March 31 marked another important date for national service and civic engagement. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate's version of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. This bipartisan legislation will dramatically expand national and community service opportunities and support a new generation of social innovation. It takes the best of the past while adding new 21st century elements and lays out a new architecture to take this movement to scale. We already know that our citizens are eager to serve to address our pressing social problems. Now the authorization is in place so that increased numbers of Americans will have the opportunity to improve our communities through service and social innovation.
President Barack Obama made the following statement on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act:
"Because of this legislation, millions of Americans at all stages of their lives will have new opportunities to serve their country. From improving service learning in schools to creating an army of 250,000 Corps members a year dedicated to addressing our nation's toughest problems. From connecting working Americans to a variety of part-time service opportunities to better utilizing the skills and experience of our retirees and baby boomers. This legislation will help tap the genius of our faith-based and community organizations, and it will find the most innovative ideas for addressing our common challenges and helping those ideas grow. But while our government can provide every opportunity imaginable for us to serve our communities, now it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country."
Volunteering is democracy in action. While we may vote in elections once or twice a year, when we volunteer, we vote every day about the kind of communities and state we want for our citizens.
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