Volunteerism got a big boost from the presidential bully pulpit, when the Presidents' Summit for America's Future was held in Philadelphia last week. Spearheaded by President Clinton, former President George Bush and Gen. Colin Powell, it was aimed at bringing America to a new level of commitment to volunteer service.

This high-octane effort, organized by the Points of Light Foundation and The Corporation for National Service (which runs the AmeriCorps program), presented leaders from across the country with an opportunity, in media spotlight, to celebrate volunteerism and showcase effective, innovative models of citizen engagement.

As a member of the New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service, which oversees the state's AmeriCorps program, I strongly endorse efforts to encourage and promote volunteerism in our communities, especially among our youth. And as a non-profit leader, I also appreciate the important support that volunteers provide to non-profit groups delivering vital services throughout our communities.

However, I also think President Clinton and his predecessors have an obligation to be straight with Americans about the limits of volunteerism, and indeed all charitable activity, in the battle against poverty, disinvestment and the other powerful forces undermining our communities and sapping the hope of our people. What these leaders needed to say plainly and clearly -- and did not -- is that volunteerism, charity, and philanthropy cannot fill the void created by the historic withdrawal of government funding and support for social, economic and cultural programs, especially for the poor.

America has a long and rich history of volunteers serving their neighbors and their nation. Volunteerism is a distinguishing feature of our culture, an essential ingredient in the ever-evolving American experiment. But it has seldom, if ever, been true that volunteerism and private charity have functioned without the support and partnership of government and business. By the same token, government cannot do it alone -- it takes volunteers and other partners to face today's challenges and to prepare for tomorrow's opportunities. Partners aren't meant to -- and couldn't --replace government, but must rather supplement and augment it. And government needs to reciprocate by helping the partners, including the volunteers.

I think it would be wise if the people who gathered in Philadelphia to take these sensible principles to heart, adopt a broad view of volunteerism, and showcase model, cross-sector partnerships in service to the nation.

No one sector alone can face the challenges of improving the quality of life in our communities, be they rich, poor or in between. Business can't, government can't -- and certainly the charitable sector can't. If we are going to do it at all, we have to do it together.