On Monday, June 22, President Obama will launch United We Serve, a new national call to service with a focus on economic recovery. County Mayor Mike Ragsdale this morning gathered representatives of county departments and programs with non-profit and United Way representatives to discuss Knox County’s response.
In May, as President of County Executives of America, Mayor Ragsdale joined national leaders in Washington, D.C., for a meeting with First Lady Michelle Obama, where she laid out the purpose and focus areas of United We Serve:
- Energy/Environment: Promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, and public land restoration
- Education: Supporting education and literacy for all Americans
- Health: Increasing health care access, public health awareness, and prevention
- Community Renewal: Providing community renewal to areas hardest hit by the economic crisis
The program launches with an 81-day summer of service campaign that culminates on September 11th with a National Day of Service and Remembrance. That day coincides with the United Way’s September 11th Day of Service.
Mayor Ragsdale proposed creating a joint effort between the County, the United Way, and other volunteer organizations and the faith-based community. This morning's meeting was the initial discussion for that effort. According to Ragsdale, "We have a tremendous volunteer spirit in our community. Examples of that quickly come to mind with our responses to Hurricane Katrina and to our recent call for help when our Mobile Meals program faced a shortfall." He noted that President Obama’s United We Serve is a natural continuation of that spirit for Knox Countians.
Attendees at the meeting saw a short video presentation for President Obama that is available on Serve.gov. Serve.gov is the website for United We Serve. It is an online resource for non-profits to register their projects and recruit volunteers, for volunteers to find opportunities in their communities and to create their own. It also allows volunteers and volunteer organizations to share success stories.
Following the video presentation, attendees brainstormed community-wide project ideas that can be undertaken on September 11th in the four priority areas. Organizers of today's event plan to review and prioritize the project ideas for a follow-up meeting.
