California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday announced the creation of the cabinet-level position of secretary of service and volunteering to better coordinate volunteer efforts across various state departments.
"Government can give direction. It can provide an impetus, but real change has to come from each and every one of us," Schwarzenegger said after signing an executive order to this effect.
"I want to move civic engagement to the highest levels of state government, which is where it belongs. Californians' desire and will to serve are there in abundance. We must do everything we canto harness this incredible resource." he said.
The governor appointed Karen Baker, executive director of California Volunteers, to the new position. California Volunteers was formerly known as the California Service Corps and the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism.
According to Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver – the honorary chair of California Volunteers, the creation of the position will improve coordination of volunteer activities statewide, encourage more people to volunteer and help the state respond to natural disasters or other emergencies.
"I'm a big believer in uniting people to create change and achieve a positive legacy in their own lives, in their communities, in their state and beyond, and it is through the act of service that this goal can be attained," Shriver said.
According to the governor's office, volunteers contributed about 858 million hours of service to the California economy in 2006, a value of more than 17.4 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua
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