Along with some of our editors, I joined 6,000 others in the Big Apple today for the largest gathering of volunteers in the nation.  This three-day event, the largest . . .  of its kind, is a gathering of volunteers, civic leaders and social entrepreneurs who are working together to make the world a better place.  It’s the 3rd Annual National Conference on Volunteering and Service. It’s clearly something we are passionate about, and we’re excited to be with so many like-minded people.

In an opening session at Radio City Music Hall, volunteers were welcomed by Mayor Bloomberg and the PS 22 children’s chorus, who stole the show.   Singing Stand By You, these kids set the stage for an informative kickoff to this jam-packed three-day event.

Mayor Bloomberg announced the expansion of Cities of Service, a program jointly funded by Rockefeller Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.  The $2 million worth of grants will be awarded to 10 cities whose mayors have committed to increase the amount and impact of service in their communities.  This will allow majors to hire Chief Service Officers, who will make it their job to create more volunteer opportunities for us in our cities – opportunities for people like us who want to get involved and give back locally where we live.

Laysha Ward, President of Target’s Community Relations and the Target Foundation, shared how Target, the title sponsor of this conference, more than walks the talk with its sponsorship of Volunteerism and Service in our cities.  Laysha highlighted some of Target’s most impressive campaigns, including their partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Read. Let’s Move campaign (see our previous blog post on this dated June 10th), Target’s Extreme Library Makeovers, and Target’s “Meals for Minds” school pantry program to feed hungry school children.   Amazing programs that are already in place that address the problems many children in our cities face (don’t worry – we’re already on it – looking for ways for you to get involved and volunteer with these terrific campaigns! Stay tuned)

Other presenters included Jamie Diamond of JP Morgan Chase, Al Roker of the Today Show, and Hank Azaria representing the Entertainment Industry Foundation.  But perhaps the most popular celebrity in this crowd was a man admired by many in the room, and one I have come to know of from the American Express Members Project campaign television ads that feature him.   Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, is as impressive as his program.  His ambitious program targets poverty-stricken children and families in Harlem by enlisting volunteers who live in the community to improve every aspect of their neighborhoods, one block at a time.  As part of the “Innovation Panel” that closed the session today, Geoffrey’s sentiments resonated the most with us.  His philosophy and motivation are simple, but powerful:  Volunteering is all about building community  — and building it in a way so that the community cares for each other and stays invested in that commitment.  We couldn’t agree more.

Preaching to the choir? Maybe.  But there is so much great learning and inspiration coming from this conference already.  We’ll keep you posted here on our blog, sharing what we learn, who we see, and what’s next for volunteering in our cities.  So keep checking!

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