Thousands of attendees are now in D.C., focusing on the power of service to bridge differences and bring people together - across race, income, politics, religion, age and geography - to help one another.
ONE AMERICA CAMPAIGN UNITES RIVALS IN THE NAME OF SERVICE, OPENS 2013 CONFERENCE
Washington, D.C., convention center.
At the 2013 Conference on Volunteering and Service on Wednesday, Points of Light and JPMorgan Chase announced the launch of the One America campaign (#1America), a national program that brings together rivals in politics, entertainment and sports with the goal of inspiring millions to unite in service.
Thousands of attendees gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., saw a One America plenary session that paired conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly and liberal pundit and political strategist Donna Brazile, along with Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush, and David Plouffe, former adviser to President Obama.
That high-energy opener was just the start of the Conference, which runs from June 19 - 22. Other highlights include the America’s Sunday Supper (#MLK2013) event, sponsored by Target, featuring Grammy award-winner John Legend on Thursday. On Friday, General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Senator Bernie Sanders join the Military Summit to discuss ways to better serve America’s returning heroes and their families.
Service in action is also on the agenda. Attendees and their families participated on Wednesday in the “Unite in Service Celebration,” sponsored by Bank of America, packing 100,000 "All American Mac n Cheese" meals in less than two hours. Specially formulated to provide balanced nutrition to those facing hunger challenges, the meals will be provided to the Capital Area Food Bank to distribute throughout the region.COMING TOGETHER TO ENVISION ONE AMERICA
during the event announcing One America.
During the opening session of the Conference, a crowd of 5,000 saw something unusual – rivals united.
Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush, David Plouffe, former adviser to President Obama, conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly and liberal pundit and political strategist Donna Brazile issued a common call. The event marked the official launch of One America, a nationwide, yearlong campaign led by Points of Light, with support from JPMorgan Chase, to bring together rivals in politics, entertainment and sports with the goal of uniting in service.
Earlier in the day, the Faith and Service Unite Summit explored ways to make faith groups even stronger drivers of service. John Kelly, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Corporation for National and Community Service, told attendees that faith groups and the federal government had worthwhile opportunities to work together on issues such as human trafficking and refugee resettlement, and speakers shared tips for strengthening faith-based volunteer networks.
And the Economy Forum: Community Revitalization Through Social Entrepreneurship brought together attendees for a talk on the role of entrepreneurs in community development. The session featured a panel discussion highlighting service-oriented leaders, such as Share Our Strength founder and CEO Bill Shore and CAUSE founder Nick Vilelle.
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- Review highlights from past Conferences – With speakers like Michelle Obama, Arne Duncan, Maria Shriver, Wes Moore, Ruby Dee and Cliff Burrows; entertainment acts like Jon Bon Jovi, Broadway musicals and Percy Sledge; and with dynamic programming such as service projects, youth summits, forums and exhibit hall parties, there’s something for everyone at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
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