[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9419 of April 8, 2016

National Volunteer Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each day, humble people of every background and belief come together to
fulfill the timeless responsibility we have as Americans: to accept
certain obligations to one another. People of all ages can volunteer,
and anyone can, through the smallest of acts, do their part to improve
the lives of others. This week, we celebrate the selfless individuals
around our country who channel their civic virtues through volunteerism,
and we encourage more people to make service an integral part of their
lives.
In National Parks and public schools, food pantries and animal shelters,
volunteers fan out in communities across America, devoted to a cause
bigger than themselves. In crisis and disaster, they offer not only
goods and resources, but also understanding and sympathy to those
desperate and distraught. In underserved neighborhoods, they help
cultivate hope and inspiration, rolling back poverty and roadblocks to
opportunity. Generations of these often unsung heroes--driven by their
conviction that we all have a stake in each other--have lifted up those
they know and those they do not, making our Nation and our world a
better place.
My Administration is dedicated to giving people more opportunities to
serve. I established a Task Force on Expanding National Service that
supports the expansion of service and volunteer projects to address some
of our Nation's highest priorities. Through the Corporation for National
and Community Service, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps have mobilized
millions of Americans, sending them to areas in need of dedicated
volunteers. Under these programs, we have established campaigns that
address specific needs in vulnerable communities, such as increasing
access to college, improving STEM education, and preserving our
environment. I have also called on 200,000 Federal scientists and
engineers to help mentor young people in STEM fields. And in 2014, I
launched the Employers of National Service initiative, connecting
employers with AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni--because often the most
talented, tireless, and mission-driven employees are those who have
given of themselves for the betterment of others. In the time since,
hundreds of employers have signed up to participate in this program.
Volunteers help drive our country's progress, and day in and day out,
they make extraordinary sacrifices to expand promise and possibility.
During National Volunteer Week, let us shed the cynicism that says one
person cannot make a difference in the lives of others by embrac

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ing each of our individual responsibilities to serve and shape a
brighter future for all.
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 10 through April
16, 2016, 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. To find a
service opportunity nearby, visit www.Serve.gov.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA