Service Above Self*

One of the things that my parents have instilled in me - mostly by example - is the idea of "Service Above Self". For many years as a kid, I watched and participated with my parents as they engaged in their community by way of very active memberships in the Rotary Club of Camden County, Georgia. Today, they continue to engage by teaching and mentoring adults in college in the Atlanta area.

In my own life, my contributions to community have barely been a drop in the bucket compared to others', but my vision for my life certainly includes Service Above Self, and I recognise that we all have something unique and important to contribute. Every little bit can make a difference. I am very excited, therefore, to see that President-Elect Obama has created a service initiative called Renew America Together, and he has called on each of us to participate in a service activity this coming Monday, January 19th, on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday. The web-site address is http://usaservice.org and here you can find volunteer opportunities or post information about an event that your organization is hosting. I was excited to see that there are at least a half-a-dozen events in the Charlottesville area already posted on the site.

I appreciate that Mr. Obama is asking each and every American to take ownership in their country and in their community and that he and his family are willing to lead by example. I look forward to engaging in my community more fully in the coming year, and to watching this initiative take root and bloom all across the country.

*Service Above Self is a motto of Rotary International.