Renewing our Communities Through Service

By Chris Golden and Nick Troiano
Co-Founders, myImpact.org

President Obama and the First Lady launched “United We Serve” last month, a 12-week summer of service initiative whose goal is to engage all Americans in service projects, so that we may all be a part of the solution to our country’s most pressing challenges.

This week, the issues of hunger, homelessness and poverty are themes during an emphasis on “Community Renewal.” In the midst of a prolonged economic recession that began with a foreclosure and credit crisis and as local governments make difficult choices as a result of tightening municipal budgets; the need for renewing our communities could never be clearer. At the same time, there is a resounding belief that government cannot fix these problems alone and that citizens must come together, to take ownership of our communities again, working together to improve and renew them.

We believe that the Millennial Generation, those younger than age 28, wants to give back to our communities and to our country and that, with new technology and social networking, are in a unique position to do so. Giving back through service has always been an American tradition but today, with non-profit organizations struggling with an increased demand as their own budgets stay stagnant or in some cases are cut, volunteers are needed more than ever.

United We Serve is a prime opportunity to highlight the good works taking place in our communities and, by sharing their stories, to engage more Americans in service. Through the online community that we launched at united.myImpact.org, organizations and individuals from around the country are sharing how they are making an impact. They include Aramark workers in East Baltimore, Md. who this week will join in a day of service to build a new Community Resource Center and renovate an existing Community School and the Lion’s Club of America who continue their longstanding tradition of giving back.

We believe that the power of online social media, including technology that is still evolving, can make it even easier to serve and, moreover, can enhance and extend the service experience. We are founding myImpact.org as an online home of the service movement, where stories can be told, best practices exchanged and needs addressed. Building off of the tremendous energy following the passage this year of the Serve America Act and the success of this summer’s United We Serve initiative, we are well on our way to demonstrating the power that service can have to change our communities.

We are inspired by this moment in our country’s history and the tremendous opportunity that it presents to solve problems, both at the community and national levels. Service is key to our generation’s and our country’s future and we are proud to be enhancing the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said “everybody can be great because anybody can serve.”

Chris Golden and Nick Troiano are co-founders of myImpact.org, an emerging online platform for young people in full and part time national and community service programs.

To sign up for the online community of United We Serve, visit www.united.myImpact.org.