Proclamation 6673—National Volunteer Week, 1994

Since the founding of our democracy, the ideal of community service has been an integral part of our national character. As the words of Thomas Jefferson remind us, "A debt of service is due from every man to his country proportioned to the bounties which nature and fortune have measured to him." Throughout our history, Americans have been called upon to meet his challenge a thousandfold. For our Nation is a place of tremendous blessings—a noble purpose, a wealth of resources, a diverse and determined people. We are rich in the gifts of freedom. During this week especially, we realize anew that shared responsibility is freedom's price.

That our vibrant spirit of community has made our country strong reflects our understanding of this enduring truth. Every day, countless volunteers across America work to address the fundamental necessities of our people—educating our youth, protecting our environment, caring for those in need. From children who help older Americans after school to volunteer firemen who guard our neighborhoods while we sleep, these dedicated individuals bring a sense of hope and security to everyone whose lives they touch. Their service makes us stronger as a Nation, setting a powerful example of leadership and compassion to which we all can aspire.

This past year has marked the beginning of a new era for America, an era in which those of us who have benefited from this great land are acting on our instincts to help others in return. Though government has an important role to play in meeting the many challenges that remain before us, we are coming to understand that no organization, including government, will fully succeed without the active participation of each of us. Working family by family, block by block, the efforts of America's volunteers are vital to enabling this country to live up to the true promise of its heritage.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of April 17 through April 23, 1994, as "National Volunteer Week." I call upon all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities as an expression of their gratitude.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON