Washington, D.C., April 21, 2009 – Dr. Jennifer Howse, president of the March of Dimes, issued the following statement:
“Today we celebrate President Obama signing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
“Franklin Delano Roosevelt often spoke about the ideal of service, reflecting that man must ‘live to help his fellow man.'
“Founded by FDR, the March of Dimes was the first organization to directly engage citizen volunteers to achieve social change; namely ending the scourge of polio by funding scientific research to end the epidemic.
“It is for the purpose of furthering FDR’s maxim that we must ‘live to help,’ that the March of Dimes is pleased that the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is now law. It will improve and expand national and community service programs and create new opportunities and incentives for people of all ages to volunteer by initiating a scholarship program for retirees, by providing federal support to recruit and engage young people, and by establishing a congressional commission on civic service responsible for making recommendations to Congress on ways to improve volunteerism.
“For over 70 years, March of Dimes volunteers have fought in the public health arena using the tools that led to victory in the battle over polio – research, education, community services, and advocacy. As a result, these volunteers have contributed to significant improvements in the country’s health policies and programs that affect children and families.
“From the Polio Emergency Volunteers of 1945 to the teens who launched the country’s first fundraising walk-a-thon in 1959, from the education campaigns launched with organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Alpha Phi Alpha to the partnership with Zeta Phi Beta to reach low-income pregnant women, the March of Dimes has provided opportunities and training that have strengthened our families and prepared leaders for our communities and our nation.
“It is s as vital today as it was during FDR’s presidency that the needs to serve, to belong, to gain knowledge, and to exercise one’s talent creatively are all intrinsic to volunteerism and which government must do all it can to encourage.”
