First Lady Promotes Volunteerism In SF

"Today at this defining moment, this administration doesn't just see service as something that transforms just individual lives or even just individual communities. This is an administration who knows that service has the power to transform this nation," said Mrs. Obama.

The first lady also urged volunteers not to be discouraged by people who say money is a measure of success and therefore look down on jobs within the service center.

KCBS’ Team Coverage

She drew upon her experiences with President Obama, whose friends reportedly discouraged him from becoming a community organizer instead of going straight to law school.

The conference serves as the kick off event for United We Serve, President Obama's national call to service.

Mrs. Obama put that idea into action Monday morning by greeting 500 volunteers at Bret Harte Elementary School, championing her husband's new community service program and calling on Americans to implement social change through volunteerism.

Obama used the Bayview elementary school to highlight how volunteer hours can help address large-scale problems. A corner of the paved schoolyard is being reborn as an intergenerational playground, built entirely by volunteers.

Standing in front of a newly painted mural featuring the city skyline and her husband's "Yes we can" campaign message in English and Spanish, Obama urged the crowd to "make sure service is a daily part of your lives."

Obama also spoke as an ambassador for her husband's new "United we Serve" campaign, asking Americans to spend time serving their communities this summer. Individuals' commitments to service can help America address the health, energy, environmental and community renewal problems that currently plague the nation, she said.

The first lady held up Bret Harte's playground project as an example of how volunteer hours can drive large-scale change. Too many children "are living a life on high-calorie food," she said. In marginalized neighborhoods, children have few safe places to exercise, she said.

"Kids have to be active, they have to move their bodies," Obama said, citing obesity statistics among children, particularly African American and Hispanic children.

Speaking over cheers from fans inside and outside school grounds, she also tied the project to another of her husband's pet initiatives-- health care reform. Obama said preventable obesity-related diseases cost the country more than $120 billion each year.

Obama and California First Lady Maria Shriver arrived at the school shortly before 12:30 p.m. When introducing Obama to the crowd, Shriver said she considers the first lady a "girlfriend."

"If Michelle Obama and her family and her husband can find time to serve, there is no excuse for any family who says it's too busy," she said.

Shriver, who has championed other playground-building projects, thanked the volunteers for spending their time improving their communities, even when the nation's First Lady isn't watching. Thanks to their efforts, a school that previously lacked play structures will now have swings, slides and even a vegetable garden to enjoy, she said.

The playground was designed for use by children, older adults and Alzheimer's patients.

In addition to installing a much-publicized swing set at the White House, the first lady said her family has instituted "Camp Obama," meaning computers and television remain off for daughters Sasha and Malia until after dinner, until bedtime.

"Bedtime's early," she noted.

Shriver responded, "I've got to institute that in my house, and I'm going to blame it all on you."

The volunteers included members of local and national groups, as well as people from around the country who are in town for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Obama is the keynote speaker at the conference's kickoff ceremony that was scheduled for later today.

Kamil Faridi of San Francisco spent the morning hauling cinder blocks to form a retaining wall and laying down mulch for new landscaping near the playground. He participates in the AmeriCorps VISTA program and runs after school programs at Bret Harte.

"I really like her emphasis on the health side of it," he said. "Oftentimes kids don't have the same amount of play space as in other parts of the city."

After their remarks, Obama and Shriver helped hoist a section of a slide to be secured to a brand-new play structure. While Obama's fashion choices make news everywhere she goes, both she and Shriver came ready to work, in casual pants and white tennis shoes.