Dear NRPA Member:
Next week, President-Elect Barack Obama, Vice President-Elect Joe Biden
and Michelle Obama are launching a national organizing effort to engage Americans
to participate in our National Day of Service on Monday, January 19th.
On the eve of the Presidential inauguration, this designated day of service also
falls on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and equally serves as a tribute to his
legacy. As the centerpiece of the Renew America Together initiative, on January
19th thousands of people across the country will be involved in volunteering
for programs and projects to help all of our communities.
It is this spirit of service that is rooted within the NRPA mission and
in the very work that you do every day. It is a testament of our value to the
community when an email from Michelle Obama distributed just yesterday includes
“cleaning up a park” as the first idea offered as a community service
activity. This day of service kicks off January 19th but I hope it
is only the beginning of the new Administration’s ongoing commitment to
our communities and I encourage you to participate next week, next month and all year long.
Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
Participate
Visit www.USAservice.org to either host or participate
in an event. Consider hosting projects that could involve park clean up, planting or even painting.
Partner
Where possible, link up with local businesses and
community-service organizations, schools and the media to help create a successful experience.
Promote
Market and advertise your event to your community
and don’t forget to send your success stories to NRPA (membership@nrpa.org)
so that we can also help showcase the day’s activities.
During
your involvement, be sure to communicate the value of NRPA and wear
your NRPA gear, to reinforce our collective mission. I believe that by participating in the National Day
of Service, we will help strengthen the ties between ourselves and our communities,
such that we will learn how to work together more effectively and collaboratively,
enhancing the quality of life for all people.
Thank you.
Barbara Tulipane, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
