A new website makes it easier for communities to come together.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Volunteering isn’t just good for those you’re helping. In 2007, a review of studies investigating the health benefits of donating your time found that it boosts your health, too. And now the Obama Administration is amping up its efforts to get you to volunteer. It’s good old-fashioned medicine for you and your community, and just two hours of service a week may be enough to make you healthier.

THE DETAILS: The White House last week launched a community service initiative urging people to find or create summer volunteer opportunities in their neighborhoods. The nationwide United We Serve initiative includes the Serve.gov website, which channels interested do-gooders to a website where they can plug in a zip code and search for projects of interest to them in that area. You can also create your own do-it-yourself community service projects. In a short video explaining the new service initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama suggests projects like running a book drive for a local school, cleaning up a local park, helping young people, caring for sick or elderly people, or making neighborhood homes more energy-efficient. “America’s new foundation will be built one community at a time, and that starts with you,” she says.