by Chelsea Clinton, the Clinton Foundation
As we approach this yearÕs Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I am filled with a particularly deep sense of gratitude. Dr. KingÕs life of service forever changed the course of our history, and I am thankful that my daughter will grow up in a country made better by Dr. KingÕs work, although one where his dream remains yet to be fulfilled. Last year, as my family and I celebrated the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorpsÑa program my father helped create during his PresidencyÑI often found myself thinking about the future of service and volunteerism in the United States. Since AmeriCorps was founded, more than 800,000 young Americans have fulfilled their desire and commitment to serve, contributing more than 1 billion hours of service to make our country stronger. And, even more young Americans have raised their hands than there have been opportunities to serve. In 2011 alone, 582,000 people applied for the 80,000 AmeriCorps positions available. Service alone cannot help us reach Dr. KingÕs dream, but it is a vital part of building the country and community he envisioned. ThatÕs why the Clinton Foundation and our partners have set our sights on both creating more positions to help meet the demand to serve through Americorps and on strengthening the role of service as a fundamental part of American life. When we talk about service, we mean military service, Americorps service, community service and all the ways in which Americans engage in service. While I remain cognizant of the work ahead to ensure all Americans who want to serve are able to do so in the way that best matches their aspirations and skills, I am proud of the progress that has already been made. At the CGI Annual Meeting in September (only days before Charlotte was born!), my father and I were thrilled to announce a remarkable new commitment by the National Service Alliance, which includes ServiceNation, The Aspen Institute, Voices for National Service, and the National Conference on Citizenship, with additional support from Airbnb, the Lumina Foundation for Education, Cisco, Comcast, NBCUniversal, Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine, and Joshua and Anita Bekenstein. The AllianceÕs commitment, ÒService Year,Ó includes a five-part approachÑfocusing on technology, education, culture, employment, and communicationsÑand is being carried out in the following ways: ~1@BODYURL[id=114jbcurl1246]@