Governor Kaine Recognizes Launch of "United We Serve" Initiative

Press Release

Governor Kaine Recognizes Launch of "United We Serve" Initiative

- Governor encourages sustained involvement by Virginia volunteers in their communities; First Lady Holton joins Secretary of the Interior Salazar to kick of Presidential initiative -

Governor Timothy M. Kaine today applauded the launch of the United We Serve initiative, a national effort by the Obama administration to promote and sustain community involvement. To kick off the initiative in Virginia, First Lady Anne Holton and Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Nikki Rovner joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at the Big Meadows area of Shenandoah National Park to perform invasive weed removal. Governor Kaine will participate in a number of programs throughout the summer as part of the initiative.

"This summer is going to be rich with volunteer opportunities for anyone, no matter their age or interests," said Governor Kaine. "We all have knowledge and talents that can be used to impact the lives of our fellow Virginians and make our communities better places to live. There's a school, park or health center in every person's neighborhood ready to flourish with a bit of consistent support. This is too important to leave to 'somebody else' and I hope all Virginians will use this summer to re-commit to helping others."

United We Serve aims to put volunteers on a path to sustained service in their communities. Citizens are encouraged to organize those within their community, identify unmet needs, develop their own service projects, and network with others who have similar skills or interests. The initiative will encourage participation across a wide range of service areas, with particular emphasis on fields that will help mitigate the effects of the economic downturn, and help America recover. The areas of emphasis are:

* Promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, and public land restoration
* Education and literacy
* Increasing health care access, public health awareness, and prevention
* Providing community renewal to areas hardest hit by the economic crisis

State agencies have been directed to work with community and faith-based groups and volunteer networks to develop service opportunities statewide. Information on these programs will be available through local volunteer centers and posted on www.serve.gov, the federal government's resource for volunteer opportunities.

The efforts of volunteers can be especially powerful in meeting the growing social needs of those most affected by the economic downturn. In some cases, the capacities of traditional volunteerism opportunities are being stretched, so United We Serve will seek to engage citizens in both existing organizations, and also the performance of "do-it-yourself" projects.

The Virginia Department of Social Services' Office on Volunteerism and Community Services (OVCS) is one point of contact for United We Serve efforts in the Commonwealth.

"Virginia can accomplish so much, especially if we collaborate and keep at it," said OVCS Director Nikki Nicholau. "We have a strong volunteer support network. We have the ideas and the opportunities. We need people to make them happen."

President Barack Obama announced the initiative last week in a video message on www.serve.gov. United We Serve will culminate on September 11, 2009, with the National Day of Service and Remembrance.

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