33rd New York State Volunteers

“ Last year, I called on my fellow citizens to participate in the USA Freedom Corps, which is enlisting tens of thousands of new volunteers across America. Tonight I ask Congress and the American people to focus the spirit of service and the resources of government on the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens -- boys and girls trying to grow up without guidance and attention, and children who have to go through a prison gate to be hugged by their mom or dad. ”

“ Americans keep this proud tradition alive every day across our country. They are protecting us in uniform, feeding the hungry, tutoring children, comforting seniors, and reaching out to veterans. They are providing critical support to schools, shelters, hospitals, and nursing homes, through faith-based and community organizations, at home and abroad. Volunteers change lives and strengthen our Nation and our world. My Administration is committed to supporting and supplementing the crucial efforts that Americans make to volunteer. ”

“ Volunteering provides the opportunity to join and better a community. Every American who volunteers can become an integral part of a school, a hospital, or a neighborhood. Those who give of their time also join our Nation's proud history of service and help preserve this tradition for generations ahead. During National Volunteer Week, we express heartfelt thanks to all who have worked hard in this effort, and we urge more Americans to reach out and meet the manifold unmet needs of fellow Americans. ”

“ Each year our Nation is blessed by the service of more than 100 million Americans who take time out of their busy lives to reach out to those in need. Volunteers come from every age group and walk of life, yet they share a common conviction: that by giving of themselves, they can bridge the divide between strangers, create stronger families, and build better communities. ”

“ Our volunteers know that service is one of the best ways to make a difference in the lives of others-and they are proving that Americans at any stage of life can serve. Thousands of older Americans donate their time to serve as foster grandparents, senior companions, and as part of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and other initiatives. As many as 13 million young Americans aged 12 to 17 also volunteer each year, improving their communities, broadening their educational experiences, developing new skills, and increasing their understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship. ”

“ Helping others-and helping others help themselves-through volunteer work is a great American tradition. Our Nation's dedicated volunteers come from all walks of life, all races, and all ages. Whether they support their communities through their churches, synagogues, or other religious institutions, serve full-time as AmeriCorps members, or spend a few hours a week helping out organizations or individuals in need, America's volunteers are bringing hope and help to their fellow citizens and building a stronger, more compassionate Nation for us all. ”

“ There is no agenda, no master list of tasks ready to be given to volunteers. This is often the hardest thing to get across to new volunteers. I know I waited quite a while after volunteering for someone to give me a job to do before I realized it. ”

“ My budget adopts a hopeful new approach to help the poor and the disadvantaged. We must encourage and support the work of charities and faithbased and community groups that offer help and love, one person at a time. These groups are working in every neighborhood in America to fight homelessness and addiction and domestic violence, to provide a hot meal or a mentor, or a safe haven for our children. Government should welcome these groups to apply for funds, not discriminate against them.
Government cannot be replaced by charities or volunteers. ”

“ The Volunteers are organized, not to do the easy things that have been done in the past and are now being very satisfactorily done by others, but rather to do what others have left, and are leaving, undone. ”

“ Volunteerism policy. Section 2 (42 U.S.C. 4950) is amended— (1) in subsection (a) , by striking “both young” and all that follows through the period and inserting “individuals of all ages and backgrounds.”; and (2) in subsection (b) , by inserting after “State, and local agencies” the following: “, expand relationships with, and support for, the efforts of civic, community, and educational organizations,”. Subtitle A—National Volunteer Antipoverty Programs
Chapter 1—Volunteers in Service to America Sec. ”

“ Service—the act of looking out for one another—is part of who we are as a Nation. Our commitment to service reflects our understanding that we can best meet our challenges when we join together. This week, we recognize the enduring contributions of our Nation’s volunteers and encourage more Americans to join their ranks. ”

“ Our Nation's commitment to civic engagement continues to thrive. American volunteers keep students on track for graduation, care for seniors and veterans, and rebuild communities after terrible storms. Beyond our borders, our volunteers often place their lives at risk as they help those affected by war, poverty, and disease. ”

“ Thousands of individuals and organizations across America pledged their support for this effort; and today, we can be proud that more than 93 million Americans are regularly volunteering to help hundreds of thousands of children in need, serving as leaders, mentors, tutors, and companions. Through their hard work and generous response, this growing army of volunteers is making our streets safer, our schools better, our children healthier, and our future brighter.
We must not only preserve this remarkable spirit of citizen service, but also expand it. ”

“ Their service exemplifies our Nation's ideals, and they have our gratitude and support.
Volunteer service is also a proud American value. Our Nation relies on compassionate souls who look after their neighbors and surround the lost with love. Through good works, we can extend the promise of our country into every home and neighborhood. This year, I announced a new initiative, Helping America's Youth, led by First Lady Laura Bush, to help young people overcome the challenges they may face and emphasize the importance of loving, caring adults in every child's life. ”

“ In communities where the New Democracy is strong and the people are already in the habit of gathering periodically and during political campaigns nightly, it requires no organization of Volunteers to provide men to instruct and amuse them to their entire satisfaction. ”

