Article Contributed on: 9/26/2008 9:09:17 AM
Denver, CO - September 25, 2008 - Colorado residents will have a chance to make a significant difference in their community and be part of a nationwide day of volunteerism on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008. On that day, Metro Volunteers, in partnership with Safe City, Democrats Work, Denver Parks and Recreation, Volunteers of America, AmeriCorps Alums, Boys and Girls Club, and Volunteer Connection of Boulder County, will be hosting the first-ever Colorado Summit on Service and Service Day.
The Colorado Summit on Service will bring together over 100 community leaders of all ages and from every sector of American life -from youth groups and nonprofits, to business and politics-to celebrate the power and potential of citizen service, highlighting the power of our citizenry to address America's greatest social challenges through expanded opportunities for volunteer and national service. From 9:00-10:00am, the Summit on Service program will include speakers from Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Safe City, the Governor's Commission on Community Service, and Boys and Girls Club. Senator Chris Romer will also be speaking on behalf of the Obama and Udall campaigns. Topics covered during the Summit on Service include national service abroad, the state of national service in Colorado, and issues facing youth in service.
Following the Summit on Service, Denver Parks and Recreation will be hosting a service project where 75 volunteers will be planting trees and preparing the park for fall. First Lady Jeannie Ritter will be participating in the service project. 90% of the volunteers participating in the Service Day are youth leaders - showing their support of the ServiceNation vision to expand service on college campuses; placing 1 million Americans per year in full- and part-time stipended national service by 2020.
What is the ServiceNation Day of Action?
On September 11th, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama attended a forum hosted by Service Nation, and both spoke about the importance of volunteerism and civic engagement. On the ServiceNation Day of Action, residents of communities in all 50 states will take part in over 3,000 events, including service projects, volunteer fairs, citizen hearings, and other activities. The ServiceNation Day of Action will highlight the ways in which regular Americans can help to address the challenges facing our nation. In addition, the Day of Action kicks off a year-long campaign to inspire America to become a nation of service.