How Did You Answer Obama's Call to Service? (Send Us Your Photos)
Last December, Barack Obama called upon Americans to participate in a Day of National Service on MLK Day, 2009. When Jan. 19th rolled around, the then-President-elect and his veep put their money where their mouths were, helping out with various community service projects throughout the nation's capital.
How did you answer President Barack Obama's call to service? Send us your photos - one per e-mail - at submissions@huffingtonpost.com.
On National Service Day, HuffPost Living posted a slideshow of the Obamas and Bidens giving back. Now we want photos of you, your families and your friends putting in time for your communities. Whether it be painting walls and building homes, volunteering for a local soup kitchen or cleaning up a local park, we're looking for shots of citizens-in-action, working on behalf of their neighbors.
Send us your photos at submissions@huffingtonpost.com. Format your photos to 550x400 pixels, and be sure to include a caption and photographer's credit in the e-mail itself.
Thanks!
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We passed on a number of local organized events and just put on our Obama t-shirts, took a few garden tools and garbage bags, and went looking for a place to clean up. We checked our local MLKJr Parkway, a renamed connector that runs behind the fairgrounds between two arterial streets. One end is largely developed with a big-box mall and the local brewery's hop garden, but the south end is still open fields. The open fields were strewn with litter, several acres' worth, so that's what we worked on. Several hours later, we had filled four large garbage bags and six smaller ones. With the sun setting and a beautiful January day cooling off, we looked around and saw clean green fields on Martin's street. It felt good, real good. One funny note: the second piece of paper I picked up was a stray $1 bill. Virtue rewarded.
As someone who has been volunteering and community work since I was a kid, I find it insulting that people suggest I volunteer simply because Obama says so.
Millions of volunteers like myself have been actively serving our community for years. Not because we expect political gain, not because we wanted a thank you, not because someone told us to............ but because we believe helping other people is the right thing to do.
It is surprising to see how many lost and shallow people are out there who are doing this only because Obama said so.
Let's hope they learn the real lesson of service and giving to others.
You can't understand that people have renewed hope, therefore, & possibly for the first for some, feel they finally have reason to join effort in helping this be the great nation it's spose to be?
It was a good day: I gave blood, my outdoors-loving husband and son worked on a nearby trail, and my teenaged daughter prepared tax returns for low-income people. Then we joined a couple of friends and went over to an elderly neighbor-lady's and raked leaves in her back yard. (We've done all of these before, but it felt so unifying to have the inspiration of the about-to-be-president at the center of all the activity across the country.)
I didn't. You want me to work- PAY ME. Or the govt. can use my taxes to give people jobs to do the workIf I don't get paid for work, how will the corporations get my tax money to get bonuses?
This implies that it started with Obama...So many people have been busy serving in my community way before Obama uttered those words. It amazes me that the overall assumption is that somehow it started with him. For me and my family, he's about 15 years behind the curve.
That's not the case from where I sit & see. Many are "paying it forward", ever see that movie? It's like Christmas for many people & they're very happy to do & give to help our nation as a whole. Those who already did good deeds on regular basis may not be doing anything out of the ordinary, for them in particular, but they're sure doing all in better spirit. And it is contagious.
It may not have started with Obama but was motivated, activated & energized to a degree that's shaking our very foundations. Can't you feel it? It's from many of "US" jumping for joy. Some is from others shaking and quaking in their boots or shoes...lol.
Having chosen (or been chosen by) nursing as a profession, I have had a lot of opportunity to engage in service, for which I'm grateful. There's nothing more sublime than feeling my life has meaning on this planet. I participated during the weekend in a shoe drive for the homeless which gave me a chance to get rid of new and gently worn shoes I wasn't using. After injuring an ankle, there was a lot in my closet that others could use that I won't be wearing.
I love Obama's call to service. I know that many people give a little from their paycheck to the United Way when they could afford a great deal more in both time and money. I believe service is going to become hip, actually. Instead of so many young college students avoiding service professions and choosing financial services professions where the big bucks are (were), there will be more young people choosing to make a difference.
Service is a way to remember how many blessings we've got-- whether we've got a whole bunch of them or just a few. Helping get shoes to homeless people this weekend, and talking with them about life on the streets sure made my financial worries shrink, at least for today.
My daughter and her friend had been planning to go shopping in San Francisco on their day off from school. But when I told them about Michelle Obama's email requesting that they honor the Day of Service, they postponed their visit to SF. We worked in Mori Point, Pacifica, CA, planting plants to restore habitat for the San Francisco Garter Snake (endangered) and the Red-legged Frog (threatened).
Each flag on the hill represents a single plant planted.
Within a few minutes after I took this photo, the entire hill was covered with volunteers. 400 people showed up, I understand, and more than 1300 plants were planted. On previous days when we've performed site stewardship, only around 20 or 30 volunteers showed.
There are photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/armadillosoft/sets/72157612802148457/
I served 22 years in the military. Wait, that was BEFORE the inspiration of BHO. Guess I should have waited, huh? I'd feel SO much better.
Sorry, its http://www.rosecityobamaworks.com
Our local group collected diapers for a local shelter. We did a diaper drive in December for our call to service, and found out how much they are needed. Apparently the state takes away kids if they find dirty diapers on them.
Our little group donated over 16,000 (sixteen thousand) diapers. Surprised us.
Nothing can stand in the way of change.
www.rosecityobamaworks.com
I donated blood at the Red Cross office on Halley Drive in Norman.
That was a great idea. Love your name, BTW.
I worked, so I could make money to put back into the economy. ;-)
Great way to express it! I did the same. ;-)
No photos, I did a couple of hours giving out boxed food at local food bank & then went to Costo to get
for them what they were most short on: baby diapers! Having just had a grandbaby born last year, who has whatever she might need, that really brought it home to me. Thankfully, I have the means to do a Costco run for two gigantic boxes of Huggies:)
I think one of the greatest things about the service site is that people can log into it on any given day - pump in their zip & see what is needed. Great for the folks who have limited time or who are hesitant to
commitment time on a prescribed schedule.
I forwarded the service email tl my three daughters. One cleaned up a park, one gathered hygiene products of all kinds for a homeless shelter & my youngest - who is a social worker - put in tons more hours this week. It's a wonderful thing.
I photographed a local group's volunteer activities. I will let them choose which pic to submit. but photographing, videographing, painting, illustrating, web designing are all great ways to lend your talents to good causes, too
The weekend before the inauguration I attended an ecology conference to get my parish more environmentally clued in in the future, and on MLK day I donated a parcel of good quality clothes.
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