“I thank the president for his call to action because when we all pull together, that’s when we can solve hunger,” Capital Area Food Bank President Nancy Roman says.
Ms. Roman says with hunger as our biggest solvable problem, our volunteers make all the difference.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are asking Americans to participate in a National Day of Service on Saturday, January 19. The Presidential Inaugural Committee is hosting a wide range of volunteering events in Washington, DC and around the country. President Obama is encouraging Americans to pledge a commitment to serve throughout 2013.
Here at the Capital Area Food Bank, our 18,000 volunteers saved us $2.2 million in 2012. On Saturday – as on most every Saturday of the year – 150 people will show up to offer their time to feeding the hungry of the Washington metro area.
More and more Americans volunteer for a cause of their choice, and interest in national service and civic participation is also on the rise.
“America has never been about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us together,” President Obama says. He and his immediate family and friends have volunteered at the Capital Area Food Bank the day before Thanksgiving for the past two years.
Just before his first inauguration in 2009, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama started what may become a tradition: holding a Day of Service the weekend before the swearing in.
“The National Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans, no matter where they are, to be a part of the inauguration,” Vice President Biden said. “Everyone can contribute in service to their community. My family is among the many looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and recommitting ourselves to service.”
Here at the food bank, we distribute 33 million pounds of food to the hungry through our 700 partner agencies located throughout our region. None of that would be possible without our volunteers. Please consider spending some of your time with us, helping those less fortunate.