In recent days, we have witnessed remarkable acts of courage and compassion in the wake of tragedy.

From the first responders in Boston who ran into danger to treat the wounded, to the volunteers who built floodwalls to save their Midwestern towns, to the firefighters who rushed in to battle a raging fire in West, Texas, citizens came together to help when it was needed most.

Time and again, we have seen the courage and heroism of first responders and ordinary citizens after tragedy strikes.

I'm proud that more than 60 Senior Corps volunteers from the Heart of Texas RSVP and 20 AmeriCorps members from the Texas Conservation Corps have been serving in West, distributing food, coordinating volunteers, managing donations, and more. AmeriCorps members have played a key role in battling rising floodwaters in Missouri, and in comforting students in Boston schools.

National service and volunteerism show the best of the American spirit – people turning toward problems instead of away, working together to find community solutions. That is the spirit we celebrate during National Volunteer Week. And what a week it has been:

• On Monday, President Obama announced STEM AmeriCorps, a multi-year initiative to spur student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. By strengthening STEM education for students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, AmeriCorps will build ladders of opportunity for these students and help our nation compete for the jobs of the future.
• On Wednesday, I testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee about the unique role national service plays in supporting veterans and military families. Our commitment is twofold: We serve them, and we ask them to serve with us. Both strategies have tremendous results. Last year, AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers served about 1.5 million veterans and military family members, and more than 27,000 veterans served in our programs. Later that day, the White House honored 17 Hurricane Sandy “Champions of Change” for their innovative responses to support disaster survivors, including a member of AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps.
• Yesterday, two AmeriCorps members were honored with Make A Difference Day Awards by USA Weekend magazine. Christina Escobar, an AmeriCorps member serving with the Red Cross in Washington state, developed Operation Lorax, which enlisted volunteers to plant 1,000 trees to help restore part of forest destroyed by a fire. And Shaquawana Wester, an AmeriCorps member who serves with the Cookeville Housing Authority's Teens Need Training program in Tennessee, led a coat drive that collected 1,000 winter coats.
• Today, I joined Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee and 130 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers for a day of service in the city of the Super Bowl Champions. Mayor Lee came to Baltimore to make good on his Super Bowl bet by spending a day revitalizing vacant lots, renovating a police station, and reading to third graders at an area school.

Service changes lives. It provides enormous economic and social value to our nation. And it unites us as one people.

As President Obama said in his National Volunteer Week proclamation, “We are home to more than 300 million people who come from every background, practice every faith, and hold every point of view. But where difference could draw us apart, we are bound together by a single sacred word: citizen.”

This week, as we pay tribute to America's volunteers, we recognize their impact on tough challenges. Let us also thank them for uniting us a country, and reminding us of our duties as citizens.

Wendy Spencer is CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service

Every October, millions of people across the nation volunteer their time during Make A Difference Day to make their communities better places to live. This week, 10 projects and three cities will be honored with Make A Difference Awards, and several national service participants – including two AmeriCorps members – will be recognized.
 

Community leader and labor activist Cesar Chavez once said that, “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him ... The people who give you their food give you their heart."
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase articles that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

For more 40 years, the Presidential Citizens Medal has recognized Americans who have "performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens." The Medal is among the highest awards a civilian can receive.
 

In his State of the Union address, President Obama vowed to “make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America,” and he traveled to Georgia today to discuss the need for early childhood education. Improving education is a priority at the Corporation for National and Community Service that we support through proven national service efforts that make a difference in the lives of millions of students.
 

So, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and florists will be scrambling to fill orders and chocolate consumption is expected to rise by maybe a jillion percent. Suppose we take this day dedicated to love and use it to show that we have big hearts by serving or giving to others?
 

Continuing a tradition he started at his first inauguration in 2009, President Barack Obama is calling on Americans all across the country to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and participate in the National Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013.
 

Americans from all 50 states will join thousands of organizations and commit to service this weekend as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service coincides with the 57th Presidential Inaugural and National Day of Service.
 

