Text 719, 425 rader
Skriven 2005-04-01 23:33:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0504011) for Fri, 2005 Apr 1
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President and Mrs. Bush Discuss Helping America's Youth Initiative
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 1, 2005

President and Mrs. Bush Discuss Helping America's Youth Initiative
Paul Public Charter School
Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Bush's Remarks
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10:52 A.M. EST

MRS. BUSH: Thanks, everyone. I'm going to get to be the one to introduce
the President, but first I want to acknowledge Secretary Mike Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thank you for being here with us.
And the Principal of Paul Public Charter School, Barbara Nophlin. Where is
Barbara?

THE PRESIDENT: Barbara is right there. (Applause.)

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, thanks so much. The President and I just had a great
meeting with some boys and girls and their mentors, people who exemplify
the new initiative called Helping America's Youth. Helping America's Youth
highlights the importance in every child's life of a loving, caring adult,
whether that's a parent or a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a teacher, a
coach or a mentor.

Children throughout America face a lot of problems. Some young people have
trouble staying in school or going to college, others get caught up in
risky behaviors like drug use or violence. And some boys and girls in the
United States have a parent in prison.

Communities are recognizing the needs of our young people, and they're
reacting and responding in very positive ways. In Detroit, volunteer
coaches help boys and girls develop a good character on and off the field.
In Atlanta, college professors and college students are teaching debate
classes to middle school students in housing projects, to help those
younger students learn how to use words to settle their differences, rather
than resorting to violence. Last month, in Pittsburgh, the President and I
were at a community center where faith-based leaders are providing a safe
and supportive environment for children after school, which are the hours
when too many children in the United States are left alone.

In the fall, we'll host a White House conference on Helping America's
Youth, bringing together researchers, community leaders, educators, and
others who want to find solutions to the challenges young Americans face. I
hope that some of you will be able to join us next fall at that conference.

When it comes to talking about children, I could go on for quite a while,
but I'm the warm-up speaker today. When we visited Pittsburgh, the
President introduced me, now I get to return the favor. Ladies and
gentlemen, my husband, the President of the United States. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated, thanks. I thought you were
going to say you couldn't give the speech because you were suffering from
jet lag. (Laughter.) Laura just got back from Afghanistan and reported that
freedom is a beautiful thing, that society is changing because the people
are free there.

And it's quite a job I have when you get to be introduced by your wife. I
want to thank you all for coming. I'm a lucky man that Laura said, "yes,"
when I asked her to marry me. She is a great mom, a fabulous wife. She's
doing a wonderful job as our First Lady. She is a tireless advocate for
children in our country. She is a teacher. And you learn a thing or two
when you marry a teacher. (Laughter.) You learn to behave yourself.
(Laughter.) Most of the time. (Laughter.)

And you learn that a single soul can make a difference in a young person's
life. That's what you learn. As a matter of fact, that's what we're here to
talk about today, how to help Americans realize the great promise of a
single person's compassion and its ability to help save a soul. America can
change one heart, one soul at a time. (Applause.)

And our job, frankly, all our jobs, is to find those who are willing to be
a part of the solution and encourage them to help surround somebody who
hurts with love. That's what we're here to talk about today.

First I want to thank Mike Leavitt for serving as the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services. One of the reasons he is here is
this Department distributes a lot of federal money, and I -- you'll hear me
talk about public policy that hopefully will encourage faith- and
community-based programs to do a more -- a better job of helping to save
lives in our country.

Frank Wolf is with us. Frank, I'm honored you're here. Congressman Frank
Wolf has been a leading advocate in the Congress for the faith-based and
community-based initiatives. I appreciate you coming, Congressman. Glad to
see you brought your daughter, Rebecca, with you. Frank, by the way, has
been very instrumental in working in the Sudan to help bring peace to that
troubled part of the world. I want to thank you for your efforts.
(Applause.)

