Concord-area Democrats yesterday expressed enthusiastic support for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's plan to expand national service, even though many said they were not committed to the presidential candidate himself.

At a noontime brunch at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana in Concord, about 75 voters listened to and asked questions of the Democratic senator from Connecticut. The event was organized by the Democratic Network, a political forum for local Democrats that is not affiliated with the state party.

Dodd talked about his stance on Iraq and on energy policy, in addition to his plan for expanding national service, which he rolled out Saturday in Nashua. Although most voters said they were undecided over whom to vote for, many praised Dodd's national service plan, which he calls the "American Community Initiative."

"We've got to start asking young people to become involved, not to build their resume but to ask what they can do to serve their country," said Beverly Grenert, a retired educator and undecided voter from Contoocook. "During Kennedy, when I was young, we felt that concept of not what can government do for you but what are you going to do for government, for public interest."

Dodd's proposal would mandate community service as a requirement to graduate high school. It would double the size of the Peace Corps, increase the number of AmeriCorps members and create a new Rapid Response Reserve Corps to respond to emergencies in the U.S. It would create and expand programs for volunteerism from middle school students to senior citizens.

In promoting the plan, Dodd draws on his own experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s. After graduating from college in 1966, he spent two years in the Dominican Republic, where he built a school and a maternity clinic in rural communities.

"Why did I do this?" Dodd said yesterday. "Because an American president asked me to. There was a time when we had leadership that invited us to be part of something good and exciting, something larger than ourselves."

Dodd contrasted that time with the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when Americans looked for ways to help.

"As long as I live, I'll never forget the answer the American president gave to what to do with that moment," Dodd said. "His answer was, 'Go shopping.' "

Dodd said the spirit of volunteerism Americans showed after Hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11 makes the country unique.

"We have an appetite for service. We like to be asked to roll up our sleeves and make a contribution," he said. "We haven't been asked in a long time."

The crowd yesterday applauded Dodd's advocacy of national service, and many said they agreed with his plans.

Alex Parrish-Ealliere, a student at Bow High School, said while his school already mandates 20 hours of community service, "a hundred hours would really get kids involved in their community."

Alison Wimmer of Henniker, who calls herself a progressive left-wing Democrat, said she would like to see a mandatory service program for children like her son, who did not do well in high school.

"He could learn skills for the rest of his life and improve the country," she said.

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