Release No. 0434.09
Contact:
Office of Communications (202) 720-4623
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK HIGHLIGHTS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S 'NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE'
WASHINGTON, September 11, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today took part in the Obama Administration's 'National Day of Service and Remembrance' by visiting the DC Central Kitchen. Vilsack highlighted the importance of DC Central Kitchen's mission to serve the most vulnerable in our community and delivered fresh produce from 'The People's Garden' and Farmer's Market at USDA headquarters. Altogether, 'The Peoples Garden' has produced 300 pounds of fresh produce that has been donated to DC Central Kitchen over the course of the summer.
"Today we honor the spirit of service to country and community by participating in the 'National Day of Service and Remembrance," said Vilsack. "Americans all across the country are answering President Obama's call to volunteerism and are strengthening their communities by giving back. By making community service a part of our daily lives, we honor those that have sacrificed to help make our nation stronger."
President Obama established the 'United We Serve' initiative with a goal of including volunteerism and community service activities into the daily lives of all Americans in order to strengthen the nation's foundation of service, one community at a time. The 'United We Serve' summer initiative began on June 22 and runs through the National Day of Service and remembrance on September 11, 2009.
The President's call to participate in this program focuses on four key areas where everyone can have a continuing impact in their community: education, health, energy and the environment and community renewal. All Americans can create news service projects, find service projects in their communities, and share stories about projects that are making a difference by visiting www.serve.gov.
The DC Central Kitchen began its first phase of operations on January 20, 1989, redistributing the excess food from the Presidential inauguration. Since its inception, DC Central Kitchen has used their facility as a central location to recover unused food, prepare and deliver meals to partner social service agencies, train and employ homeless men and women for the food service industry, and intellectually engage volunteers. As a community kitchen, they recycle over one ton of surplus food each day that would otherwise go to waste and turn it into 4,500 meals for the hungry in the greater Washington, D.C., region.
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