While I'm mentioning it, we met with youngsters who are being mentored,
their mentors, and the directors of programs that have encouraged the
mentoring to take place. Dan Johnson, the Executive Director of Kinship of
Greater Minneapolis is with us. Thanks for coming, Dan. Denise Williams,
the Vice President for Programs, Big Brothers Big Sisters for the Capital
Area is with us. (Applause.) Mark Earley, the President of Prison
Fellowship is with us today. Appreciate you coming, Mark. (Applause.)
Maureen Holla, the Executive Director of the Higher Achievement Program.
Maureen, thank you very much. (Applause.)

Barbara -- Barbara's been introduced once, and I'll introduce her again.
Barbara is a big name in my family. (Laughter.) Thank you for being the
head of this great school. We're honored to be here. I want to thank all
the teachers who are here. I want to thank all the mentors who are here. I
want to thank all the people who care about the future of this country who
are here.

Laura and I are thrilled to be here. I'm impressed by the results of the
Higher Achievement Program. I think it's important if you're in my line of
work, for example, to ask people, what's happening; what are the results?
Show me some progress. I don't have much time in this job, and so one of
the things I try to do is to say, here's the goal, and how are we
progressing toward this goal.

And one of the interesting things about the Higher Achievement Program,
they have got a good track record, good results. It shows what is possible
when you focus on a goal-oriented, results-oriented approach to helping
save lives. For 30 years -- they've got a long history, by the way, this
program has been in existence for 30 years -- they've mentored middle
school students. And that's an important group, by the way. If you're
interested in trying to figure out something to do in America, find some
middle school students who need some help. It is a very important age for
loving adults to enter into a child's life. And this initiative -- let me
just say this, of the more than 300 youngsters who take place in this
program per year, 95 percent go to college. (Applause.)

If you're interested in finding out what works, look at this program,
because the results are clear. And I want to congratulate the visionaries
involved with the program and those who are on the front lines of making it
work.

I also -- we have the honor of meeting folks who mentor. I call them
soldiers in the armies of compassion, people who are willing to take time
out of their too-busy lives to help save a life. Such a person is Stacey
French. For two-and-a-half years, she has volunteered to tutor a seventh
grader named Lexus Henderson, both of whom are here today. Stacey watched
as Lexus turned from an inattentive student to one who is focused, to one
who sets goals. I asked Lexus, I said, you going to college?
Thirteen-year-old guy, by the way. He said, absolutely. He's even picked
one out. He has set a goal.

And Stacey is there to help him realize that goal. He wasn't very good in
math. She helped focus on math. Math is now his favorite subject. Here's a
guy going to college as a result of the love of Stacey. Thank you all for
coming. Please stand up. (Applause.)

Laura and I also met with some extraordinary young men and women who have
faced some incredibly significant and great challenges in their life. Each
of them has had a mother or father in prison. Each has had a volunteer
mentor, as well. And the caring presence of this adult, the soul who said,
I love you, has made a big difference in these children's lives. They have
made a tough decision to kind of resist peer pressure and focus on
achieving results in schools and staying off drugs and making tough
choices. And we're really proud of the accomplishments that you all have
made and the example you have set.

One of those is Michaela Huberty is with us today from Benjamin Mays Magnet
School, St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the youngest of three children, and
she's being raised by her mom. Her dad has been in and out of prison for
her entire life. Fortunately, there's the Lutheran mentoring program -- I
just introduced the head of it in Minneapolis -- that matched Michaela with
Jennifer Kalenborn. She is a special needs teacher in St. Paul. Think about
that. She's already helping children, and she wanted to do more.

She is -- and they do crafts together, and they go to museums together, and
they read together, and they talk on the phone together. She sets an
example. Guess what Michaela wants to be when she grows up: a teacher.
(Laughter.) It's pretty interesting -- not coincidental, of course. She's
being loved by a teacher. She's being helped by a teacher. She herself
wants to teach. One of the most important programs that we need to focus on
is to -- helping a child whose parent is or has been in prison. And I want
to thank the Minneapolis program, and I want to thank Jennifer for being
such a good soul. Welcome to you both, thanks for coming. Let them stand
up. (Applause.)

Jillian Antonucci is with us. She joined the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
Program. That's a program all -- that exists in order to help a child whose
parent may be or has been in prison. It's a great program, by the way.

