Obama launches USAService.org for MLK Day

Published January 08, 2009 @ 10:07AM PT

The incoming Obama administration announced a few days ago that it was launching USAService.org, a portal designed to help people plan service events to coincide with MLK day this year. According to the about page:

In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods. He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.

I'm all for days of service when their purpose is to inspire longer-term commitments. I think though that the Obama administration is going to have to be very smart about finding partners for ongoing service activities. One day to demonstrate the collective commitment of the American people is one thing; channeling people's energy to opportunities where they are doing work they find fulfilling and at the same time having a demonstrable impact is incredibly difficult. Organizing around the presidential campaign had a clear end goal and intermediate metrics (number of doors knocked on, number of phone calls made) that kept volunteers grounded. That's harder to replicate than it seems.

All that said, I think its great that even before he officially takes office, Obama is continuing to find opportunities to channel the energy and passion of the people who put him there to social good.

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Comments (8)

My name is Mike Smith I am a person living with sever cerebl palsy I have been working with famlies together for16 years and I live in my own apartment having assistance come in and help me throughout the day some assistence make 10 dollars an hour with a cna and others make $8.50.

So in closing I want to say I support President Obomas Heathcare plan.

Thank, Mike Smith

Posted by mike smith on 01/08/2009 @ 01:18PM PT
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I'd like to see Obama do something about THIS site before he goes & starts another but that's just my opinion. The people have voted & they want an end to the drug war. If he doesn't end it then what was the point of having this site or any other? I'll be waiting & watching to see if he shows he actually does care what we want.

Posted by shelly smith on 01/08/2009 @ 03:23PM PT
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This site, to my understanding, is an independent nonprofit and has nothing to do directly with the Obama campaign or administration. It is yet another avenue to present the ideas of the people. The causes here are all worthy to tackle in time. I am looking for opportunities to serve and will absolutely join an organization to be of serves to others as part the Obama administration.

Posted by Lisa Cristaldi on 01/08/2009 @ 03:43PM PT
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Service to others. My apologies.

Posted by Lisa Cristaldi on 01/08/2009 @ 03:46PM PT
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For a change now, America should have a national Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. The United States of America does need
to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for all the hard civil rights
work he has done during the nineteen fifties and nineteen
sixties.

Roberta
Concord, New Hampshire

Posted by Roberta Gallant on 01/08/2009 @ 04:43PM PT
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I also believe as Lisa does, that this site is independent from Obama's. I think that you may have this site confused with http://change.gov/ which is the site that is being monitored very closely by Obama's staff.

Posted by R E on 01/08/2009 @ 05:17PM PT
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Way to go Mr. President!! You could have kissed that thug from Venezuala that is the only thing that could have made what you did worse. You need to wake up real quick here sir,you are embarrassing this country!!

Posted by Ronald Brownell on 04/21/2009 @ 04:03AM PT
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I can recycle the 20,000,000 empty/older houses in the USA to save the government $42B+ in housing assistance and create 'owners' instead of 'renters' - for the good of us all.

encouragement from Obama is all that is needed to acquire funding for the project.

see www.homesezown.com

Leslie Lloyd 432-935-3268

Posted by Leslie Lloyd on 07/22/2009 @ 06:42PM PT
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Author

Nathaniel is the founding Director of the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, which works annually with hundreds of students in dozens of countries around the world through curricular programs and student project incubation.