[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
[April 29, 2008]
[Pages 601-603]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks on National Volunteer Week
April 29, 2008
Be seated. Welcome. What a great day for the White House. I am
pleased to welcome volunteers from the--around the United States who
have given of their time to help those who need help. And we're sure
glad you're here. Those of you today who perform acts of kindness do so
out of love, and you do so out of the desire not to be recognized. But
anyway, you're going to be recognized. We have the opportunity today to
thank you and the opportunity today to celebrate the difference that
volunteers have made all across America.
I want to thank Jean Case, who's the Chairman
of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. And I
want to thank the members of the Council who are here.
And I thank David Eisner, the CEO of the
Corporation for National and Community Service; Jack Hawkins, the Director of Volunteers for Prosperity, USAID; Ron
Tschetter, Director of the Peace Corps;
and other Peace Corps volunteers who are here--about which I'm going to
say something a little later. [Laughter] This tends to be an
enthusiastic bunch, and so I would ask you to--[laughter]--keep your
enthusiasm in check for just a minute. [Laughter]
The spirit of charity that is celebrated here has been a part of our
character, our Nation's character, ever since before we were an
independent nation. In 1736, for example, Benjamin Franklin organized
the citizens of Philadelphia to form a volunteer fire company. Isn't
that interesting? A lot of our--a lot has changed since then, but the
principle that inspired Benjamin Franklin is still true today all
throughout the communities in America.
Those of you who are here today understand the lesson, how you can
gain by giving. You can understand how volunteering can transform the
souls, both who give and those they help. When you teach a child to
read, for example, you not only improve their chances for success in the
world, but you become invested in the progress of a young life. When you
visit the elderly, you remind them that they are loved, and you remind
yourself of how deeply we all feel the need for compassion. When you
help the homeless find shelter, you remove the pain of need and
rediscover the resiliency of the human spirit.
While there are many ways that Government can help society's least
advantaged--and we try to do our best here in Washington--it can never
replicate the private acts of goodness and the ties of affection they
create between Americans. And that is why our administration has focused
on empowering citizens with open hearts, not just Government programs by
opening up checkbooks.
I strongly support the faith-based and community-based initiative. I
believe it is in Government's interest to empower those neighborhood
healers and helpers, social entrepreneurs to be able to complete their
acts of love and compassion. Government is love in--Government is
justice and law; it's not love. Love is found in the hearts of our
fellow citizens. And the true strength of America truly is found in the
hearts and souls of Americans who hear the universal call to love a
neighbor.
One of the ways that we have tried to encourage volunteerism is
through the creation of the USA Freedom Corps. The Freedom Corps is an
attempt--and a successful attempt, I might add--to create a culture of
service and citizenship and responsibility. And so one way to be useful
in the Government level is to provide a way for citizens to become
connected to service opportunities in their communities. And it's
working, it really is. Last year alone, more than 60 million--60 million
volunteers from all across America provided
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social services and aid to those in need, both here at home and abroad.
The volunteers oftentimes work for large charitable organizations,
or they find individual opportunities in their own community. But it
always requires someone willing to say, ``I want to help somebody
else.'' And so Americans, if they want to find out how they can help, if
you're motivated by Volunteer Week, or if you're motivated by hearing
this message--you're motivated by a neighbor saying, ``Gosh, it's really
made my life better to help somebody in need,'' why don't you go to the
web site of USA Freedom Corps. And you can look it up at volunteer.gov.
It's not all that hard. You just get on there and type volunteer.gov.
[Laughter] And you can find opportunities to be able to serve your
country by helping somebody who needs some help.
Another step we've taken is the creation of the Presidential Council
on Service and Civic Participation. And one of the Council's initiatives
is awarding the President's Volunteer Service Award, which is a
distinction that honors hard work and dedication. It's a way to say
thanks. We can't give everybody an award; I wish we could. So we try to
herald people who can set a good example for others.
And this year, we focused on recognizing volunteer programs that are
started in corporate America. I believe corporate America has got an
enormous responsibility to give back to their communities--and so too
those who are being honored today. Paul Otellini and Barry Salzberg are with us.
I'm going to talk about each one of them individually.
First, Barry Salzberg. He's the CEO of
Deloitte, and he is--he understands the need to be a good corporate
citizen. He understands corporate giving is an essential part of being a
good citizen in the United States of America. He himself has been a
board member of several charitable organizations, including the College
Summit, the YMCA of Greater New York, and the Committee for Encouraging
Corporate Philanthropy.
Under his leadership, Deloitte has committed to providing pro bono
services worth up to $50 million for the nonprofit sector over the next
3 years. And Barry, thank you very much for
being here.
And then there's Paul Otellini. Glad
you're here, Paul. He happens to be the CEO of a little mom and pop
operation called Intel. [Laughter] Intel will be celebrating its 40th
anniversary this year. The company could have chosen to mark this
occasion by simply looking back on its four decades of impressive
accomplishments, but instead, as a result of Paul's leadership, the
company has chosen to celebrate with a great act of compassion: Intel
has committed to 1 million hours of volunteer service by its employees.
This is a huge effort, and I can't tell you how appreciative we are of
your generosity, but more importantly, those who you will help are more
appreciative of your generosity. Please thank your employees for their--
[applause].
There is a lot of volunteer work here in America. Every day, there
are just countless acts of compassion. And interestingly enough, it
doesn't require one Government law. As a matter of fact, oftentimes
people are inspired by a higher law.
And there are also countless acts of compassion overseas. One of the
great joys for Laura and me is to--as we travel,
is to be able to see ordinary citizens from the United States helping
save babies' lives as a result of the malaria initiative or working with
orphans who have been left alone because of HIV/AIDS. And also, it's a
chance for us to really run into one of the great organizations that
Government has sponsored. It's called the Peace Corps.
Forty-seven years ago, President John F. Kennedy, in the Rose
Garden, sent the first team of Peace Corps volunteers to Africa. And in
the intervening years, more than 190,000 Peace Corps volunteers have
carried our country's great spirit of generosity and compassion
throughout the world.
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Laura and I met with Peace Corps volunteers
in Ghana recently, and they are some kind of fired up. [Laughter] And a
matter of fact, it is exciting to be with those good souls who are
motivated to put--to go help, and in so doing, it really is the best
foreign policy America could possibly have.
And today I just had my picture taken with a group of spirited
volunteers--[laughter]--who are headed to Guatemala. And I thank you all
for your service. And I'm glad you're here, and thanks for coming.
I believe strongly in the admonition to whom much is given, much is
required. Those of you here today are living up to that noble calling,
and you carry on the best traditions of American citizenship. In my
first Inaugural Address, I said, it's important to be a citizen, not a
spectator. And there's no better way to be a citizen [than] * to be a
soldier in the armies of compassion, a foot soldier.
And so today we commemorate your work and the work of volunteers all
across the country, here at the White House. I appreciate the lasting
legacy that you've helped create in the hearts of our fellow citizens. I
thank you for what you do. And I ask for God's blessings on your work.
Thanks for coming.
Note: The President spoke at 2:58 p.m. in the East Room at the White
House. The National Volunteer Week proclamation of April 22 is listed in
Appendix D at the end of this volume.