[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19683-19684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10177]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 76 / Wednesday, April 21, 1999 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 19683]]
Proclamation 7186 of April 16, 1999
National Volunteer Week, 1999
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Helping others--and helping others help themselves--
through volunteer work is a great American tradition.
Our Nation's dedicated volunteers come from all walks
of life, all races, and all ages. Whether they support
their communities through their churches, synagogues,
or other religious institutions, serve full-time as
AmeriCorps members, or spend a few hours a week helping
out organizations or individuals in need, America's
volunteers are bringing hope and help to their fellow
citizens and building a stronger, more compassionate
Nation for us all.
Our volunteers know that service is one of the best
ways to make a difference in the lives of others--and
they are proving that Americans at any stage of life
can serve. Thousands of older Americans donate their
time to serve as foster grandparents, senior
companions, and as part of the Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program and other initiatives. As many as 13
million young Americans aged 12 to 17 also volunteer
each year, improving their communities, broadening
their educational experiences, developing new skills,
and increasing their understanding of the
responsibilities of citizenship. This week, during
National Youth Service Day, young people across our
country will participate in service activities and
demonstrate with their good works the power of youth to
strengthen our Nation.
Volunteers will become increasingly vital to our
society as we enter a new millennium. We cannot rely
solely on charitable contributions or government
programs to address the challenges we see in our
communities. Each of us must find our own role and take
action as a volunteer, a neighbor, and a citizen. We
must work together to ensure that every child has a
caring adult in his or her life, a safe place in which
to live and grow, a good school to attend, a healthy
start in life, and a chance to serve the community. We
must continually strive to bring hope and hard work to
bear on the human problems we see every day. With warm
hearts and willing hands, we can make a lasting
difference.
During this week, let us renew our spirit of community,
our sense of idealism, and our commitment to service.
Let us also honor the invaluable work of the thousands
of voluntary, civic, religious, school, and
neighborhood groups across our country that are leading
the way by serving their fellow Americans and improving
the quality of life for us all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim April 18 through April 24,
1999, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon all
Americans to observe this week with appropriate
programs, ceremonies, and activities to express
appreciation to the volunteers among us for their
commitment to service and to encourage the spirit of
volunteerism in our families and communities.
[[Page 19684]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-third.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 99-10177
Filed 4-20-99; 8:51 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P
