The President�s Universal Call To Service
Statement of Support
The President�s Universal Call to Service for every American to give
4000 hours, or two years of volunteer service to his or her community and
nation over a lifetime represents a defining moment in history. This Call
to Service is historically significant and reminiscent of President
Roosevelt�s creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, President
Kennedy�s creation of the Peace Corps, President Bush�s creation of the
1000 points of light and the launching of the Points of Light Foundation,
and President Clinton�s creation of AmeriCorps and the establishment of
the Corporation for National & Community Service. Such an
aggressive call for individual citizen engagement, spurred by the nation�s
response to September 11th, requires a unique level of collaborative
support and integration with all levels of government, the nonprofit
sector, and the business community. Each sector must be united in its
intentions and response to ensure that the Call to Service is successful,
and to sow the seeds of service for generations to come. The Association
for Volunteer Administration, together with Independent Sector, the
National Council of Nonprofit Associations, the Volunteer Center National
Network, the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and the National
Association for Volunteer Programs in Local Government, stands committed
to the President�s Call to Service. We agree to work within our own
networks and in cooperation with each other, and alongside the private
sector and other organizations and coalitions that are committed to civic
engagement, to make the President�s Call to Service a success.
The Challenge
Research by Independent Sector, The UPS Foundation, Gallup, and other
institutions, reveals that:
The current infrastructure of the nonprofit sector and local government
volunteer programs must be involved and leveraged for the President�s Call
to Service to be successful. Enhanced levels of training and technical
assistance, along with greater integration and communication with national
efforts will be required for the sector to participate fully in this
initiative, and successfully increase its capacity to mobilize and sustain
volunteers.
The Offer
The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) and the other
identified organizations in this statement offer their support to the Call
to Service. Specifically, the membership of AVA shall support the
initiative by continuing to serve as resources and advocates to the large
and diverse constituency of volunteer resources managers around the
country who are dedicated to the process and practice of effective,
sustainable volunteer engagement. Jointly, the organizations listed on
this statement will actively support the Call to Service by:
AVA understands that the success of the President�s Call to Service
hinges on issues of infrastructure, implementation, and sustainability.
AVA looks forward to working with the partners in this statement, along
with all levels of government and the broad network of the nonprofit
sector on these three critical issues. | |
