Mayor Healy Speaks on White House Panel
on the Importance of Volunteerism and Civic Involvement
Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy participated on Thursday, April 19, 2012, on a White House panel, “Expanding Opportunity Through Volunteerism,” that began with an announcement from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on the importance of volunteerism as a tool to help the unemployed find permanent work.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced guidance for state projects to identify innovative strategies that quickly connect unemployed workers with good jobs. The announcement 
was a key component of the first major overhaul of the Unemployment Insurance system in decades, made possible by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 signed by President Barack Obama in February.
In addition to Secretary Solis, Chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, Alan Krueger, spoke prior to the panel on the Administration’s commitment to furthering job growth.
Michelle Nunn, Chief Executive Officer of Points of Light, a national volunteer organization, pointed to studies that show communities with a high level of volunteerism and a citizenry who is engaged in civics tend to have lower unemployment rates.
“In Jersey City we have one of the most diverse communities in the state, and we encourage volunteerism such as the recent BIG DIG project that saw more than 600 volunteers take part in a citywide beautification project,” said Mayor Healy. “Projects like this not only make our city look better, but also help to attract further investment and development into our city.”
During the panel discussion, Mayor Healy, who was joined by David Smith, Executive Director of the National Conference on Citizenship; Carl Allegretti, Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Tax LLP; and Mayor Paul Woodson, of Salisbury, N.C., spoke about how volunteerism has a positive impact on a community and assists the local government with improving the quality of life for its residents.
Read Mayor Healy's White House Blog Post "The BIG DIG Inspires Community Pride."