From my guest blog on USAservice.org.

An interesting thing is happening. In a time of great uncertainty and transition for the country, and for the world, the response to the challenges that we face as a nation, in homes and communities from Seattle to Miami, has been one of action and motivation, rather than acceptance and defeat. I believe that it is the example set by extraordinary leaders like President-Elect Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that has inspired this national call-to-arms, but I think it is important for us to remember that the ways in which we move to action, and serve our country, can be quite ordinary.
In fact, there has perhaps never been a moment in history where simple decisions that are made every day by every person stand to have as much impact as they do today. We saw this last November, when millions of people made the very simple decision to stop by the voting booth on their way to work, and we made history as a collective nation. And we see it when our neighbors, and their neighbors, pick up the phone to request a recycling bin from their local county officials and millions of tons of unnecessary waste are conserved each year.

Another set of powerful – yet very ordinary – decisions, particularly in the current economic climate that we face, are the purchasing choices that we make as consumers. Whether we are stocking up on paper towels, planning a wedding, or shopping for a new computer, the growing interconnectedness of the world has opened the possibility for our transactions in Minneapolis, or San Diego, or Boston – to create ripple effects that can be felt in countries all over the world.

As the CEO and Co-Founder of World of Good, Inc I have spent the last five years focused on helping to create the links in the chain that allow for ordinary actions to have extraordinary impacts. We have built a network of product designers and producers that come from rural villages in 150 communities across the globe, and worked hard to forge partnerships that get the beautiful bags, scarves, necklaces, and baskets that they create in to the places where people shop every day – from the aisles of Whole Foods to the virtual shelves on eBay. Because of the commitment of millions of ordinary shoppers, a few committed retailers, and a handful of inspired MBA students, we have been able to support the livelihoods of more than 25,000 individuals globally.

I believe in the inclusivity of service – that everyone has a part to play – and that when the service of one connects to the service of another, and another, and another, a powerful and transformative process can occur. Whether you are an extraordinary leader, like those that we have occasion to recognize next week, an inspired social entrepreneur like me, or a mother on her weekly trip to the grocery store, the important thing to remember is that when it comes to service, everyone has a role to play. Our country needs all of us.