Community Service Initiative Unveiled By Mayor Nutter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The City of Philadelphia has launched a comprehensive plan to dramatically increase volunteerism.

Mayor Michael Nutter (above) today announced the launch of "Serve Philadelphia," a comprehensive plan to increase service and volunteerism around the city.

At ceremonies that the National Constitution Center, the mayor said that too many Philadelphians complain on social networking sites about problems that they could help fix:

"The fact is that too many of us in many instances have retreated from something known as the commons, the sum of our public assets and resources that are so vital to the wellbeing of our community and citizens at large."

Serve Philadelphia has five initiatives targeting critical issues in Philadelphia, including a graduation coach campaign, volunteer afterschool activities, and more support to Green Philly, Grow Philly.

There are also initiatives to get more people to volunteer, including an upcoming one-stop-shop web site, phila.gov/volunteer.

Story contributor: Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio.