President Obama Calls on Americans to Serve

/PRNewswire/ -- President Obama called on all Americans to help in our nation's recovery by volunteering in their communities this summer in a video message released today by the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The President's call to summer service launches United We Serve, a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation. The United We Serve initiative kicks off on June 22, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

"This summer, I'm calling on all of you to make volunteerism and community service part of your daily life and the life of this nation," said President Obama in the video. "And when I say 'all,' I mean everyone - young and old, from every background, all across this country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort."

To make it easy for Americans to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit Serve.gov, a website managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Visitors to Serve.gov can type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families and neighbors.

"The President has made a bold call to service at a time of great need and Americans are ready to respond," said Nicola Goren, the Corporation's Acting CEO. "Through United We Serve and Serve.gov, we hope to engage millions of Americans in service this summer and beyond."

The initiative officially kicks off on June 22 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, where 4,000 service and volunteer leaders are meeting to map out strategies to increase the impact of service in solving community problems.

The United We Serve initiative was conceived as a way to directly involve Americans in tackling problems in their communities. While any kind of volunteer service is encouraged, the effort focuses on four key areas education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.

"The challenges we face are unprecedented in their size and scope, and we cannot rely on quick fixes or easy answers to put us on the road to recovery," said President Obama. "Economic recovery is as much about what you're doing in your communities as what we're doing in Washington - and it's going to take all of us, working together."

The effort comes at a time of strong need and momentum for service, as the economic downturn puts more Americans at risk and increases the demand for social services. At the same time, many nonprofit groups are experiencing a 'compassion boom' of increasing volunteers as Americans reach out to help their neighbors. United We Serve aims to tap this growing interest and focus it on addressing specific community needs.

The initiative builds on recent bipartisan efforts to expand service opportunities and invest in the civic infrastructure including the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed by President Obama on April 21. This landmark legislation reauthorizes and expands national service programs and strengthens social innovation and volunteer management in the nonprofit sector.

Recognizing that some organizations are stretched in their capacity to take on new volunteers, United We Serve also encourages individuals to organize their friends, families and neighbors to develop their own service projects to meet pressing local needs. The Serve.gov website includes easy-to-use toolkits on projects such as organizing a book drive, creating a community garden, or conducting a home energy audit.

The initiative will culminate on September 11 in a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This will mark the first time the nation has observed 9/11 as a national day of service, an effort started several years ago by 9/11 family members that was included in the Serve America Act. The day will be marked by volunteer service, remembrance activities, and pledges to make service an ongoing commitment throughout the year.

To encourage participation in service this summer and beyond, the Serve.gov website features a new All for Good volunteer matching platform that allows people to search for volunteer opportunities based on location and interests. The site allows users to sign in with their primary social network and includes social media applications to share volunteer opportunities with friends and see what activities they are participating in.

Corporation for National and Community Service outreach for United We Serve is supported by a grant from Target.

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Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Introduces Statewide Child Care Referral Service

/PRNewswire / -- Beginning today, Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is introducing a new service to help families locate accessible, affordable, quality child care. By calling toll-free - 1-877-ALL GA KIDS - families can learn about licensed child care in one of Georgia's approximately 3,000 child care learning centers, 250 group day care homes, and 5,300 family day care homes all across the state.

Callers to 1-877-ALL GA KIDS will speak to trained staff from Quality Care for Children, an independent, not-for-profit organization with whom Bright from the Start has contracted to consolidate information about child care providers in all 159 counties and to oversee the new referral service. Quality Care for Children representatives will help families connect with child care providers in their area who are licensed, convenient to work or home, and within the family budget. They will also provide information and advice on how to select a qualified child care provider. A searchable database will also be available at www.allgakids.org.

"Our goal is to equip parents with as much information as possible in order for them to make the best decisions for their families," said Dr. Holly Robinson, commissioner of Bright from the Start. "1-877-ALL GA KIDS is Georgia's source for parents to locate quality child care whether they are north in Fannin County or at the southern tip of the state in Lowndes County."

