[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 

PROCLAMATION 8960--APR. 19, 2013

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,


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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 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.
BARACK OBAMA