FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jun 21, 2010

Largest-Ever Conference of Service Leaders to Convene in New York City June 28

(NEW YORK CITY) — As millions of Americans continue to face economic hardship, leaders from nearly every major sector gather to develop strategies that catalyze citizen service and volunteering to achieve greater impact toward addressing our national challenges. The 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service held in New York City on June 28-30 kicks off at a time of great need for the country and opportunity for the service movement. 

Convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service and Points of Light Institute, the annual conference is the world’s largest gathering of service and volunteer leaders.  The June 2010 conference, also convened by NYC Service and New Yorkers Volunteer and the local host committee, which is chaired by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, is expected to draw record attendance of more than 5,000 people.  Target is the 2010 title sponsor.  This year's theme — It’s Up to You — recognizes that everyone has the power to make a difference, and that our nation’s progress and prosperity depend on the active involvement of citizens.  It challenges service leaders to increase the impact of their programs, and to all Americans to roll up their sleeves and participate in rebuilding our country. 

The momentum for citizen service has never been stronger, and a new national vision for service is taking effect.  Volunteering is up, social entrepreneurs are redefining service, corporations are embracing social responsibility and technology is providing new ways to galvanize a new generation in service. The conference will focus on ways the service movement can better target resources toward pressing social problems and measure impact; expand opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to serve; build the capacity of individuals, nonprofit organizations, and communities to address social challenges; and embrace innovation by expanding what works and seeding  new ideas.

Featured speakers for the conference include:

  • Melody Barnes, Director, Domestic Policy Council, The White House
  • The Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York
  • Barbara Bush, Co-Founder of Global Health Corps
  • Geoffrey Canada, Harlem Children's Zone
  • Greg Cappelli and Chas Edelstein, co-CEOs, University of Phoenix
  • The Hon. Patrick Corvington, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
  • Ruby Dee, Actress, Poet, Playwright, Screenwriter, and Journalist and spokesperson for www.ourvoiceourcountry.org  
  • Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  • The Hon. Shaun Donovan, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Jack Dorsey, Creator, Co-founder and Chairman, Twitter; CEO, Square, Inc.
  • The Hon. L. Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veteran Affairs
  • The Hon. Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education
  • Carla Hall, Top Chef
  • Joel Klein, Chancellor, New York City Schools
  • Janet Murguía, President, National Council of La Raza
  • Michelle Nunn, CEO, Points of Light Institute and Co-Founder, HandsOn Network
  • The Hon. David A. Paterson, Governor, New York
  • Al Roker, Today Show host and weatherman
  • Her Holiness Shinso Ito, Shinnyo-en
  • Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels
  • Laysha Ward, President, Target Community Relations and the Target Foundation
  • The Hon. Mark R. Warner, US Senator from Virginia

To help kick off the three-day event, MSNBC's Morning Joe will dedicate part of its Monday, June 28 program to citizen service, featuring a number of the conference's biggest names, and the show’s hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski will emcee the conference’s open plenary. The opening night event at Radio City Music Hall will be hosted by “The Daily Show’s” John Oliver. The opening session and others will be webcast live on the conference’s website at VolunteeringandService.org.

In addition to title sponsor Target, other major sponsors of the event include Shinnyo-en Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., University of Phoenix, Bloomberg, L.P., PricewaterhouseCoopers, UPS, Bank of America, Delta Air Lines and Pfizer, among others.

Conference highlights include:

  • “It’s Up to YOU” Opening Plenary Session on June 28 at 1:30 pm (ET) at Radio City Music Hall and hosted by MSNBC’s Morning Joe team Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Featured speakers include Patrick Corvington, Michelle Nunn, Governor Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg, Laysha Ward, Jamie Dimon, and more. The opening session will be webcast live on the conference website at VolunteeringandService.org.
  • “Here’s To YOU” Inspiration Event on June 28 at 8:30 pm (ET) at Radio City Music Hall hosted by “The Daily Show’s” John Oliver.  Incredible volunteers from across the evening will be honored with awards and recognition at this spectacular evening event. New York Broadway shows, West Side Story, In the Heights and Million Dollar Quartet will perform during the evening.  Special presentations by Ruby Dee, actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and journalist and a special presentation by Jeff Parness, founder of The New York Says Thank You Foundation accompanied by FDNY firefighters Brian Fitzpatrick and James Sands. The inspiration event will be webcast live on the conference website at VolunteeringandService.org.
  • National Service Town Hall on June 29 at 12:45 p.m. at the Hilton New York. Patrick Corvington will share his vision, answer questions and celebrate AmeriCorps VISTA’s and Foster Grandparents’ anniversaries during this interactive session. The town hall will be webcast live on the conference website at VolunteeringandService.org.
  • Good Business: It’s Up to You. Business Track Opening and CEO Roundtable at the Hilton New York, including CEOs Kimberly Davis President, JPMorgan Chase Foundation; John Rice, President & CEO, GE Technology Infrastructure and General Electric Company; Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and CEO, Loews Hotels; Jack Dorsey, Creator, Co-founder and Chairman, Twitter, CEO, Square, Inc.
  • Girls. Power. Change. Girls Summit on Civic Engagement on June 28 at 8:30 a.m. at the Hilton. CNBC’s Nicole Lapin will host this fun and empowering event for girls’ ages 12 – 18 years old. A panel of speakers including Kim Martin, President and General Manager of WE tv and Wedding Central, Lauren Bush, Dr. Jane Smith of Spelman College and L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Honorees will demonstrate how millennial females can positively impact others. WEtv Power Grants of $1,000 each will be given to the girls who create the best “changemaker ideas.” UPS is sponsoring the event, with support from WE tv.
  • More than 1,000 attendees are expected to attend the Education Plenary which includes a keynote policy platform with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; and a panel discussion led by Wall Street Journal Education Editor Stephanie Banchero, New York City School’s Chancellor Joel Klein, along with PricewaterhouseCoopers Chairman and Senior Partner Bob Moritz, Microsoft VP-Worldwide Education Anthony Salcito, and Ronjanett Taylor America Reads. 
  • MTV, Teen Nick, the Corporation for National and Community Service and Shell Oil Company will host “It’s Up to Us!” 2010 NCVS Youth Forum on June 29 at 7:00 pm. The forum will spotlight youth service and leadership, and ways that young people are taking on the challenges of our world.
  • Service projects: The conference will engage more than 1,000 corporate volunteers, conference participants and community members in service during the week leading up to the conference.
    • The projects will focus on environmental sustainability, including a high-impact signature event in Brooklyn at Euclid 500 and the coating of several roof tops white through Mayor Bloomberg's NYC Service program. Pfizer and The Coca-Cola Company are sponsoring the projects, with signature supporters JetBlue Airways and the Laurie M Tisch Illumination Fund. 
    • In addition, during the Target “Party for Good: Making Meals to Feed Young Minds,” Conference attendees will help assemble 150,000 meals that will be donated to the Food Bank for New York City to feed families in need during the summer. 

Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year the Corporation engages more than 5.5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

Points of Light Institute

Points of Light Institute inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. The Institute has a global focus to redefine volunteerism and civic engagement for the 21st century, putting people at the center of community problem solving. We are organized to innovate, incubate and activate new ideas that help people act upon their power to make a difference. Points of Light Institute operates three dynamic business units that share our mission: HandsOn Network, generationOn, AmeriCorps Alums, MissionFish and the Civic Incubator. For more information, visit PointsofLight.org.

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AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.