The Obamas help pack ’em up
The Obama family helped fill 10,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks, Frisbees and other items for the children of armed services members on Thursday at an event sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. An additional 5,000 backpacks were filled previously by volunteers from Feeding America, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps and soldiers serving at Fort Lesley J. McNair. The 15,000 backpacks will be distributed to children attending Operation Purple summer camps, which are organized by the National Military Families Association and the Sierra Club in 34 states, and to children of military families attending USO Metropolitan Washington events in the D.C. region.
Also last week, first lady Michelle Obama urged individuals, nonprofit groups, foundations, businesses and government to take part in the administration’s community-service campaign, United We Serve.
Every little bit counts, she said. “Everything from organizing carpools and bike-to-work programs, to reading to children and registering people for library cards, to organizing community health drives and working with senior centers to promote exercise, to collecting and delivering food for families in need.”
Voters view community service
From Rasmussen Reports: “Sixty-nine percent of U.S. voters say it is more important to do volunteer work for church and community organizations than it is to get involved in politics and political campaigns.
“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 17 [percent] of voters think it is more important to get involved in politics, while 15 [percent] are not sure which is best.
“But voters nationwide are closely divided over the importance of volunteer work and groups to bring about the kind of change that is needed in the United States. Forty-five percent say volunteer activities are more likely to bring needed change than new government programs and policies. But 41 [percent] disagree and see government action as more likely to promote necessary change.
“One government program most voters agree on, however, is making high school students perform a certain number of hours of community service as a requirement for graduation. Fifty-three percent of voters say it’s a good idea, while 37 [percent] oppose such a requirement, which is already in place in several states.
“Women, those under 40, and upper-income voters place more emphasis on volunteer work than men, those over 40, and lower-income voters.
“While 57 [percent] of conservatives lean toward volunteerism as the best agent of change, 72 [percent] of liberals have more faith in government action.
“A majority of liberals favor the community service requirement for high school graduation, too, while conservatives are more closely divided on the question.”
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