InfoAnda - CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama cites value of volunteerism

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

China still leery on U.S. sanctions push for Iran | | 29 January 2010
Seoul shares open down; Samsung Elec, KT fall | 23 January 2009
WikiLeaks: The Next Generation | 29 January 2011

Iran to temporarily recall London envoy | 23 June 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama cites value of volunteerism

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama cites value of volunteerism By ANN SANNER,Associated Press Writer - 2 hours 52 minutes ago Send IM Story Print WASHINGTON – A retired teacher went back to a classroom in need. A barber is giving time to a child whose first years remind him of his own. A college graduate decided to help kids learn instead of helping investors on Wall Street. When President Barack Obama called for Americans to volunteer, all three listened. Loretta Martin, 61, a retired elementary teacher from Beachwood, Ohio, said Obama motivated her when he said it doesn't take much time to make a difference. "He really pushes it and I hear it all the time now," she said. Martin, who volunteered for Obama's presidential campaign, started in October tutoring first-graders for about 15 hours a week through Experience Corps. The nonprofit organization places people age 55 and older into elementary schools to help students with reading and writing. "I knew that I had the skills to help and I wanted to use those skills," said Martin, who's worked as a literacy coach. "It's really rewarding to see what a little bit of time can make in the lives of kids _ just a little bit of attention makes a big difference." Since taking office in January 2009, Obama has made it a priority to bolster national service programs. Both he and first lady Michelle Obama have lectured at length on the topic, challenging others to donate their time to causes in their neighborhoods as a way to help where government alone cannot. "We need your service right now, at this moment in history," Obama said in April, when he signed into law a $5.7 billion bill to expand national service programs such as AmeriCorps. "I'm not going to tell you what your role should be. That's for you to discover. But I'm asking you to stand up and play your part." The Obamas practice what they preach. They've planted trees, packed backpacks for the military and passed out Thanksgiving favorites at a food pantry. The president started "United We Serve," a nationwide service initiative to get people involved in volunteering. They planned to participate in a service event on Monday, the federal holiday commemorating the birth of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. On Sunday, from the pulpit of the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church near the White House, Obama said that like King, he had learned to rely on his faith even as he felt the "sting of criticism." Obama has drawn attention to community service and started a dialogue about how to help, according to organizers and nonprofit groups. Anecdotally, they hear of people who've joined their causes because of the president. But they say it's hard to pinpoint whether service overall is up because of his call for action. High unemployment and an already eager-to-serve generation of young people also have spurred interest in lending a hand. "He has brought a spotlight to the grass-roots efforts that have really been there for some time and now are getting traction because of his impetus," said Experience Corps' chief executive, Lester Strong. "I think we have yet to see what the full effect will be," Strong said. More people have become interested in the last year, Strong said, though the number of participants has remained about the same because of funding. In Baltimore, a couple dozen people are already on the group's waiting list for next fall. Online applications to AmeriCorps more than doubled last year, reaching the highest in the program's history, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps. Almost 247,000 people applied in 2009, compared with 91,000 in 2008. The Clinton-era program has 75,000 enrollees who clean parks and build homes, among other tasks. Some nonprofit groups have seen an increase in applicants since Obama took office. City Year, a program in which young adults serve as tutors and mentors to kids for a year, had a record number of applicants for the 2009 school year _ nearly 7,000 for 1,550 positions. Habitat for Humanity's alternative school break program had at least an 8 percent increase in its summer participants. Big Brothers Big Sisters said it's had a slight increase in the number of black men enrolling at affiliates. Micheal Johnson, 38, joined Big Brothers Big Sisters in October after a group of black fraternity members recruited for the program at his barber shop in Lewisville, Texas. Raised by a single mom, Johnson had a Big Brother from third grade until he graduated from high school. With three kids of his own, he said he couldn't keep waiting until it was the right moment in his life to help another child. Now he mentors a 10-year-old boy. "You know, I had to see a man to be a man," Johnson said. "I see myself in my little brother. It's like the same stuff that he was struggling in, I was struggling in, too." Patrick Meyers, 22, of Ridgewood, N.J., said he was inspired by how the Obamas served their Chicago hometown. In his 20s, the president worked as a community organizer on the city's South Side. Michelle Obama was the founding executive director of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps community service program that trained young people for jobs in the nonprofit world. "I thought