[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 24321-24322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09867]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 24, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 24321]]


                Proclamation 8960 of April 19, 2013

                
National Volunteer Week, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As Americans, we are inheritors to a legacy of 
                diversity unlike any other place on earth. We are home 
                to more than 300 million people who come from every 
                background, practice every faith, and hold every point 
                of view. But where difference could draw us apart, we 
                are bound together by a single sacred word: citizen. It 
                defines our way of life, and it captures our belief in 
                something bigger than ourselves--the notion that our 
                destiny is shared, and all of us do better when we 
                accept certain obligations to one another.

                National Volunteer Week is a time to renew that 
                fundamentally American idea of service and 
                responsibility. It is also a time to recognize the men, 
                women, and children who bring that principle into 
                practice every day by lifting up the people around 
                them. Volunteering rates are the highest they have been 
                in years. More Americans are answering the call to 
                serve--not for fanfare or attention, but because they 
                want to give back. And as they do, they are making our 
                communities stronger. They are boosting local 
                economies. And they are building ladders of opportunity 
                for those who need them most.

                My Administration is dedicated to helping more 
                Americans make that commitment. Through the Corporation 
                for National and Community Service, we are investing in 
                programs like AmeriCorps, FEMA Corps, and Senior Corps 
                so more people can focus their talents on improving our 
                neighborhoods. As we continue to draw down our forces 
                abroad, we are opening up new ways for Americans to 
                serve our veterans and military families here at home. 
                We are encouraging States to let workers on 
                unemployment insurance volunteer and build the skills 
                they need to find a job. And this year, we are 
                proposing new funding for the Volunteer Generation Fund 
                that would help nonprofits recruit, manage, and 
                maintain strong volunteer workforces. We also renamed 
                the program the George H.W. Bush Volunteer Generation 
                Fund, honoring the legacy of our 41st President and his 
                enduring commitment to volunteerism.

                We need not look far to see the power of service. Less 
                than 6 months ago, when Hurricane Sandy bore down on 
                our Atlantic coast, Americans responded with compassion 
                and resolve. As an act of terror struck Boston at the 
                finish line of a great race, and an explosion in Texas 
                tore through a tight-knit community, we stood by each 
                other in times of need. Ordinary men and women have 
                stepped forward and accomplished extraordinary things 
                together, uniting as friends and neighbors and fellow 
                citizens. The strength they have shown reminds us that 
                even in our darkest hours, we look out for each other. 
                We pull together. And we move forward as one. During 
                National Volunteer Week, let us tap into that spirit 
                once more. To find a service opportunity nearby, visit 
                www.Serve.gov.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through 
                April 27, 2013, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon 
                all Americans

[[Page 24322]]

                to observe this week by volunteering in service 
                projects across our country and pledging to make 
                service a part of their daily lives.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2013-09867
Filed 4-23-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F3