[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 7 (Monday, February 19, 2007)]
[Pages 148-149]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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

[[Page 149]]

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 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.