EDITORIAL: Volunteers are key (05/04/97)

EDITORIAL

Volunteers are key

The Presidents' Summit for America's Future was the official name for the three-day bipartisan production held in Philadelphia on April 27 through 29 and attended by 2,000 leaders from 140 communities.

A series of public speeches and symposiums, with an evening gala and a neighborhood clean-up outing thrown in for good measure, that culminated in an hourlong outdoor session on Independence Mall, the event was meant to inspire a new generation of volunteers, to spark a new wave of volunteerism. The summit issued a clarion call for a grand collaboration between government officials, businesses and volunteers to help 2 million children around the United States.

It spotlighted President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton; Vice-President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper; three former presidents - George Bush (who, readers will recall, once advocated the "Thousand Points of Light" campaign for volunteers in the United States), Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford; and former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Its principal player was Gen. Colin Powell, probably the most popular political figure in the U.S. today, and the supporting cast included Oprah Winfrey, America's most popular talk show host.

By all accounts, it was a "feel good" kind of public affair that, hopefully, will move the public to act on their good feelings as individuals and as Americans to help those less fortunate and those more needy.

Mrs. Clinton told the huge gathering and, by extension, all of America: "We can encourage and motivate. Now the real work has to be done on the front lines by volunteers and those who support and organize volunteers." Mr. Clinton took the proposal one step further, offering up a new definition of a good citizen. Besides obeying the law, working or going to school, and paying taxes, he told Americans that good citizenship includes "serv[ing] in your community to help make it a better place." Gen. Powell exhorted his audience, "All of us can spare 30 minutes a week or an hour a week. All of us can give an extra dollar. All of us can touch someone ... who needs us in their lives."

Why are we reporting in this space on the national pep talk given in Philadelphia? In our own Ukrainian community we have felt the effects of volunteers' good works for many, many years. Indeed, the best evidence of their work lies in the fact that our community continues to exist and function to this day.

Our community has plenty of "good citizens" who contribute their time, efforts and money to support our schools, make our youth organizations relevant and keep our parishes alive. (Just one look at the summer pullout in this issue will convince you, as the majority of camps and courses offered for our children and young people are available thanks to the work of dedicated volunteers.) Their efforts are largely taken for granted; at times their work is even the subject of derision - most often by those who themselves do precious little to contribute to our community.

So, as this country last week focused on the issue of volunteerism, we humbly suggest that our Ukrainian community - whose very existence depends on that concept - focus on our volunteers. Let's thank them for all they do for all of us.

Perhaps, out of a true appreciation of their efforts, all of us will be infused with a renewed dedication and determination to work for the betterment of our community and for its brighter future.

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