Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
California Needs You: A Veteran’s Call to Service
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 6 years ago on
November 10, 2019

Share

I am thankful on this Veterans Day. I had the honor to serve our country as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Now, as chief service officer for the state of California, I have the opportunity to bring home my experience and empower all Californians to serve our state and nation.
In the Navy, I witnessed firsthand the power and impact of service. I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, in 2011 when the earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster struck. My wife, who was at the time three months pregnant with our first son, was evacuated, and I was deployed to the flagship overseeing the largest disaster and humanitarian aid and relief effort in our military’s history.


Josh Fryday
Special to CALmatters

Opinion
When serving in the armed forces, political differences do not matter. What matters is completing the mission and overcoming the challenge at hand.
When we were in the command center monitoring minute-by-minute intelligence of the nuclear disaster, or in heavily secured  military bases, we depended on each other. We had a common purpose—we loved our country—and trusted each other with our lives. The success of our mission depended on this shared trust and commitment to service.
I know through my own experience that service creates the opportunity for people to unite, tackle daunting problems, and accomplish great things together.
California is facing challenges such as homelessness, climate change, poverty, and natural disasters, to name a few. If we are going to be successful in tackling these issues, we need to harness the power of our greatest asset, the 40 million people who call California home.

Gov. Newsom Has Always Been Clear

Californians want to make a difference. We take care of each other. It is who we are. During the recent fires, I saw communities throughout the state stand up emergency shelters in hours. Strangers offered their homes to evacuees. Small business owners prepared meals for the hungry.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has long been an admirer of Sargent Shriver, who advanced his vision of servant leadership through the Peace Corps, VISTA and many other programs, marshalling a generation of Americans to help lift each other up.
Gov. Newsom has always been clear: as we work to create a California for All, good solutions will not and cannot come only from Sacramento.
Solutions will come from the 4,000 AmeriCorps service members across the state. Some are working to clear defensible space to protect against wildfire. Doctors are increasing access to basic health care in rural clinics. Lawyers provide legal aid at the border. The retiree tutor helps underserved students learn.
Service should be a rite of passage for all Californians, a way to help young adults pay for college, a career path or transition to good jobs, and a way for retirees to share their experience and wisdom with their communities.
This is why California Volunteers is hard at work mobilizing Californians to serve in their communities.

California Is Investing to Create a Renewed Culture of Service

To start, California is helping young people who commit to serve in their communities go to college. This year, any student who commits to a year with one of our state-sponsored AmeriCorps programs will receive a scholarship of $10,000 toward his or her education.
We know the power of service as a pathway to the middle class. We draw our lessons from the national GI Bill, which gave generations of the veterans we honor today the opportunity to advance in life.
We recently announced a $13 million investment in communities throughout the Central Valley, creating service opportunities for over 600 Californians who will address educational and health needs in underserved communities.
California is investing to create a renewed culture of service, to inspire individuals to give back while making college more attainable for many.
I am grateful for Veterans Day, and for the opportunity to serve. I want to challenge every Californian to ask how they can be of service to their state and community.
Visit CaliforniaVolunteers.ca.gov to learn how you can get involved. Whether it’s as a few hours at a local soup kitchen, committing to serve with AmeriCorps for a year after college or during retirement, or through a career in local or state government, California needs you.
About the Author 
Josh Fryday, former mayor of Novato, is the chief service officer of California, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead California Volunteers, Josh.Fryday@californiavolunteers.ca.gov. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.
[activecampaign form=31]  

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Revoke ‘Parole’ Status for Migrants

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

DON'T MISS

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

DON'T MISS

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

DON'T MISS

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

DON'T MISS

Costco Misses Quarterly Revenue Expectations Amid Reduced Consumer Spending

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Authorities Respond to Double Shooting in Goshen

DON'T MISS

US Appeals Court Reinstates Trump Tariffs, Sowing Market Confusion

UP NEXT

Why Did the California Senate Shunt a Cost-Cutting Housing Bill?

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Crime Beat Didn’t Prepare Me for What I Saw on a Ride Along

UP NEXT

The MAGA Revolution Threatens America’s Most Innovative Place

UP NEXT

California’s High Living Costs and Rampant Poverty Sharpen Its Economic Divide

UP NEXT

Three Well-Tested Ways to Undermine an Autocrat

UP NEXT

Test Your Memorial Day Knowledge With This Quiz

UP NEXT

Gavin Newsom’s Off-the-Mark Budget Numbers Undermine His Credibility Again

UP NEXT

The Trump-Supporting Christians Accusing Jews of Antisemitism

UP NEXT

Congress Debates Two Issues With Big CA Implications: EVs, Taxes

UP NEXT

Newsom’s Budget Cuts Anger Allies and Leave the State’s Chronic Deficit Unresolved

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

16 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

16 hours ago

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

17 hours ago

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

17 hours ago

Costco Misses Quarterly Revenue Expectations Amid Reduced Consumer Spending

18 hours ago

Tulare County Authorities Respond to Double Shooting in Goshen

18 hours ago

US Appeals Court Reinstates Trump Tariffs, Sowing Market Confusion

18 hours ago

A Program Paying CA Jurors $100 a Day Would End Due to Newsom’s Budget Cuts

18 hours ago

Some Glaciers Will Vanish No Matter What, Study Finds

18 hours ago

Dealmaker or Duped? Trump’s Embrace of Putin Shows Few Results

19 hours ago

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. consumer spending increased marginally in April, with households opting to boost savings amid mounting economic u...

19 minutes ago

People look for presents at the Macy’s flagship store during the holiday season in New York City, U.S., December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
19 minutes ago

US Consumer Spending Slows in April, Inflation Benign

President Donald Trump makes an announcement about a trade deal with the U.K., in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis
22 minutes ago

US Supreme Court Lets Trump Revoke ‘Parole’ Status for Migrants

Serafin Narcisco, 44, of Porterville, was convicted on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, of molesting a 4-year-old girl during a 2020 home burglary. (Tulare County SO)
16 hours ago

Tulare County Man Convicted of Child Molestation During Burglary Faces Life Without Parole

16 hours ago

What Local Politicians, LGBT Community Say About Trans Track Star

A man accused of stealing a City of Fresno vehicle was arrested Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Madera County after a pursuit that sparked small fires and ended with a crash. (Madera County SO)
16 hours ago

Fresno Man Arrested After Stolen City Vehicle Pursuit, Fires in Madera County

17 hours ago

Former MLB All-Star Breaks Ground on BMW/Porsche/Audi Dealership in Clovis

17 hours ago

Fresno, Clovis to Open Cooling Centers as Temperatures Expected to Soar

18 hours ago

Costco Misses Quarterly Revenue Expectations Amid Reduced Consumer Spending

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend