[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
[February 13, 2007]
[Pages 127-128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks Following a Meeting on Voluntarism
February 13, 2007

    I just had a fascinating discussion with members of my 
administration and some of our citizens who deeply care about the future 
of the country. Laura and I want to thank you all 
for joining us. We had two people who actually study the importance of 
volunteerism to the--for the health of the country.
    A couple points I'd like to make: One, we are a nation of people who 
take time out of their lives on a regular basis to help a fellow citizen 
realize the full potential of America. We've got a lot of people 
volunteering in the country, and one of my calls is for people to do 
more of it. And there's plenty of opportunities to find out where you 
can volunteer. You can go, for example, on the usafreedomcorps.gov web 
page, and you can find programs close to you that will give you an 
opportunity to follow your heart.
    Secondly, I fully recognize there's an important role for government 
in our society, but I also want our fellow citizens to know, there's a 
really important role for you. If you're concerned about the future of 
America, you can volunteer to help make our future brighter. You can 
mentor a child, you can teach somebody to read, you can go visit the 
elderly, you can feed the hungry, you can find shelter for the homeless, 
and you'll make a significant contribution to America. And as you do so, 
you'll find

[[Page 128]]

you make a significant contribution to your own self-worth and your own 
soul.
    We're heralding volunteerism here today. It is a really important 
aspect of American society. I'm proud of our fellow citizens who have 
answered the call. I encourage you to continue on. And for those of you 
who want to enrich your own life, you can find a way to volunteer and 
help somebody else, and it will do just that.
    So thank you all for joining us. Appreciate your good work. God 
bless those of you who are volunteering. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:32 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.