City a leader in national volunteer movement, Maria Saporta, Atlanta Business Chronicle
The Service Solution, Alan Khazei & John Bridgeland, Huffington Post
"If there is one thing both candidates agree on, it is that the next president will have to call on all our citizens for greater sacrifice and service. The ServiceNation Day of Action provided a one-day snapshot of the extraordinary things ordinary people can achieve, especially in tough economic times, to empower service as a key strategy for uniting Americans and solving problems."
Now is the Moment to Create a New Era of Service, Alan Khazei, Independent Sector
"For almost 30 years, the members of Independent Sector, from the AARP to the YWCA, have worked to promote volunteering and civic engagement in America. And now supporters of service have a unique moment in our history, an opportunity to try and establish these ideals as core ideals in our democracy. Consider: both presidential candidates believe deeply in service; post-9/11, Americans (particularly Millennials and retiring Boomers) increasingly want opportunities to serve their communities and country; and national service programs—from City Year to Teach For America to Youthbuild to many, many others—are testing and proving strategies of impact that can be scaled. With your help and continued leadership we can and must seize this moment."
Time for service is now , Michael Alter & Stephen Quazzo, Chicago Tribune
"With both the partisan Democratic and Republican National Conventions behind us, our attention as citizens should turn to issues addressing how we can all help make our country better. Coincidently, another important gathering has just taken place, one that reminds us what Americans have in common: our shared optimism and our shared challenges."
The Candidates Stump for National Service , Richard Stengel, TIME
"Whoever raises his right hand to take the oath of office as President next January will pledge to uphold the Constitution — and will have already promised to make national service a priority for his Administration."
Candidates promise national service initiatives, Michael D. Shear & Jonathan Weisman
"NEW YORK, Sept. 11 -- Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain pledged to inspire a new commitment to public service Thursday, as they set aside the rancor of an intense presidential campaign during a two-hour forum on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks."
National Service, Not Lip Service, The Boston Globe
"ONE THING Barack Obama and John McCain agree on is that each would make a new call for citizen service central to his presidency. Indeed, last night the two contenders were scheduled to appear (separately) at a televised forum to promote greater civic engagement as part of a Sept. 11 remembrance called the ServiceNation Summit."
The Spirit of Public Service, The New York Times
"At a forum at Columbia University marking the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, John McCain and Barack Obama took a break from their increasingly harsh presidential contest to speak with genuine passion about a worthy cause they both share: engaging more Americans in national service."
Kennedy to introduce sweeping national service bill, Susan Milligan, Boston Globe
"NEW YORK -- Senator Edward M. Kennedy, sidelined from the Senate as he undergoes treatment for a malignant brain tumor, plans to introduce a sweeping new national service bill tomorrow to recruit 175,000 Americans of all ages to do service work in health, education, environmental protection and anti-poverty programs, with their work partly subsidized by the federal government."
A New Age for Individual Service, Tom Nelson and Usher Raymond IV, Huffington Post
"Almost 50 years ago, President John Kennedy challenged Americans to ask what they can do for their country. The Baby Boom and Silent Generations answered that call to service, volunteering to build better lives for others at home and overseas through programs like VISTA and the Peace Corps.'"
Serving others is the American way, Michelle Obama and Jeannie Ritter, DenverPost
"In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama spoke about our shared destiny as Americans. He gave voice to a belief that many of us hold, one that urges us to always remember: 'I am my brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper.'"
Group asks McCain, Obama not to campaign on 9/11, Claudia Parsons, Reuters
"NEW YORK (Reuters) - A group of September 11 victims' families appealed to White House hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama on Wednesday to suspend all campaigning on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks as a show of respect."
McCain, Obama to silence critical ads on Sept. 11, Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidential contenders Barack Obama and John McCain plan to pull ads on Sept. 11 that criticize each other, a respite from the political fray to honor the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks."
National service coalition partners with Facebook, Seacoastonline.com
"NEW YORK, NY – ServiceNation, a diverse new coalition of more than 100 organizations dedicated to expanding voluntary community and national service opportunities, announced Thursday that it has selected Facebook as its lead social media partner."
Facebook declares support for new nonprofit ServiceNation, Caroline McCarthy, CNetNew.com - The social
"ServiceNation, a relatively new nonprofit that hopes to engage more Americans in volunteer and service work, has earned the seal of approval from Facebook."
Why Doing Good Is Sexy , Julia Moulden, Huffington Post
"Doing good has never been hotter. Everybody's talking about their desire to make a difference, and volunteerism and civic participation are suddenly as high as they were in the 1960s. This fact is not lost on the two U.S. presidential candidates, who have made public service a centerpiece of their platforms.
If Alan Khazei is right, it's about to get even more exciting. We're about to see a renaissance of altruism across the United States and around the world."
Service to Country is Presidential, John Bridgeland, Tonwhall.com
"On September 11, 2008 in New York City, Senator John McCain will share his vision on a topic he has lived – service to country. And he will share it on the anniversary of a day seven years ago when many others unexpectedly lived it as well. He will not be alone."
McCain to speak at Sept. 11 forum on volunteerism AP Wire
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain will speak about the need for public service at a national forum on that topic being held in New York on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks."
National Service Summit Set for New York City The NonProfit Times
"More than 100 nonprofit organizations, both national in scope and local groups, have pledged to take part in a ServiceNation Summit, a non-partisan political campaign trying to push the issue of national service to the forefront of American life."
The Service Agenda Richard Stengel, Time
"It is a unique moment for the idea of national service. You have two presidential candidates who believe deeply in service and who have made it part of their core message to voters. You have millions of Americans who are yearning to be more involved in the world and in their communities. You have corporations and businesses that are making civic engagement a key part of their mission."
It's National Service - Don't Call It Volunteering Eleanor Clift, The NonProfit Times
"Young people between the ages of 16 and 19 are volunteering 100 percent more than their counterparts of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s while boomers seeking post-retirement fulfillment are on track to double in 10 years the number of AmeriCorps volunteers who are seniors. There are more volunteers than ever in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, and the most sought after placement on college campuses is with Teach for America."
Too many fail to realize the basic idea of America: We decide John M. Bridgeland & John J. Dilulio Jr., Cincinnati Enquirer
"The presidential campaign has reached a new low over an unexpected enemy - patriotism. A former four-star general has said that Sen. John McCain's military service is not relevant to his ability to be commander in chief. Sen. Barack Obama's loyalty as an American has been questioned because of his failure to wear a flag pin and hold his hand over his heart. Personal attacks and gesture politics are no substitute for a serious conversation about patriotism."
Citizen power Billy Shore, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The hardest work of a great nation has always fallen to its citizens, not just its leaders. I didn't reach this conclusion after leaving presidential politics. I left politics after reaching the conclusion that empowering others to share their strengths is essential to our common agenda, and the agenda of the next president too."
