RALEIGH, N.C. – Gov. Bev Perdue Monday encouraged North Carolinians to nominate volunteers to receive the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award by August 28.

“Countless North Carolinians dedicate their time to serving their communities, and too often their contributions go unrecognized,” Perdue said. “If you know someone who has made a difference in the lives of others, I encourage you to nominate them for the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.  Let them know how much you value their dedication to service.”

Since 1979, the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award program has honored individuals, groups, teams and businesses that make significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service.  The awards program is administered by the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, which is housed in the Governor’s Office.

Volunteer awards nomination forms are due to the Commission by Aug. 28.

Please contact your county coordinator for local deadlines.

A list of county coordinators

If you cannot find your local county coordinator, or are interested in becoming an awards coordinator in your county, please contact Tim Kelly at (919) 715-2279 or Tim.Kelly@nc.gov.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says serving the country is the job of all citizens, not just those who volunteer for the military.

Joined by first lady Michelle Obama, the president appeared Thursday at Fort McNair to promote community service. The project this day: loading 15,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks and toys for children of the men and women of the armed forces.

Obama said that “serving our country is not just something that we should expect our members of our armed forces to do. That’s something that we should expect all of us as citizens to do.”

He said people can find a project of their choice at www.serve.gov.

The first couple then joined members of Congress and volunteers from nonprofit organizations to pack some bags.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Gov. Bev Perdue announced that the Governor’s Office and the state’s departments and agencies will participate in United We Serve, a national effort launched by President Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer.

“These 11 weeks are a time for North Carolinians to take the lead in organizing service projects and forging partnerships with local organizations to get their communities back on track,” Perdue said. “Whether you are working in a soup kitchen, reading to a child or helping out a friend in need, everyone’s small efforts can create some big results.”

The campaign kicks off June 22 and runs through September 11, which will be marked for the first time as a national day of service and remembrance.  The initiative focuses on four key areas: education, health, community renewal, and energy and the environment.  It is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities through volunteering and service.

The governor will focus on mentoring during the summer of service campaign.  Cabinet secretaries will volunteer with different nonprofits and advocacy groups throughout the summer as well.  The governor also encourages state employees to use their allotted 24 community service hours in support of the initiative and to help get North Carolina back on track.

The Obama administration created www.serve.gov, a Web site that allows visitors to type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities and recruit volunteers by posting their organization’s projects.