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Hello
Friends,
Today
has been especially amazing for the national service family. This morning, Harris Wofford received the Presidential Citizens Medal in a ceremony at the White House. This award is the nation's second-highest civilian honor.
 President Obama, who presented Harris with the medal, praised his service to the nation:
"In
this country, we look out for one another. We get each other’s backs,
especially in times of hardship or challenge. It’s part of the reason why
applications to AmeriCorps are at an all-time high. That’s why
volunteering in America is at the highest level it’s been in years. And I
know that makes Harris proud to hear.
"Harris Wofford has devoted his entire life to creating
opportunities for Americans to serve. And the reason it’s such a
privilege for me to share the stage with him and all the others who are
participating here today, is because you’ve taken commitment to a whole new
level. Every day, you’re out there righting wrongs. Healing hurts.
Changing lives."
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Harris served as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service from 1995 to 2001. He provided strong and visionary leadership to expand opportunities to serve, build bipartisan support, forge new partnerships with the nonprofit sector, and strengthen the agency’s operations.
Please
join me in honoring his more than six decades of service to our country by
watching this tribute video, and sharing it with your friends and family.
Also,
you can read my blog post on Serve.gov that provides some
added context about Harris’ tremendous achievements in civil rights, social
justice, and national service.
Let’s
honor Harris’ legacy by inviting even more Americans to join us in serving our communities.
Yours in service,
Text of commendation as read at the Presidential Citizens Medal ceremony, February 15, 2013:
Harris
Wofford has spent more than 50 years empowering ordinary citizens to make
extraordinary change. A friend to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and an advisor
to President John F. Kennedy, Harris fought alongside civil rights leaders to
end segregation and advance the march of justice. During his time at the
White House, with the Peace Corps, as a Senator, and leading the Corporation
for National and Community Service, he gave generations of Americans the chance
to serve their country. The United States honors Harris Wofford for
upholding national service as one of our nation’s highest causes.
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