Prominent New York Congressman Mike Lawler has launched a bid on Capitol Hill to designate 2026 as the Year of the Volunteer with a special appeal for Irish Americans to row in behind the initiative.
Speaking in Pomona, New York, Lawler (New York's 17th District) announced the introduction of a bipartisan resolution, in partnership with America250, formally designating 2026 as the “National Year of the Volunteer.”
“As our country approaches its 250th anniversary, this resolution honors the people who have always held our communities together and calls on the next generation to step up and serve,” he said. “The Hudson Valley helped win America’s independence 250 years ago, through citizen soldiers, volunteer militias, and neighbors answering the call.”
For Irish Americans, Lawler argued, service has always been the path to belonging.
"Long before Irish immigrants were welcomed into the halls of power, they secured their place in American life by serving — in uniform, in firehouses, in churches, in schools and in civic organisations. Service was not symbolic; it was survival, solidarity and citizenship combined," he told the Irish Echo.
He added: "That ethos was immortalised by President John F. Kennedy’s famous challenge: 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' For generations of Irish American families, Lawler noted, those words reflected how they were raised."
With volunteerism declining nationwide, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, citizens need to step up, said the Hudson Valley representative.
The proposal has drawn strong backing from civic leaders and frontline organisations.
“Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do,” said Doreen Howe, CEO of the American Red Cross in Greater New York, noting that volunteers respond to home fires, support first responders, collect lifesaving blood and strengthen community resilience. “Designating 2026 as the National Year of the Volunteer is a powerful reminder of the impact that service has on every corner of our nation.” STEPPING UP: Volunteers turned out in Pomona, NY on Monday to back Year of Volunteer bid
Fire and emergency services leaders echoed that call. David C. Denniston of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York praised the “unwavering commitment” of volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel, while Rockland County Fire Coordinator Christopher Kear warned that declining membership and rising call volumes threaten long-term sustainability in suburban and rural America.
Surrounded by volunteers from across his district on Monday, Lawler called on all Americans to answer the call "to find purpose in service". And he had a special message for Irish Americans: "As we celebrate 250 years of American independence, let us honor the Irish American contribution not only by telling its story, but by continuing it. If we succeed, America’s next chapter will be written the same way its first ones were — with sleeves rolled up and neighbors standing shoulder to shoulder."
