President Obama: National Day of Service offers a chance to 'change lives'

Each January as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are called not just to pause and reflect, but to act. That?s why the day before my first inauguration, my family and I joined folks around the country for the National Day of Service. It was one of the highlights of our weekend, and a fitting way to honor a man who lived his life in loving service to others.

This Saturday, we?re continuing that tradition with another National Day of Service. Michelle, the girls and I will be volunteering in our community, and we?re asking all Americans to join us.

Taking part is easy. If you?re in Washington for the inauguration, you can come to the National Mall, where we?re hosting a service fair with nearly 100 non-profit organizations. And no matter where you are, it?s easy to find a project near you at 2013pic.org/serve. People have organized events in all 50 states, so whether it?s cleaning up damage from Hurricane Sandy, taking part in a food drive, or pitching in at a school, church or shelter, everyone can lend a hand.

Thousands of people have already volunteered their time, but the National Day of Service isn?t just about the number of hours we commit. It?s about the difference we can make. The girl walking through her freshly repainted school with a new sense of possibility. The soldier opening a care package far from home. The mom or dad, forced to turn to a food bank in a time of need, knowing their kids won?t go hungry.

When you serve, you change lives?and the life you change most might be your own. That?s a lesson I learned as a young man in Chicago more than two decades ago. When I moved there to become a community organizer, I wasn't sure what was waiting for me, but I had always been inspired by the stories of the civil rights movement and President Kennedy's call to service, and I wanted to do my part.

It wasn't easy, but over time, working with leaders from across the community, we began to make a difference in neighborhoods devastated by steel plants that had closed down and jobs that had dried up. We began to see a real improvement in people's lives. And I came to realize I wasn't just helping people, I was receiving something in return, because through service I found a community that embraced me, citizenship that was meaningful and the direction that I had been seeking. I discovered how my own improbable story fit into the larger story of America.

I've seen that same spirit of service across this country. I've met people of all ages and walks of life who want nothing more than to do their part. I've seen a generation of young people volunteer in record numbers. They came of age amidst the horrors of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an economic crisis without precedent. And yet, despite all this?or more likely because of it?they've become a generation embodying that most American of ideas, that people who love their country can change it.

As I prepare to begin my second term, I?ll be thinking of them, and of all the ordinary men and women who inspire me with their grit, their selflessness, and their enduring optimism. Every day, they remind me that the strength of our country comes from the strength of our people. Americans have always given of themselves to lift up their communities. It?s part of who we are.

So I hope a National Day of Service becomes an inaugural tradition that extends far into the future. Just as importantly, I hope it?s one more step toward renewing a true spirit of service in our country. I?m deeply moved, but not at all surprised, that more than 178,000 Americans have already gone to the Day of Service Web site and committed to serve their communities throughout 2013. After the Inauguration is over, you?ll still be able to go to serve.gov and get connected to organizations making a difference near you.

As we look to the start of a new year and a new term, there?s no question that tremendous challenges lie ahead. But if we live up to our responsibilities and recommit to our tradition of civic participation, there is nothing our country can?t achieve. Dr. King once said that, "Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve." In this defining moment, we each have the chance to reach out to our neighbors, lend a helping hand, and answer that call to greatness.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama--national-day-of-service-offers-a-chance-to--change-lives--110548447.html

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