Monday’s National Day of Service was an enormous success, with tens of thousands of volunteers and 13,000 service projects registered with USAService, the Renew America Together website. From loading bags at food banks, to cleaning up neighborhoods and painting schools, people found ways to pitch in and connect with their fellow citizens.
All of this was in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and at the request of now-President Barack Obama, who led by example. In fact, he and his wife Michelle did more than their fair share of volunteering in the Washington, D.C., area. Obama’s day started at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he visited with 14 injured veterans who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and Martin Luther King III then moved on to paint walls at the Sasha Bruce House, a shelter for homeless teens, demonstrating the enviable roller technique he learned at a $4 per hour summer job when he was 17. And Obama kept going! He joined Michelle at Calvin Coolidge High School, where they thanked 300 volunteers who were writing letters and decorating blankets to send to U.S. troops overseas.
While watching yesterday’s inauguration, and hearing Obama’s inspiring words about responsibility and action, I was amazed yet again at his willingness to roll up his sleeves and do the hard work — whether it’s fixing our budget or painting walls. It makes me want to be like him!
As one person said on Twitter, Obama’s magic is that he makes you want to stand up and do something to help right this minute. My husband and I watched the speech again over dinner. Galvanized by Obama’s call to service even more the second time around, we decided to make our contribution to “renew America” an ongoing habit by setting aside one Saturday every month to volunteer. Our first stop: the Presidio Stewardship Program, doing “habitat restoration” (aka weeding). Humble work, good cause, nice people, in a breath-taking setting, under the Golden Gate Bridge. We expect it to be a great day, as long as it doesn’t rain! Even if it does, we’ll be bundled up and out there, kicking off our new habit.
The powerful change sweeping the nation is thrilling and contagious. The best part is that you can help steer it, setting the direction we take for the next generation. Say “Yes!” to the call, get involved, and go make a difference!