View of the Week (II): On National Service (Courtesy Corporation For National Service)

We Stand in Tribute to Volunteers

During National Volunteer Week, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) stands in tribute for all of those who step forward to serve. The service you do may not be as dramatic as, say, Katniss Everdeen of “The Hunger Games,” but volunteers can make a big impact and be heroic in their own way.

You see, CNCS believes that volunteering and civic engagement are the cornerstones of a strong nation. Our agency leads programs (AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund), initiatives (Volunteer Generation Fund), and national Days of Service (MLK Day and the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance) that guide and support millions of volunteers in service annually. 

The volunteers we connect to service meet needs in underserved communities and address some of our nation’s greatest challenges. They respond to disasters, help preserve the environment and public lands, improve health and educational outcomes, expand economic opportunity, and support our veterans and military families. 

While they serve, these volunteers learn new skills, and gain important physical and mental health benefits as they strengthen the fabric of our nation. CNCS even has a study that found if you volunteer, the odds are in your favor when you embark on a job search. (See what we did there?)

This week, we discovered an AmeriCorps alum helping the homeless obtain free health care, an RSVP member who lends his talents to make air travel more secure, and another AmeriCorps alum who was named National Teacher of the year!

Oh, and our first AmeriCorps alum in the U.S. Senate joined current members on a service project. You know, just because.

During the last few months, many Americans have taken the challenge to serve in their communities, forming new relationships and demonstrating the power each of us has to make a difference by performing good works. And for that, we are all thankful.

Any way you add it up, volunteers are the real winners in this game – even when it’s not a matter of life and death.

In service, 

CNCS Office of External Affairs

P.S. To find volunteering opportunities in your community, visit the search engine at Serve.gov.