The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Sonal Shah, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, offers reflections for National Volunteer Week.
March was an important month for service. Two events – the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps and the Points of Light event honoring President George H.W. Bush’s contribution to the modern service movement – highlighted service in an unprecedented way. To commemorate these events, the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation dedicated its blog to share stories celebrating service.
These stories came from many different leaders including, Harris Wofford, one of the principal architects of the Peace Corps, to prominent Returned Peace Corps Volunteers like Donna Shalala, to current Peace Corps Volunteers in Ghana and Mongolia, give us insight into what it is like to serve abroad. Other blogs, like those by Christa Gannon and Iris Dooling, illustrate the impact that individuals can have on their communities and tell compelling stories of the need for service here at home. They exemplify the powerful tradition of service in our country.
As we go into National Volunteer Week, we look forward to continuing to share stories about volunteers and community leaders around the country who are making a difference.
Sonal Shah is the Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
