Governor Janet Napolitano is encouraging Arizonans of all ages and abilities to join together to build strong communities through thoughtful volunteer service, beginning with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on January 19, 2009, and continuing throughout the year.

President-elect Barack Obama is calling on Americans across the nation to volunteer in the January 19 Martin Luther King Day of Service. The upcoming Martin Luther King Day falls on the day before Obama's historic inauguration. The President-elect will celebrate King Day along with Vice-President Joe Biden and their families by volunteering in a service project in Washington, D.C. and will be calling on all Americans to join him in ongoing active citzenship. 'I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States,' Obama said.

The 2009 King Day of Service is just 39 days away, and I hope every member of the national service family is planning to participate.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year will be a "day on, not a day off" for many local students, parents, teachers, and other volunteers statewide. The Maine Commission for Community Service (MCCS) is pleased to announce it will provide ten $350 awards to fund community service projects across the state that honor Dr. King. and his legacy. Time Warner Cable will match the funding of the top two awardees further increasing the projects impact. Funded service projects will take place between January 17th and January 19th 2009. Please visit www.volunterMaine.org to get involved in your community.

Message regarding the economic downturn and national service in the United States.

Following is a commentary about a service stimulus by Stephen Goldsmith, chairman of the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service and former Mayor of Indianapolis, and Harris Wofford, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1995 to 2001. It was distributed McClatchy-Tribune News Service and has appeared in the Miami Herald (FL), Fort Worth Star Telegram (TX), The Record (NJ) and other newspapers.

Liz McCartney, cofounder of a Louisiana nonprofit that engages volunteers and AmeriCorps members to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, was named the 2008 CNN Hero of the Year at a ceremony Saturday night in Hollywood.

Nicola O. Goren, an 11-year veteran of the Corporation for National and Community Service, will lead the agency through a transition that will include laying a foundation for the incoming Administration's service plans.

After five years leading the Corporation for National and Community Service, David Eisner steps down today, expressing pride in the momentum behind the service and volunteer sector, urgency about the need to harness civic power to tackle tough problems, and optimism over America's opportunity to engage more Americans in service.

It feels strange to be stepping down as CEO of the Corporation at this time in the national service movement - like jumping off a train just as it is picking up speed! As I leave, I want to share just how much the work you all do has meant to me, how grateful I am to have had the privilege to represent you, and how confident I am about the future for the agency and for national service and volunteering in America.

In an effort to help youth from disadvantaged backgrounds improve their chances for success in school and life, the Corporation for National and Community Service has awarded grants to three national organizations focused on engaging volunteers in promoting positive youth development.

On November 13, 2008, several hundred students and civic leaders attended a Georgetown University forum on 'From Dropouts to Downturns: Why Service is America's Solution.' The event featured Corporation for National and Community Service CEO David Eisner, Board Chair Stephen Goldsmith, CNN.com and 'Young People Who Rock' anchor Nicole Lapin, and members of AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America. Eisner and Goldsmith described an 'incredible moment' of need and opportunity for national service arising from the economic downturn that is putting more Americans at risk and the growing cross-sector momentum for engaging citizens in service to tackle tough problems.

The Corporation for National and Community Service today released a new report showing that community service in America's schools has reached a new peak, with 68 percent of all K-12 schools offering or recognizing service opportunities for their students.

As the economic downturn puts more Americans at risk, and as citizen service comes into the spotlight with the Presidential transition, the departing CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service will discuss the growing need and unprecedented opportunity for national service this Thursday at Georgetown University.

Liz McCartney, co-founder of a Louisiana nonprofit that relies on volunteers and AmeriCorps members to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, has been selected as one of 10 finalists in the second annual 'CNN Heroes' program.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is offering a series of Webinars to help familiarize users with the expanded role of the "My MLK Day" project and volunteer management technology tool. Participation is free, but registration is required.

On October 21-24, 2008, Learn and Serve America will host its annual Grantee Training at the Sheraton Crystal City, in Arlington Virginia. We will offer pre-conference sessions throughout the day on October 21. The full group will convene on October 22 at 8:30 am for the opening plenary session and continue through 1:30 pm on Friday, October 24. All attendees are expected to attend the entire conference. If you cannot participate, please designate someone from your organization to attend in your absence. Every organization receiving Learn and Serve America grant funding must be represented.

From serving meals and cleaning rivers to tutoring and raising money for cancer research, students across the country will show how they make a difference through service-learning during the National Learn & Serve Challenge the week of October 6 through 12.

The Corporation for National and Community Service invites former AmeriCorps members to apply for the Eli Segal Fellowship, a year-long leadership opportunity to help advance national service policy, operations, and strategy from the Office of the CEO at the Corporation Headquarters.

The Corporation for National and Community Service today announced it will engage five leading universities to expand scholarly and policy research and deepen understanding about volunteering, national and community service, and civic engagement in America.