An estimated 64% of families in Georgia use child care, and demand is growing as more family members work outside the home. Quality Care for Children CEO Pam Tatum said as tough economic conditions put an additional strain on the child care services families use, more parents are turning to unlicensed providers who might cost less but aren't always safe or properly trained.

"In the 30 years Quality Care for Children has been operating, this may prove to be the most challenging time yet for the families we serve," Tatum said. "Many are overwhelmed by what's happened with the economy, and they're struggling to make difficult financial choices, so this referral program could not have come at a better time."

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MLB, Atlanta Braves, and 'People' to recognize Atlanta-Area Community "All Star" at 2009 MLB All-Star Game

Major League Baseball, the Atlanta Braves and PEOPLE have launched a national campaign, "People All-Stars Among Us," which will recognize individuals who have served their communities in extraordinary ways. Fans are encouraged to nominate those from the Atlanta-area who are making a difference within the community. This initiative is part of the 2009 MLB All-Star Summer program dedicated to charitable initiatives and recognition of the important role of community service.

Braves fans can log on to www.PeopleAllStars.com through May 22 to nominate themselves as well as community "All-Stars" they would like to recognize within the Atlanta-area. Three finalists representing the Braves will be announced in June and the public will vote online for one winner among the finalists to represent the club at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis.

All 30 winners will be integrated into the All-Star Week festivities in St. Louis and honored during the All-Star Game pre-game ceremony. One winning "All-Star Among Us" will be featured in PEOPLE editorial the week of the MLB All-Star Game.

Major League Baseball will dedicate 2009 All-Star Summer to raising funds and awareness for charitable initiatives and celebrating the importance of community service. The charity and community service initiatives, which will be themed "Going Beyond," will be the most extensive in Major League Baseball All-Star history and will complement the celebration of history and traditions of baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals. Major League Baseball will focus its efforts on three key pillars - Health, Youth Development and Community - by supporting healthcare organizations and education programs, increasing opportunities for young people to play baseball, acting in an environmentally-conscious manner and celebrating the community service accomplishments of everyday citizens.

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USDA Committed to National Internships Through Student Conservation Association

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer expanded potential conservation work and learning opportunities nationwide for high school and college students to include all USDA's 17 agencies for internships through the non-profit Student Conservation Association on Wednesday, January 7.

For more than 40 years, USDA's Forest Service has accepted more than 10,000 of the association's interns for conservation and summer trail crews. A memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday by Schafer and Student Conservation Association president Dale Penny expands potential work learning experiences to many other USDA agencies in a variety of scientific and conservation disciplines.

"USDA agencies are very pleased with the dedication, ability and enthusiasm of Student Conservation Association interns," said Schafer. "Today, by expanding this arrangement, more USDA agencies throughout the country can offer development of valuable skills and experiences to young adults interested in conservation. The Student Conservation Association helped forge a career pathway beginning at trailheads and through forests for many of USDA's managers and staff."

In 2008, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) placed 333 members at U.S. Forest Service sites, including high school conservation crews, as well as six interns in New Hampshire with USDA's National Resource Conservation Service.

Since 1957, SCA's active, hands-on practice of conservation through a nationwide service force of college and high school students annually renders some two million hours of conservation service in support of the nation's natural and cultural resources. Fully 60 percent of SCA interns use their experience to launch careers in conservation. Internships offered by SCA to students 18 years of age and older provide housing, with living expenses as well as round trip transportation to the assignment.

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Ron Sailor Jr Sentenced to Over 5 Years on Federal Charges

Walter Ronnie ("Ron") Sailor, Jr, 33, of Norcross, Georgia, was sentenced September 17, 2008, by United States District Judge Jack T. Camp on charges of money laundering and wire fraud.

Sailor was sentenced to 5 years, 3 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release and also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service. Sailor also was ordered to forfeit all of the property involved and traceable to his crimes, at least $181,802.24.

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