Day Of Service
WHEREAS, Virginia was the first state in America to establish an official policy of religious freedom when the Virginia General Assembly enacted Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786, and today our Commonwealth is blessed with a vibrant and diverse religious community represented by many different faiths and traditions from across the world; and
WHEREAS, helping the poor and needy is a common thread that runs through the fabric of all religions, and, given the rising levels of unemployment, underemployment, and homelessness across the nation, it is fitting to encourage interfaith community action to improve the circumstances of those struggling with the effects of the global economic turndown, natural disasters and other misfortunes and improve the quality of life in our Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, loving kindness is the most valuable support to the well-being of those in need, and there is an abundance of opportunities throughout Virginia for citizens to take selfless action, such as volunteering at homeless shelters, food banks, and community agencies like the Red Cross; enabling others to become self-reliant by assisting displaced workers in finding jobs, teaching financial literacy and other life skills to the undereducated, and serving as mentors to at-risk youth and the underprivileged; and also helping communities organize resources, such as participating in food, clothes and blood drives or making charitable contributions to organizations; and
WHEREAS, it is important and proper to recognize days in which Virginians are encouraged to make a concerted and united effort to care for the poor and needy, to give service, and to design projects where families and individuals can assist those in need and improve the quality of life in our Commonwealth's communities; and
WHEREAS, hunger and poverty are issues of grave concern in the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia; the Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to taking steps to raise awareness about the need to combat hunger in every part of our state and to provide additional resources to Virginians in need; and
WHEREAS, hunger is a issue that transcends geographic and faith boundaries; and more than 1,012,500 individuals in Virginia rely upon food provided by the members of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks annually; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks distributed more than seventy million pounds of food in 2010 through its network of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community organizations; and there are many ways to serve, including the giving of time, talent and monetary donations to this important cause; and
WHEREAS, food banks across the country, including the seven members of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks; Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Capital Area Food Bank, FeedMore, Inc./Central Virginia Food Bank, Feeding America Southwest Virginia, Fredericksburg Area Food Bank, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula will be hosting numerous events throughout the month of September to bring awareness and attention to Virginians encouraging involvement in efforts to end hunger in their local community;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert F. McDonnell, do hereby recognize September 29, 2012 as A DAY OF SERVICE in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens; and
FURTHERMORE, I call upon all faith-based organizations, community groups, civic organizations, and Virginians to come together and perform service in their local communities.