about the community that I grew up in and what kind of impact I had so far, and it was minimal," Meyers said. "I thought that I needed to do more and give back." Meyers earned a bachelor's degree in finance, with a minor in economics in last May from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pa. He applied for City Year in Miami right before graduation. When he started college, he said he thought he'd get a job as an entry level analyst at an investment bank on Wall Street. Now, he helps students with math problems and spends four days a week working at an after-school program. Obama is not the first president to push national service. President John F. Kennedy launched the Peace Corps. President Richard Nixon established a National Volunteer Week. President George H.W. Bush created the Daily Point of Light Award to honor volunteers. "This isn't about one president," said Michael Brown, chief executive and co-founder of the nonprofit City Year, based in Boston. "It's about the American presidency. It's part of the role of the American president to call on people to serve." ___ On the Net: Habitat for Humanity: http://www.habitat.org/ Big Brothers Big Sisters: http://www.bbbs.org/ City Year: http://www.cityyear.org/ AmeriCorps: http://www.americorps.gov Government's volunteer site: http://www.volunteer.gov/ Experience Corps: http://www.experiencecorps.org Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Rights group urges Israel to end Gaza blockade AP - 59 minutes ago Cleveland Orchestra musicians strike over contract AP - 1 hour 6 minutes ago Suicide bombers, gunmen attack central Kabul Reuters - 1 hour 8 minutes ago Pope gunman released from prison AP - 53 minutes ago Taliban launches attacks on central Kabul AFP - 1 hour 24 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Toyota to double global hybrid output: report Why coastal oil spills can pollute for decades: study Saab drivers hit the road to support car brand Pope to visit Rome synagogue amid Jewish anger Obama's 1st yr marked by diplomacy, but few results More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Obama surprises Michelle with birthday dinner Cancer-stricken Dennis Hopper files for divorce Obama's 1st yr marked by diplomacy, but few results Pope to visit Rome synagogue amid Jewish anger Saab drivers hit the road to support car brand More Most Viewed » Beat the blues by going to bed early: study Huge tomb found at Egypt's Saqqara pyramid Woman who saved Anne Frank's diary dead at 100 Scientists praise Obama as Doomsday clock reset More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Monday, 18 January 2010
Ex-housekeeper alleges abuse by Israeli PM's wife
US-TECH Summary
Pope to visit Rome synagogue amid Jewish anger
Afghan president to offer Taliban new peace plan
Fearful Haiti quake survivors turn to God for help |
Karzai to offer Taliban new peace plan
Venezuela's Chavez nationalizes French-owned retailer |
Saddam official Tareq Aziz hospitalized
Billionaire seen winning tight Chile vote |
Northern Irish leaders shake hands for first time |
Angola arrests a third rights activist in Cabinda |
Quake-hit Haiti's cabinet meets -- in the open-air |
Turner's bid for park bison stokes wildlife debate
Afghan lawmakers adjourn despite Cabinet standoff
Taliban kidnap two Chinese engineers, four Afghans
Obama to parishioners: Keep faith in hard times
Wall St sets bar higher for IBM in 2010 after rally |
US supports Afghan plan to reintegrate Taliban
MySQL founder turns to China, Russia to halt Oracle |
Drug abuse in US prisons is tough to stamp out
182 more ex-child soldiers leave camps in Nepal
4,000 homeless, 1 girl killed in Manila slum fire
No progress in RI immigrant prison release program
Haiti's history created bond with many US blacks
Pakistani officials: Suspected US drone kills 20
Plug being pulled on decades-old navigation system
Police: Minor sidewalk squabble leads to stabbing
Bush, Clinton: Haiti response not about politics
Filipino WWII veterans still waiting for payments
NASA listens for silent Mars lander
Globe nominees mix wild fantasy, harsh reality
Hollywood gets ready for Golden Globes
Avatar hits $1.6 billion worldwide |
O'Brien, NBC separation may upstage Golden Globes |
Filmmaker: Movie about balloon dad could clear him
"Avatar" hits $1.6 billion worldwide
O'Brien, NBC separation may upstage Golden Globes
Globe nominees mix wild fantasy, harsh reality
Taliban launches attacks on central Kabul
Ukraine vote heads for tense run-off
U.S. troops to help Haiti's security; aid flows in |
Sony's PlayStation is 'poison' to children: Chavez
Marines exit Iraq in first wave of US forces out
Why coastal oil spills can pollute for decades: study
Yanukovich, Tymoshenko qualify for Ukraine run-off: polls
MySQL founder turns to China, Russia to halt Oracle
Saab drivers hit the road to support car brand
Suicide bombers, gunmen attack central Kabul |
Iran state TV cracks open door to opposition
Netanyahu, Merkel to meet on Iran, Palestinian issues |
Iraq's 'Chemical Ali' sentenced to death
Chinese kidnapped as Karzai mulls Taliban strategy
Chavez says U.S. occupying Haiti in name of aid |
Iraq's "Chemical Ali" gets 4th death sentence
Al Qaeda: Yemen claims of killing fighters untrue |
Iran ex-prosecutor denies role in torture deaths
Iraq's 'Chemical Ali' to hang for 1988 gas attack
Kenyan police raid Somali suburb after riots |
Haiti's voodoo priests object to mass burials |
Chile shifts right as billionaire wins presidency |
Fearful Haiti quake survivors turn to God for help |
Ukraine PM Tymoshenko to face old rival in runoff |
Sony's PlayStation is 'poison' to children: Chavez
Motorola plans 5-6 smartphones in China this year |
Can newspaper muckraking carry on in nonprofits?
