Neighbors,

I've recently accepted a job with Be the Change, Inc. which is the organization who is producing ServiceNation. All that we are as an organization and all that I am as an individual is captured in this email we just sent out.

Please join us....

Dear ServiceNation,
It's Friday, September 26, 2008, the night before the ServiceNation Day of Action. Over the last year, our staff at Be the Change, Inc., the ServiceNation Coalition, and our partners have worked tirelessly to produce the ServiceNation Presidential Forum, the Summit on National Service and Volunteerism, and tomorrow, the 2700 Day of Action events around the nation.

Some of you receiving this email were curious about what we are up to and joined our mailing list, others have signed the Declaration of Service, or you might be one of the amazing individuals who are coordinating a Day of Action event tomorrow. Maybe you shared a story about making difference or a story about your organization's commitment to service.

Whomever you are, or however you've been involved, thank you for being a part of the ServiceNation movement. We are ServiceNation!

Tomorrow is a day to be inspired. Because tomorrow, across the country, there will be about 2,700 events taking place in all 50 states that will demonstrate the power and impact of service. We say that this day is about the "What If"...creating a vision of a world that ought to be, a world that had expanded opportunities to serve. "What if" every child had a mentor? "What if" every kid graduated high school? "What if" our park, rivers, and open spaces were taken care of by our fellow citizens? "What if" service was not seen as a punishment or a privilege, but rather an American ethic and a rite of passage.

Tomorrow, citizens are inspiring all of us, to realize that service brings people together and demonstrates that our commonality as a people, is so much greater than our individual differences.

In his book, There is a River, about the struggle for civil rights in the 1960's, Vincent Harding wrote:

"Our ultimate goal is not to create equal opportunity in an inhumane society. Instead, we need to create a new vision for humanity."

I truly believe that through service and serving each other, we are creating a new vision for humanity in the 21st century—a humanity that thinks about community over individuality, and works together to tackle and solve our most pressing unmet societal needs.

As we witness tomorrow, the incredible power and impact that service has on our communities, I just wanted to say thank you for your commitment, dedication, and passion for building this movement. It is a privilege to be in this movement with all of you.

One last thing, if you have a facebook profile please join us at www.facebook.com/servicenation and update your status to say _____is ServiceNation. If your friends ask, refer them to our page.

Yours in Service,

Emily Cherniack
Director of Organizing
Be the Change, Inc.
echerniak@bethechangeinc.org
617-233-4942