Volunteering

“ Volunteering has now become all the fashion; every high-spirited boy looks forward with hope to the time when he is big enough and old enough to join his companions in some town or provincial volunteer corps, and shoulder the rifle. ”

“ Looking down into the valley, in these summer evenings, I see there the volunteers marching, or going through their evolutions; and the village population gathering to hear their music, or to watch their shooting. Meantime, the publicans are lounging at their own doors, or gossiping at a neighbour’s, complaining of the change of times since the notion of volunteering put it into people’s heads to spend their evenings in the open air, instead of the sociable inn parlour. ”

“ Citizen service can take many shapes—it can mean volunteering nights or on weekends in a religious group or neighborhood association, or devoting full years of your life to service like those the Peace Corps or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps members do. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The American people see these needs -- and they are responding, as always, with great generosity. Just this week, a government report found that more than 63 million Americans volunteered over the past year -- about 4 million more than in the year before. On average, volunteers gave 52 hours -- more than a full week of work -- of their year in service to others. This increase in volunteering is evidence of the new culture of service we are building in America, especially among young people. ”

“ Many Americans are already answering the call, volunteering a few hours each week or a few days each month to aid a local school, by mentoring or tutoring a child. Citizens are also donating their time to support a place of worship, to offer their expertise to a neighborhood association, or to strengthen a local service organization. ”

“ At a time when “Volunteering” has become a national characteristic, and grand rifle tournaments at Aldershot, and prize-giving at the Crystal Palace, are affording matter for every newspaper, and interest for every household, it may not be uninteresting to look back upon the Volunteers of former days, and see what they were like. ”

“ In the National Senior Service Corps and the Peace Corps, in religious, school, community, and charitable organizations, Americans strengthen the character of our Nation by volunteering to improve the quality of life for their follow human beings. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Through USA Freedom Corps, my Administration is providing opportunities for volunteers to work with children in schools, after- school programs, and through community groups and organizations. By volunteering, these adults set an example of service and good citizenship for our young people and provide youth with the stability and encouragement they need to achieve their dreams. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Serving as examples to others, throughout our Nation every day, older Americans are engaging in acts of compassion. Over a half million members of the Senior Corps are volunteering their time and talents to help those in need. Retired doctors, nurses, police, and firefighters are helping communities prepare for emergencies, and countless other older Americans are bringing comfort and care to their families and neighbors. ”

“ Impact research and evaluation.—The partnership shall sponsor an independent evaluation of the impact of domestic and international volunteering, including an assessment of best practices for such volunteering, and methods of improving such volunteering through enhanced collaboration among— `` (A) entities that recruit, manage, support, and utilize volunteers ”

“ During National Volunteer Week, we celebrate the spirit of compassion and generosity that drives us to care for others, and we recognize America's volunteers. Our volunteers are often unsung and unseen, but they are heroes.
One of our Nation's greatest strengths has always been our citizens' unique commitment to improving the lives of others. The principles of charitable compassion and philanthropic collaboration were at the heart of our Founding Fathers' efforts to build a culture that serves the greater good. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This week and throughout the year, let us salute all those who devote their time, their talents, and sometimes even their lives to the betterment of our communities. And let us recognize organizations like the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation that foster the spirit of service across America. In partnership with government, schools, and religious communities, these caring individuals and groups are expanding and encouraging the great American legacy of volunteerism. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Every day, countless volunteers across America work to address the fundamental necessities of our people-educating our youth, protecting our environment, caring for those in need. From children who help older Americans after school to volunteer firemen who guard our neighborhoods while we sleep, these dedicated individuals bring a sense of hope and security to everyone whose lives they touch. ”

“ 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. ”

“ She must be an expert in educational, physical, religious [Pg 326] and civic questions and she must be able to lead and to organize so that clubs and groups may be produced which shall meet needs extending all the way from athletics and recreation through social and general community life up to distinctly religious and devotional service. She must be able to use volunteer leaders and to mold them into a sympathetic cooperation for the bearing of one another's burdens which ultimately will lead them to share one another's successes. ”

“ The volunteer service of the present time means, to those who find themselves enrolled in it, something more than a mere pastime; and if those who hold it in small esteem could but know of the faithful, conscientious, and untiring work that, from year's end to year's end, is being done in armory and camp, they would leave unsaid, it seems [Pg vii] to me, the half-contemptuous words that too often come to the ears of the hard-working, long-suffering, and unrewarded citizen-soldier.
It has been said that the best is none too good for the service of the Commonwealth. ”

“ Many earnest workers in charity feel that social conditions could be wonderfully improved if, to every family in distress, could {13} be sent a volunteer visitor, who would seek out and, with patience and sympathy, strive to remove the causes of need. Such a visitor must have the courage and self-control to confine his work to a few families, for it is impossible to know many well, to understand all their temptations and difficulties, and so help them effectively. ”

“ While he rose her voice obeying did the young volunteer,
Did the true volunteer, did the loved volunteer,
While you were still delaying died the brave volunteer.
'Tis a ghost and but the shadow of a young volunteer,
He is dead and stilly sleeping, what should be haunting here?
'Tis but the storm winds flutter old dreams you dare not utter
And false the hopes they mutter, and pale the volunteer,
'Tis a dream volunteer, yea, a dead volunteer,
Old leaves that fly and flutter round a dead volunteer. ”

“ Let me introduce you to one of the younger volunteers whom you may associate with you in the work. She is too young to visit alone, or to judge what is wise in difficult cases, but she will write your monthly reports, will be a friendly messenger to pay pensions, will call to ask if children are at school, and report to the School Board, will collect savings and keep accounts of them, will write about admissions to Convalescent Homes or Industrial Schools, will give notice of classes and entertainments, and register the window plants before our flower shows. ”

“ There is beyond all doubt in almost every town a great amount of volunteer work to be had, which, were it organized and concentrated, would achieve infinitely more than its best efforts can now accomplish. ”

“ 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. ”

“ They have before them not only the valuable information of the Charity Organization Society, gathered, sifted, and examined by their paid officer and representative Committee, but also the detailed account of a volunteer, who brings to bear on the case a fresher and more personal sympathy than a paid agent ordinarily possesses, who has much more patience to listen to, and probably more patience to elicit the little facts on which so much may depend. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Throughout its proud history, its spirit of volunteerism has been the source of its strength.
It is the Red Cross' volunteer-our neighbor-who helps ease the suffering of disaster victims; who teaches us first aid, water safety, and proper care of the ill and injured; who instills in our young people those qualities of leadership that will mean so much to this Nation in later years; who donates the blood that gives renewed life to the sick ”

“ The Volunteer movement, in which men take part of their own free will, and which has been of so much benefit to the country; the erection and support of hospitals, libraries, art galleries, colleges and universities; the furnishing of the people with amusement and recreation—are illustrations of what may be done by members of the community directly. ”

“ 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. ”

“ I must, however, say something further as to the importance of the appointment of some lady or gentleman acting as Referee; that is, as a center for all the volunteers working as visitors. For if volunteer work is to form a useful part of our scheme of dealing with the people, we must accept those as workers whose work is necessarily intermittent. This must be done in order that we may secure a sufficient number of workers, and not waste, but gather in and use all the overflowing sympathy which is such a blessing to giver and receiver. ”