Presidential Documents

20403 

Federal Register 

Vol. 80, No. 72 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 9253 of April 10, 2015 

National Volunteer Week, 2015 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

As a Nation, our greatest resource is our people. We each have the power 

to strengthen the fabric of our society and make the world a better place. 

Every day, Americans across the country realize this enormous potential 

through service to others and by giving back to their communities. During 

National Volunteer Week, we recognize those who embrace a life of active, 

energetic, and engaged citizenship, and we reaffirm our belief that all people 

have something to contribute to the American story. 

This spirit of service is deeply embedded in our culture and vital to our 

national character. It reflects the idea that we are each our brothers’ and 

our sisters’ keepers, and it is a core part of being an American. Through 

service, ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact. In times of 

tragedy, volunteers are a source of comfort and resilience; in places of 

great need, they offer hope and renew our faith that a brighter day lies 

ahead; and in small neighborhoods and bustling cities, these dedicated individuals help build ladders of opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds. Volunteers—often with few resources and little recognition—make 

enormous sacrifices to lift up the people around them as well as those 

they may never meet. As they do, they give new life to the values that 

bind us together as Americans and to the promise that those who love 

their country can change it. 

My Administration is working to empower more Americans with opportunities to give back to their neighborhoods and to our country, and we are 

committed to supporting those who already do. That is why we created 

a task force to find new ways to expand and improve national service. 

And last year we launched the Employers of National Service initiative 

because we know those who are passionate about making a difference in 

their communities have the talents and experience to bolster our Nation’s 

workforce. Through the Corporation for National and Community Service, 

we are investing in programs like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, and we 

have expanded the scope of these opportunities—initiatives such as School 

Turnaround AmeriCorps, justice AmeriCorps, and STEM AmeriCorps are 

focusing on some of our country’s most pressing needs. 

The unending task of perfecting our Nation does not fall to any one person 

or to our Government alone—and the solutions to the problems we face 

do not lie beyond our reach. We must enlist all Americans in the effort 

to build a better future for the next generation, and we should each make 

service a lifelong commitment. Together, we can work to meet our Nation’s 

challenges, not just for one day, but every day. This week, let us renew 

our commitment to this important cause and rededicate ourselves to the 

work ahead. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 12 through 

April 18, 2015, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon all Americans 

to observe this week by volunteering in service projects across our country 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with D0

20404 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 72 / Wednesday, April 15, 2015 / Presidential Documents 

and pledging to make service a part of their daily lives. To find a service 

opportunity nearby, visit www.Serve.gov. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of 

April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence 

of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth. 

[FR Doc. 2015–08828 

Filed 4–14–15; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F5 


mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with D0OB#1.EPS</GPH>