Service is at the heart of who we are as Americans.
It’s the nurse caring for a patient, the firefighter rushing toward danger, the neighbor organizing a meal train for new parents, the volunteer at the local food bank, and the millions who give of themselves to help others. It’s these everyday acts of kindness and generosity by people from all walks of life.
The National Museum and Center for Service honors these acts of service and inspires new ones.
Mission
To inspire hope and connection by making service to others visible in all its forms.
Vision
A nation united through service.
Why
In a time when many feel lonely or divided, service brings us together. We believe that celebrating service reminds us of the values we share.
We don’t just recognize one “Volunteer of the Year” or a single day of service. We believe that all forms of giving back deserve to be honored every day and everywhere. When we showcase the good work people are doing, we inspire others to join in.
How
We flip the traditional museum model to make sure every community can celebrate service:
- Community and campus exhibits: We provide resources so that any town or school can build its own museum of service.
- National partnerships: We team up with service organizations to strengthen the culture of service and lead new ways to give back.
- A national home: We’re creating a permanent home in Washington, D.C. that will showcase service and social innovation, showing the world that service is part of our American culture.
History
From the beginning, service to the greater good has been central to the American culture and the essential core of any democracy.
Americans are at their very best when they engage in service — as volunteers, in their work, or through charitable giving.
In a time of division, service has the unique power to bring people together around the common good.
NMCFS began as a vision of Congressman Brian Baird (WA-03). Everywhere he went, in local communities and around the world, Brian met people giving of themselves to help others — rescuing people from floods, treating diseases, feeding the hungry, teaching children, evacuating refugees, and in countless other ways.
Brian realized that there is no place in our nation’s capital or any other community in the nation where we honor service in all its forms. To fill that void, NMCFS was conceived — dedicated to help inspire and unify our nation around our shared value of service.
It will be the first of its kind — a national institution near the National Mall to honor and inspire the spirit of service over self, and celebrate the everyday people whose service transforms communities and sustains our democracy. NMCFS will also bring the story of American service to communities around the country through museums in local public spaces and school campuses.