5 Americans detained in Pakistan allege torture
CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama cites value of volunteerism
China to expand smoking bans in 7 major cities
US Shiites tentatively try to Americanize
Gunbattle reported in Afghan capital
Tips for getting involved in national service
Attorney: Man in JFK breach just used 'wrong door'
Myanmar court hears Suu Kyi appeal of house arrest
5 people found slain in southeast Texas home
Support for Japan PM drops amid cash probe: polls
Shanghai targeted in China phone porn crackdown
More cold to compound misery in China's Xinjiang
Search halted for potential CA boat crash victims
Extreme cold, snow kills 4 in northwest China
4 Miss. college students killed in Ala. motel fire
Police arrest man accused of "time zone" cheating
Earthquake in China kills 7 people
15 sickened on flight from US Virgin Islands to NC
Globe nominees mix wild fantasy, harsh reality
Seoul shares rise 0.6 pct; LG Elec, KEPCO advance
IMF chief: global recovery stronger than expected
S.Korea finmin warns against hasty policy exit
China Eastern surges on 2009 profit expectations
PAKISTAN
Avatar, Hangover take home top Golden Globes |
Glee sings top TV show tune at Golden Globes |
Ricky Gervais falls flat at Golden Globes |
RPT-UPDATE 1-Korea Life Insurance IPO planned for Q1- Hanwha
Golden Globe fashion fights gloom of Haiti, rain |
Oil price drop, Wall Street hit Asian shares
U.S. Juggles Aid And Military Logistics, Relief Suppliers Complain
Simon Cowell recruiting X Factor judges |
Taiwan dlr up, market watches govt fund selling, QDII
Obama Attends Church Founded in 1866 By Seven Freed Slaves
Tsunami-generating quake possible off Indonesia: scientists
Seoul shares down on banks; KEPCO, Doosan Heavy rally
Chaotic Conditions In Haiti Still Hamper Distribution Of Disaster Relief Supplies
Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan Concludes Protest In Front Of Cheney's House
S.Korea firms urge govt caution over exit strategy
'Mad Men' wins third drama award in a row
Ricky Gervais falls flat at Golden Globes
Suspected U.S. Missile Attack Kills 12 In Pakistan
Haitian-American Man Behind JFK Security Breach, Police Say
Hillary Clinton Arrives In Haiti, Meets With President Preval And Reassures People
Classy, glitzy, 'Golden Globes' failed as a party
Obama Announces Clinton And Bush Teaming Up To Help Haiti
Cameron's `Avatar' wins best drama honor at Globes
Breaking: JFK Terminal Security Fiasco, Passengers Re-screening Going On
"Glee" sings top TV show tune at Golden Globes
'Avatar' wins top honors at Golden Globes
Avatar scores best film and director at Golden Globes
Leno gets support from staff; O'Brien ratings soar
Actor Todd Lasance to plea to cocaine charge
Militants launch multiple attacks across Kabul
Toyota to double global hybrid output: report
Stars Announced To Perform At Hope For Haiti Event
Turk who shot Pope John Paul released from prison |
Israeli police arrest 5 in West Bank mosque blaze
Iran says sees signs of progress in nuclear talks |
Motorola plans 5-6 smartphones in China this year
Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock Share Best Actress Win At The Critics Choice Awards
Rights groups urge Hamas to allow war crimes probe
UK court scraps curfews on two terrorism suspects |
Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock, "Avatar" Win Golden Globes
Qaeda says fighters alive, Yemen vows more strikes |
Iran tries five people over December unrest |
Somali pirates free oil tanker after record ransom |
Saudis say Sept blast killed 3 wanted militants |
CORRECTED: Gunmen kill five in Iraqi NGO office |
US-TECH Summary
Motorola plans 5-6 smartphones in China this year
Google probing possible inside help on attack |
Handset market recovery in focus after weak 2009 |
Turkey blocking 3,700 websites: OSCE |
ASML Q4 order book seen to signal tech rebound |
Rapes of elderly women terrify central Texas towns
UK High Court rules for Nokia vs IPCom |
Obama to celebrate MLK's life and legacy
Leno gets support from staff
Shanghai Expo plans before, after Haiti exhibits
Ex-Minn. senator ousted by Al Franken won't be gov
Cleveland Orchestra musicians strike over contract
China's 1,459-year-old Buddha gets $10.8M facelift
Turkmens to take down golden monument of ex-leader
5 Americans detained in Pakistan allege torture
China to expand smoking bans in 7 major cities
SKorea: Talks with North still on despite threats
Vietnam aims to carve world's biggest jade Buddha
Activist freed on bail after arrest in India
Taiwan artist carves 'world's tiniest tiger'
Taliban militants launch attack on Afghan capital
Conan O'Brien finalizing exit from NBC |
Pakistani rupee weakens vs dollar; stocks end lower
Google says 'business as usual' in China
S.Korea's rate hike seen premature- OECD
JAL shares hit all-time low of $0.05
China's 2009 web earnings reach 11 billion dollars
The Golden Globes: As It Happened
Japan's recovery still fragile: finance minister
Mazda, Ford deny plans to dismantle China venture
King Cameron redux? `Avatar' aims for Oscar glory
Obama musical thrills audiences in Germany
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Conan O'Brien finalizing exit from NBC
Backstage and on the red carpet at Golden Globes
Simon Cowell recruiting "X Factor" judges
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01