“ I call on all Americans to join together to celebrate the invaluable work that volunteers perform every day across our country, and to commit themselves to do more for their neighbors in need through the many volunteer programs available in their communities. ”

“ National Volunteer Week offers us a chance to thank the many volunteers whose work and compassion add so much to the quality of our lives. It also gives those who have never volunteered the opportunity to learn more about the many organizations that would benefit from their time and talents. ”

“ The high level of volunteerism in our country is encouraging -- though not surprising. America is a compassionate and generous land. With their good works, volunteers are living out the spirit of this season. ”

“ According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60 million Americans volunteered in 2015, giving an estimated $185 billion in service to their communities. The latest data shows that our Nation's seniors lead the way in time spent volunteering, and we are immensely thankful for their commitment. ”

“ Our people have always worked together to resolve concerns, to fight injustice, to rebuild communities, and to comfort those in need. And though some regard today's society with cynicism and doubt, we need only look to the more than 89.2 million volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the year to see that we are still a people who care for one another and who daily seek positive change by reaching out to others. ”

“ Working together, we can usher in a new era in which volunteering and service is a way of life for all Americans. Deriving strength from tragedy, we can write the next great chapter in our Nation’s history and ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the promise of America. ”

“ America's 63 million volunteers are setting a fine example for our nation. They are meeting essential needs in their communities -- and they know the fulfillment that only comes from serving a cause greater than self. ”

“ It is further hoped that the Volunteers thus organized and trained, will become a permanent force in the history of our Nation; a power in the guidance of the forces behind the nation's progress; a means of uniting the best intelligence of our race with that faith and deep religious purpose which permeate the common people, and of expediting the conscious co-operation of individuals with those giant forces that are slowly but [24] surely destroying the old, and building up the new civilization. Our plan appeals principally to young men. ”

“ The immediate purpose of the Democratic Volunteers is to organize and carry on in the most effective way the campaign for 1900. They seek to build up and foster the Democracy of Jefferson, Jackson, Bryan and the Chicago platform by seeing, first, that the common people remain in control of the Democratic party ”

“ I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to express appreciation to the countless volunteers among us for their commitment to service and to encourage the spirit of volunteerism in our families and communities. ”

“ These organizations engage and connect Americans from every walk of life. Through the generosity of our citizens, we are reminded that each one of us has a role to play in improving our communities. During the recent International Week of Service, service organizations across the globe came together to assist others and make an impact. This effort is a shining example of how our Nation's generous volunteers continue to lead the world in helping those most in need. ”

“ There's a new spirit of service in America — a movement we've tried to support with AmeriCorps, expanded Peace Corps, unprecedented new partnerships with businesses, foundations, community groups. Partnerships, for example, like the one that enlisted 12,000 companies which have now moved 650,000 of our fellow citizens from welfare to work. Partnerships to battle drug abuse, AIDS, teach young people to read, save America's treasures, strengthen the arts, fight teen pregnancy, prevent violence among young people, promote racial healing. The American people are working together. ”

“ Volunteers enrich our lives every day with their generosity and compassion. In recent months, we have witnessed the extraordinary response of America's volunteers to the plight of those who have suffered from the severe weather plaguing much of our country. ”

“ The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding service opportunities for Americans, including opportunities that enable us to confront the toughest challenges faced by our Nation. The American Rescue Plan includes a historic investment in AmeriCorps to make national service more accessible. We seek to enable more service members and volunteers to support vaccination efforts, tackle the growing hunger crisis, address learning loss, and meet other critical community needs. ”

“ Knowing that our principles are eternal, and that in proclaiming them we have the support of the great common people of posterity, and of God, the Volunteers are expected to assume, upon all occasions, an attitude of absolute confidence. ”

“ I ask all Americans to join in commending the contributions volunteers make to our Nation. I urge every citizen to consider how, in our own ways, we can renew our Nation's hope, revitalize our people's spirit, and reclaim our country's promise. ”

“ The young Volunteers who forsake home, business and personal ambition to help save our Nation from the money power, starting in the name of humanity astride bicycles, horseback, afoot and in Bryan wagons, preaching the new gospel of glad tidings without money and without price, eating whole wheat, dry bread and apples, with a square meal only now and then to remind them of the good times coming, are not impelled by any strange or new force in society. ”

“ We must be committed to the pursuit of opportunity for all Americans, responsibility from all Americans in a community of all Americans. And we must be committed to a new kind of government: not to solve all our problems for us, but to give our people--all our people--the tools they need to make the most of their own lives. ”

“ Volunteering is central to the American character and is a fundamental expression of responsible citizenship. From our Nation's earliest days, people came together to do whatever was needed for the public good - from raising barns and providing mutual security to organizing educational activities and caring for their neighbors. ”

“ None of these runs deeper than the spirit of service.
As they have throughout history, volunteers today are lifting up America. Millions of citizens are giving of themselves to help provide a better future for all Americans. The many forms of service are as diverse as the American people: a homemaker organizing a neighborhood patrol, a retired firefighter becoming a foster grandparent, a teenager volunteering in a health clinic, or a small child designing a recycling program. A uniquely American spirit unites all of these efforts. ”