A Stroke of Genius
In 1994, the US Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, which made the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (King Holiday) a national day of volunteer service. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service website provides many resources for those looking for opportunities to serve. That sites exhorts visitors to
Make it a day on, not a day off.
In today’s Washington Post, there is an article titled For King Holiday, Calling All Volunteers. The article begins
President-elect Barack Obama is urging the nation to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day as it was originally intended: as a national day of service.
With the holiday falling the day before his Jan. 20 inauguration, Obama is seeking widespread volunteer initiatives across the country, such as serving meals to the homeless, cleaning schools and neighborhoods, or helping disadvantaged youths and the elderly.
Colin L. Powell, an honorary chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, announced the “Renew America Together” initiative yesterday. He said he hopes the enthusiasm surrounding Obama’s election victory will inspire Americans to finally meet the holiday’s promise.
Later in the article
The Corporation for National and Community Service, is “thrilled with the extraordinary high level of attention the incoming president is giving this,” spokesman Sandy Scott said.
Last year, the agency recorded about 500,000 volunteers participating in roughly 5,000 service projects on King Day, Scott said in an interview. “This year will be the largest ever, fueled by President-elect Barack Obama’s call to service. . . . The number of volunteers will be in the millions,” he said.
Organizers are hoping that those who volunteer will stick with it year-round.
But, frankly, I think that Powell is going to be disappointed if he thinks that the enthusiasm surrounding Obama is going to translate into a sustained increase in volunteerism. No one, and I mean no one, that I have talked to that was an Obama supporter has cited anything like a call to service as the reason for their support for Obama. It always started and ended with the Iraq war. I very much appreciate the spirit of volunteerism, and I hope I am wrong. We’ll see.
The article continues
Renew America Together is using technology to build a network of once-isolated volunteers. Its Web site, USAService.org, can link a potential community helper with a winter coat drive or a blood bank.
“What this is, essentially, is something along the lines of a Craigslist,” said Linda Douglass, chief spokeswoman for the inaugural committee. “It’s a hub where we can connect people who are offering opportunities for service, ideas for service and people who want to serve.”
Just as the article was about to put me to sleep, I saw this
The meaning of “serve” appears to be relative: Most events are the traditional labor- and donation-oriented projects, but others are a bit different.
In Tempe, Ariz., for instance, the Center for Advanced Natural Healing is offering complimentary 90-minute massages; in Chicago, the Bethel Cultural Arts Center is promoting a “Relax, Relate, Rejuvenate” event that focuses on eliminating stress through “massages, yoga, spoken word, nutrition counseling.”
Relative, indeed. Something along the lines of Craigslist? Massage? It sounds exactly like Craigslist. Specifically, it sounds like the Craigslist barter section, where my unscientific assessment is that “massage” is the most frequently offered “item”.
I wonder if the Center for Advanced Natural Healing or the Bethel Cultural Arts Center will be providing this kind of massage?
The emphasis on service? It’s a stroke of genius.