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In a year marked by war and natural disasters
there is good news: Americans are committed to service
charitable giving and volunteering.

For example
charities and philanthropic organizations are thriving-even after a period filled with an unusually high number of natural disasters. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Many of the nation's biggest charities are raising as much or more than they did in the late 1990s, when the strong economy and booming stock market boosted charitable donations a startling 50 percent.


In addition to record monetary contributions
volunteerism in certain population segments is booming
too. It's estimated that more than 64 million Americans annually volunteer their time
talent and energy to make a difference in their community and in the lives of those around them.

Some say that commitment to service is one of the more enduring legacies of President George H.W. Bush's presidency.

A new book
Points of Light: A Celebration of the American Spirit of Giving by Robert Goodwin and Thomas Kinkade
with a foreword by former President Bush ($19.95
Center Street)
tells the story of this rise in philanthropy and volunteerism.

Each of the 12 chapters presents a different story of people making a real difference
from Timothy Miller
who organized the Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team after the abduction and murder of his daughter
to Lt. Jim Mayer
who lost his arm in Vietnam but not his spirit to serve. Mayer dedicates his life to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and spends his spare time as a volunteer amputee peer adviser at Walter Reed Army Hospital.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities.

Robert Goodwin has served as president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation since July 1
1995
as a "painter of light
Thomas Kinkade is said to be America's most collected living artist, according to CBS News.