Service…what can one say? For me, national service has been part of my life for the past 25 years. I have been honored with the opportunity to serve at the beginning of many great service organizations…Michigan Campus Compact, the Michigan Community Service Commission and the Corporation for National Service. In each of these instances, I have had the pleasure to serve along very dedicated, smart staff and to meet and interact with great service members in the field.
The most important aspect of all this work has been the dedication and impact that our national service members have brought to communities all over this country. The dedication and hard work that you have undertaken has allowed individuals to recover from disasters, learn to read, increase their education, tend to environmental needs in our communities, increase health education, help individuals keep their homes, improve access to services, and provide basic needs like food and shelter. These assignments and projects have been so important to growing a sense of hope and improving lives in our local communities.
As we come to the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, we must not lose sight of what has been accomplished and we must realize that there is still much to be done. We must continue to strive to educate our neighbors and family members of the needs that exist and understand that only through the dedicated and committed work of every individual will we be able to make our cities safer, our schools better, and our nation stronger. Many great leaders have spoken about the power of service…but only you can make it happen…only you can take the next step…only you can change the world.Thank you all for your “servant leadership” today and in the years ahead.
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