Ashton and Demi joined Mike and Cory—Mayor Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Booker, that is—in Times Square yesterday to kick off a volunteerism and service effort called I Participate, which helps citizens find volunteer opportunities near them, as well as Bloomberg's Cities of Service, which will "identify local sectors where volunteers are most needed, match community organizations with volunteers" and share best practices. Besides New York and Newark, other cities and mayor participating are Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, Phoenix, DC, and many more. more ›

Today, President Obama signed the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act, to urge Americans to get involved and volunteer in their communities, but yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced the city's own volunteering effort—NYC Service—and promised, "New York City will be the first city to strategically connect the power of its volunteers to solving its biggest problems." more ›