Spurred by NY, 10 Cities Launch Volunteer Programs

NEW YORK (AP) — Ten U.S. cities are recruiting volunteers to help with local challenges as part of a nationwide emphasis on service led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Volunteers will work on problems such as flood recovery in Nashville, Tenn., and childhood obesity in Newark, N.J.

Bloomberg is scheduled to appear Wednesday with Newark Mayor Cory Booker to talk about that city's program and the nationwide effort.

Bloomberg last year launched a coalition of cities focused on service.

This year, 20 cities got grants to hire chief service officers and start their own service efforts.

Now, 10 of those cities are launching their programs this month. Besides Nashville and Newark, the other eight cities are Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Calif., Savannah, Ga., and Omaha, Neb.