[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 16 (Monday, April 25, 1994)]
[Page 822]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6673--National Volunteer Week, 1994

April 15, 1994

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Since the founding of our democracy, the ideal of community service 
has been an integral part of our national character. As the words of 
Thomas Jefferson remind us, ``A debt of service is due from every man to 
his country proportioned to the bounties which nature and fortune have 
measured to him.'' Throughout our history, Americans have been called 
upon to meet his challenge a thousandfold. For our Nation is a place of 
tremendous blessings--a noble purpose, a wealth of resources, a diverse 
and determined people. We are rich in the gifts of freedom. During this 
week especially, we realize anew that shared responsibility is freedom's 
price.
    That our vibrant spirit of community has made our country strong 
reflects our understanding of this enduring truth. Every day, countless 
volunteers across America work to address the fundamental necessities of 
our people--educating our youth, protecting our environment, caring for 
those in need. From children who help older Americans after school to 
volunteer firemen who guard our neighborhoods while we sleep, these 
dedicated individuals bring a sense of hope and security to everyone 
whose lives they touch. Their service makes us stronger as a Nation, 
setting a powerful example of leadership and compassion to which we all 
can aspire.
    This past year has marked the beginning of a new era for America, an 
era in which those of us who have benefited from this great land are 
acting on our instincts to help others in return. Though government has 
an important role to play in meeting the many challenges that remain 
before us, we are coming to understand that no organization, including 
government, will fully succeed without the active participation of each 
of us. Working family by family, block by block, the efforts of 
America's volunteers are vital to enabling this country to live up to 
the true promise of its heritage.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of April 17 
through April 23, 1994, as ``National Volunteer Week.'' I call upon all 
Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, 
and activities as an expression of their gratitude.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day 
of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:03 a.m., April 18, 
1994]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on April 16, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
April 19.