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Stand Up and Play Your Part.

Submitted by Cara Pavelko on Thu, 2009-06-11 15:00

volunteer

“We need your service right now, at this moment in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I am asking you to stand up and play your part” --- President Barack Obama

President Obama spoke these words to the American people when he signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act encouraging Americans to volunteer by allocating $5.7 billion to the effort. As American citizens, what is our part in all of this? Are we doing all we can for our fellow man? Unemployment has reached a staggering 9% leaving many families guessing where their next meal will come from. Foreclosures are on the rise and food pantries are exceeding the number of families and individuals they once comfortably served.

I realize that work and life are fiercly intertwined and it can be difficult to lift our heads from our computers and our Blackberry’s- so much so that I think we have lost our connection as a community. But when we rest our heads on our pillows at night we are all the same. When we kiss our children goodnight we are all the same. We all want to love and be loved and we all need a community.

My community keeps me centered, let’s me know I’m home and gives me emotional support when I fall down. My community cares when I don’t have enough money to eat or if I need a soft place to fall.

I ask you to consider taking the time to look around and see how you can help. Take an hour or two to donate your time and talent. I dare you to try and make someone’s day! I dare you to make your own day!

Consider that most people find themselves in need at some point in their lives. So today you may be the person with the ability to help, but tomorrow you may be the person who needs the help.

Tell me, how are you going to do your part?

Cara Pavelko's blog

Comments

Submitted by Jonathan Faccento on Fri, 2009-06-12 11:15.

Good post. I know Barack has gotten some inspiration from FDR in the past and this quote really sticks out to me, "In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people." I think its the same way with our community, we we don't take care of these root problems you mentioned now, who is going to help us when WE need the help?

Submitted by Sharon Ifill Brown on Thu, 2009-06-11 16:12.

You said it!!! Seriously, I think we as a nation get caught up in our "Day to Day" lives and forget to take a minute to look around to see what is really going on in their community. We forget to take a moment to think, if I lost my job, and my savings was running on empty, and my choices were pay the mortgage or feed my kids, what would I do? We all need a soft place to fall. And that's why we need to make sure the local food pantry has enough food to feed families. We as a community are stronger when that is achieved. That can start by just volunteering in your local community. People would be amazed how just doing a little can do so much... YES WE CAN!!!