Michelle Obama dyed the fountain green and went building with YouthBuild at the National Mall.
For Immediate Release March 17, 2009
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT THE YOUTHBUILD 30TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT
National Mall
Washington, D.C.
10:52 A.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: So, what is it, morning? Good morning!
AUDIENCE: Good morning!
MRS. OBAMA: Man, YouthBuild. Let's hear it again. Good morning!
AUDIENCE: Good morning!
MRS. OBAMA: I'm so proud of you. You all sit down and rest your feet. I know you all have been working hard.
I want to thank Dorothy for her introduction, for her hard work. Congratulations on this wonderful day. Happy anniversary, YouthBuild. (Applause.)
I know how proud Dorothy must be to be standing here today. Thirty years of anything is an amazing feat. But walking through these displays and talking to some of the most intelligent, focused, knowledgeable young people, you know, that makes me proud, it should make this country proud, and I know you've made Dorothy very proud. And I am so excited to be here to share this with you. (Applause.)
The work you've done here is quite impressive, and the evolution of your work to include green building, something that we're talking more and more about as a nation, energy-saving practices, and environmental awareness, it demonstrates how YouthBuild has endured as a leading non-profit organization, keeping up with the times, making sure that the training and education that you get is current.
However, for me, it's your core principle that I am so impressed with, of providing opportunities for amazing young people -- amazing young people -- (applause) -- giving folks a second, and third, and fourth chance, particularly low-income youth. Sometimes we overlook them, we think that they can't be, they can't do. And it's places like YouthBuild that help you to find yourselves and to be reborn in so many ways, and to help rebuild communities all across this country, but to also complete high school and to graduate, and to do some really special things. (Applause.)
And this message, the message of YouthBuild, is so important: Participating in national and community service is not just an escape for the wealthy or for those students who can afford it -- which is something that I couldn't do growing up. I didn't come into an understanding of community service until after I had graduated from law school and had to think about what I wanted to do. I couldn't afford to take off time to do an internship.
Community service is an integral part of empowering our people and making our communities stronger. And service must become a part of each of our lives. It has to be an integral part of each of our lives if we're going to create a more unified nation that we all want and that our President talks so much about. Read the rest.
