President Obama made many promises on the campaign trail and on this, his 100th day in office, lots of folks are looking back on what he's done to fulfill or abandon those promises.

He's kept one this week that really speaks to me. Last week, he signed the National Service Act. You will all remember how I have been trying hard to help my daughter pick up the value of community service and micro philanthropy. This act makes it much more possible for all Americans to give time to causes they care about by providing small financial incentives. Why should we pay people to volunteer? When you make minimum wage, it's a lot harder to work a day(s) for free, even in service to a cause that you care about, and still put food on your table. No one is ever going to get rich feeding the homeless, but these incentives will make it more possible for a single mom to take a few days a year to give her time and set and example for her children to live up to. It will also allow young people who have enthusiasm and drive to help people to resist the lure of lucrative careers and maybe take a detour into making the world a better place. Older Americans, rich with experience and caring but maybe not money, can now gift their grandchildren with scholarships earned with their community service.

It's a building block to make a better society by helping people remember that we are all in this together and that we each have to take responsibility for the places we live and make them better. Perhaps it might even teach some wisdom and avoid the next crash?