First Lady Michelle Obama lends her voice to encourage Americans to serve as part of the National Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19. Read on to watch the video, discover more about the First Family’s commitment to community service, and learn how you can join the effort.
 

The Service News Digest is a regular feature on the Serve.gov blog. In this series, we showcase articles that feature national service and Corporation for National and Community Service programs. Take a look at some of the great stories that had people talking recently.
 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. changed the course of history and inspired us to build what he called "the beloved community." The King Legacy of Service video tells the story of how Dr. King's birthday evolved into a national day of service.
 

At age 17, Congressman John Lewis was so inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that he wrote a letter to King asking to meet him. Dr. King wrote back and sent Lewis a round-trip Greyhound bus ticket to meet with him.
 

On Jan. 21, 2013, our nation will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day), a national holiday during which we honor the legacy of the civil rights leader Dr. King through a day of service and volunteering.
 

Each new year draws millions to make resolutions designed to change their lives. And while the focus on self-improvement is fine, the arrival of National Mentoring Month gives us an opportunity to recognize men and women who channel their energy to helping and inspiring young people toward a brighter future.
 

This is the final stretch for holiday shoppers, and you know who you are if you belong to the procrastinators club. But you can still give the gift of service and help to others, even while the rush to the malls reaches a fever pitch.
 

In the spirit of the season, members of our AmeriCorps team offer a national service variation on “The 12 Days of Christmas.” So if everyone is ready, let’s sing along with AmeriCorps -- and a-one, and a-two ...
 

When AmeriCorps NCCC member Melissa Ettman was assigned to lead a Sacramento, CA-based team to help with the Hurricane Sandy cleanup in New York and New Jersey, she was familiar with many of the areas affected by the storm. In fact, her 87-year-old grandmother on Long Island was affected by the hurricane and had to live without electricity for a week.
 

Civic leaders, community groups, and elected officials joined the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today for a dedication of the new AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Atlantic Region Campus in the former Sacred Heart of Mary School of Baltimore, MD.
 

“Where do you find the time?” is a question that could be posed to many parents, but the 2012 Volunteering and Civic Life in America (VCLA) report shows that many in this group are carving space in their busy schedules to help others in their communities. Allison Moore, a military spouse and mother of three young children in Missouri, is a prime example.
 

The new Volunteering and Civic Life in America report gives researchers at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) a chance to examine some of the trends in these two important areas of life in these United States. This data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 51 cities provides a snapshot of how Americans are coming together to improve our communities and who is leading the way.
 

Working together to strengthen our communities is at the core of our national values. New research indicates that this commitment to service burns brighter than ever.
 

Our friends weigh in often on our Facebook page with comments, opinions, and all kinds of interesting observations.
 

Did you know that some of the programs under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) banner have been in existence for nearly 50 years? We’ve created a new national service timeline to show how we got to where we are today.
 

When asked how to best honor her husband, Coretta Scott King replied, "The greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others." As the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service approaches on Jan. 21, 2013, teachers and students across the country are exploring the idea of service to others through an online curriculum created by the Corporation for National and Community Service and Scholastic.
 

This Thanksgiving, as we gather with loved ones and give thanks for the blessings in our lives, let us also commit to share those blessings through service to others.
 

A day designed around the idea of “thanks” is a natural for those who want to give back. And as Americans have opened their hearts and wallets to disasters like the Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts, there are many other ways to show thanks by helping those in need this holiday season.
 

On Veterans Day, November 11, we honor the brave men and women who have selflessly served our country and risked their lives to protect our freedoms. There are many ways to give back to the more than 23 million vets who have sacrificed so much.
 

One of the things we love about our AmeriCorps Alums is that they are ready to answer the call when they hear of situations like those created by Hurricane Sandy. “Getting things done” is more than a slogan for our national service family – they are also words to live by. So let's talk about how you can help.
 

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced that approximately 936 national service members have been deployed to seven states affected by Hurricane Sandy, with 855 additional individuals on standby for assignments in the hardest-hit areas.