(In keeping with our policy of promoting diaries by statewide candidates. – promoted by GMD)

Forty years ago Robert Babcock Jr. saw a problem in his community and decided to fix it.

Babcock went to Governor Deane Davis with a solution – organize and activate volunteers throughout all of Vermont to serve their communities and clean up Vermont’s highways.

This was the start of Green Up Day in Vermont.

That first year over 70,000 Vermonters answered Babcock’s and Governor Davis’ call to service. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Vermonters have continued that tradition.

Babcock proved that one person can change a community, but his idea didn’t turn into action overnight. It became a reality because of Vermont’s tradition and commitment to service.

This year also marks an important anniversary for another service program – Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). This program began in 1965 and was based on an idea President John F. Kennedy had about volunteers working to fight poverty in America.

Under President Clinton, I was fortunate enough to serve as director of AmeriCorps*VISTA, and I saw first-hand the work that everyday people can do when they decide they want to engage and serve their community.  

Because I was raised with the Vermont tradition of public service and shaped by my personal experience working for AmeriCorps*VISTA , I have in the past and today strived to make service politics a focal point of my campaigns.

In my past campaign, we held service politics events across all of Vermont. Campaign volunteers and I took time to help those in need, gave back to the community and always remembered the Vermont tradition of public service.

Today I believe, just as strongly as I did during my last effort, this campaign shouldn’t just be about bringing new and fresh ideas to Montpelier, but also about inspiring people to become involved and active in serving their communities.

Tomorrow I will be answering Robert Babcock and Governor Davis’ call once again and, along with my campaign staff and several volunteers, participating in a service politics event for Green Up Day.

Please come out and join us Saturday at 9:00 AM at the registration hub at the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes School located at 123 North Street in Burlington.

If you can join me tomorrow morning in Burlington, please RSVP by emailing info@mattdunne.com.

If you can’t make it to Burlington, I encourage you to go to http://www.greenupvermont.org/… to find your local contact and a location in your community for Green Up Day.

If you would like to be a Dunne for Vermont Green Up Day or Service Politics captain in your community, please let me know by emailing info@mattdunne.com.

Over the course of the next several months we won’t just be running a campaign to change Montpelier, but also a campaign to change politics. Through service politics, we can make sure elected officials are hearing directly from local community nonprofit leaders who are on the front lines, and with our actions bring new people into the democratic process who are increasingly cynical about politics as usual.

One person with an idea and with the energy to change their community for the better can make a huge difference. I hope you will join us in helping better our communities and our discourse through public service.

Thank you,

Matt

www.mattdunne.com