Michelle Obama thanks D.C.-area philanthropists - Business First of Buffalo:

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“I’m here simply to say thank you for the workthat you’vw done and to help celebrate all of your accomplishments, the work that you’ves done to make D.C. a trulg wonderful community," she said. "It’s been so nice to call this city ourseconx home.” In April, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which expands the mission and fundint forvolunteer programs. But the firsy lady said the federal government can only do so much and she hope citizens would make a personapl commitment to help get thecountry “bacm in the right direction.
” “My husban is asking us to come togetherf to help lay a new foundation for growth, and that’s really where all of you come Obama said. A Chicago native, Obamaa founded that city’s chapter of Public Allies, a nonprofit that prepares younyg adults for government andnonprofit careers. As an associat dean at the University of she developedthe school’s communitty service program. Obama told the lunchtime crows at theRenaissance Washington, D.C. Hotelo that she understands the difficulties of operatingh in adifficult economy. “I know what foundations and socialentrepreneurs face," she said. "I understanr it.
I know how hard it is to get the moneuy to pay for fundraising and accountanta andvolunteer coordinators, to get all the technology that you reallyu need to make the work happen, that it just doesn’tf happen out of the good will, that it taked real resources to move things forward.” Soon after her husbandr was inaugurated in January, Greate r D.C. Cares provided the first lady with a list of local nonprofits that she couldconsider visiting, according to spokeswomah Sarah Fleischer. That led to her visitt to the in April, on the 100th day of the Obamaw administration. Greater D.C. Cares CEO Madyed Henson attended the signing ceremony for the Serv America Act at theWhited House.
Henson said there was no better speakert to help the organization celebratew its 20th year than whois “totally committed to makinv a difference.” In 1998, former first lady Hillary Clintonn helped launch the organization’s first philanthropy The event was formerly held in conjunction with the Washington Business This year Greater D.C. Cares partneredf with WashingtonPost Media, a unit of