President Obama kicked off his second inauguration weekend with a National Day of Service before Inauguration Day on Monday, participating in volunteer projects with Vice President Joe Biden and many of his staff and Cabinet.
"Obama arrived shortly after 11:30 a.m. at Burrville Elementary School in Northeast Washington to participate in a school makeover," writes the Washington Post. "The president and first lady Michelle Obama were seen staining a wooden bookcase a shade of medium brown, a day before his second term will begin and two days before his public inauguration at the Capitol."
Obama has said he hopes the tradition of volunteer work before the inauguration continues in future administrations.
"Every holiday, we would always do service," said Obama to volunteers. "So I was taught from a young age."
"I hear reports that the very young people did some really good work, and some of the older folks like me who it hurt getting (on) our knees, bending down a little bit -- we were able to manage also," he said. "And somehow, Michelle looked stylish the whole time she was doing it.
The Vice President and his family helped to put together care kits at the National Guard Armory.
"The vice president filled care packages with cotton swabs, while his wife handled toothbrushes and toothpaste," CNN reported. "They worked for about 25 minutes, pausing to shake hands and take photos with other volunteers."
Obama's second inauguration coincides with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year. Bill Clinton, during his presidency, signed a bill that designated the day as a national day of service.
"When he signed the bill, he reminded us of what Dr. King called life's most persistent and urgent question: What are you doing for others?" said his daughter Chelsea Clinton, who is the honorary chairwoman of this year's Day of Service. "And in my family, the only wrong answer to that question is 'nothing.' But there are as many right answers as there are people in this tent today and people in our country."
According to NBC News, some of the service projects around the country include:
- In Washington, D.C., volunteers will prepare more than 10,000 care packages for soldiers, veterans and first responders.
- In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city agencies will be engaging in service projects in communities affected by Superstorm Sandy.
- Volunteers who signed up in California will give food and winter coats to the homeless.
- In Chicago, service members will gather at Navy Pier to write letters and put together care packages for service members overseas.
- Sixty-two AmeriCorps members in Oklahoma will travel to a neighborhood once segregated by Jim Crow laws to repair homes for low-income families.
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