Hellllllllo from New York!
Daniel Parr here, SCA alumnus extraordinaire and your on-the-scene correspondent for Service Nation [1]!
Tomorrow is the first of the two big summit days here in Manhattan, and there’s no time to waste! MyGoodDeed.org [2]has put together a terrific service project at a public elementary school in Chinatown, and volunteers will be helping revitalize the school’s library, paint a few murals, and read books with the students! I’m looking forward to being a part of it, and telling you all about it afterwards :)
After that, I’ll be headed up to Columbia University to hear the 2008 Presidential Candidates John McCain and Barack Obama speak about the importance of volunteer service in the 21st century. This is a nationally-televised event, so check your local listings. Submit a question for the candidates here, and you might get an answer on live TV!
Now I don’t want to get all preachy on you, but before you hear it from the Candidates tomorrow, I can assure you that service - of any kind - is absolutely vital to our communities and our country. That’s why the SCA has been providing opportunities for young people to serve for over 50 years! Whether by building bridges in the backcountry [3] or lending a hand in our cities [4], our volunteers are making a real, positive impact on our world.
…But there’s always more to be done. So whether you volunteer for a day with ServiceNation on the 27th [5], or intern for a year with the SCA [6], your effort is going to shape you and the world around you. Like Dr. King said: “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”
I’m excited to be here in this absolutely tremendous city for this great event, and I hope you’ll keep checking back – I’ll keep writing!
Until next time…