity of our citizens.”

The Presidential Memorandum directs multiple government agencies to come together and figure out how to expand national service to meet national needs while collaborating with the private sector.  By creating new partnerships for national service, the President’s action will engage more Americans in results-driven service, expand economic and educational opportunities for those who serve, enhance Federal agencies’ capacity to achieve their missions, and more efficiently use tax dollars.

For the hundreds of thousands of Americans wanting to serve, this is great news.  For federal budget watchers, the cross-government collaborations will follow an example set by the new FEMA corps—a collaboration between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Corporation for National and Community Service -- that is projected to save $60 million per year in tax payer dollars.  It also continues a long-standing tradition of bipartisan support for national service.

United Way is pleased to support this latest effort of the administration to expand national service opportunities across the country.  Please join us!

Get Involved

  • Learn more about the task force and national service.
  • Recognize national service on social media. Visit the Facebook page to like and share the badge about this initiative. Tweet using hashtags #liveunited and #serviceworks.
  • Find a national service volunteer opportunity that matches your skills and interests.
  • Contact your local United Way to find other ways to serve.