She takes time out from attending Grove City College in Pennsylvania to
mentor Brianna Morris, whose father and mother have both been in prison. I
asked her, I said, well, how did you get involved with the program? She
said, the first thing is I prayed and asked for guidance from the Almighty.
It's kind of an interesting way to become inspired, isn't it? Matter of
fact, it is the basis of many faith-based program -- matter of fact, it's
the basis of all faith-based programs. (Applause.)

Brianna was suffering from depression. But Jillian, as a result of her love
and desire to help, has watched this young lady become someone who is
laughing and more open, somebody who has set goals. Interestingly enough,
the goal: she either wants to be a basketball player or a computer
technician. If your jump shot doesn't work, go computers. (Laughter.) But
we want to thank you both for being here. Thank you for coming. Please
stand up and be recognized for your good work. (Applause.)

And finally, we met Vinnie Thomas. Some people become mentors because of
what mentors have done for them in their lives. In other words, one of the
interesting things about mentoring is it can create a chain of compassion
over the course of people's lives. And Vinnie Thomas left home when he was
16, ended up in California struggling with drugs. And guess where he ended
up? In prison. He was there for three-and-a-half years. And while he was
there, a mentor -- I think he said two mentors, but one sticks out in my
mind in particular as a mentor.

That was a business person, came and mentored Vinnie and gave him an
airplane ticket to fly back home, said if you need a problem [sic], here's
a house, here's a bed. In other words, it's probably more effective than a
probation officer could be. Somebody said, I care for you, Vinnie. Vinnie
said he didn't have a family, he was lonely. He said this mentor helped him
make sure that he didn't land back in jail. Guess what? Vinnie today is a
big brother to Parry Elliott, who is with us, as well.

Parry Elliott is a seventh grader, lives in a section of Washington known
for gang violence. His dad is in prison right now. I asked Parry, I said,
how about college? He said absolutely, you don't have to worry about me. He
said, I've made my decision. He's accepted to the Seed School in
Washington, D.C., where 100 percent of the graduating students were
accepted into college last year. (Applause.) Thanks to Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the National Capital Area, their lives have been transformed.

Let me tell you something about Vinnie. This week, he was ordained a Deacon
at the Galilee Baptist Church. (Applause.) I guess I shouldn't call him
Vinnie, I should call him Deacon Thomas. (Laughter.) As a matter of fact, I
asked the Deacon to offer a prayer after our gathering. I was hoping I
would be the recipient of the first prayer that the newly ordained Deacon
would offer. I think I might have been.

MR. THOMAS: You were.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's good. (Laughter.) Let me just say, you
responded to the pressure quite well. (Laughter.) It's an honor to welcome
Deacon Thomas and Parry with us today. Thank you all for coming.
(Applause.)

I'm proud of these mentors, we're proud of you all who mentor, as well.
Anybody listening out there is interested in how to serve the country, one
good way is to become a mentor. We talk to the program directors. I say,
what are your bottlenecks, where do you need help? They need help in
matching lost souls with somebody who loves. And so spread the word. I'm
trying to spread it right now through that camera. (Laughter.) But if you
want to serve America, become a mentor.

And there are ways to do so -- plenty of access to the Internet.
USAFreedomCorps.gov is one way to figure out a mentoring program close to
you that is looking for help. The amazing thing is, is that all this
happens without government. There's success stories like the four we just
heard all across America, because there are a lot of people who are saying,
what can I do, how can I help, what do I need to do to make sure
opportunity is available to all people?

Now, government has got a role to play in my judgment. I think there's a
vital role for government to play. But first we've got to understand the
limitations of government. Government can do a lot of things, but one of
the things government is not really good at is love. It can hand out money.
But it can't put hope in a person's heart. It can't serve to inspire a
person to set goals like going to college. But what government can do is to
empower people who have heard the call to love a neighbor, and that's what
government should do, in my judgment. Government should be an advocate of
faith-based and community-based programs, not an impedent [sic] to
faith-based programs. Government ought to be not a road block --
(applause.)

So we're committed to making government an effective partner for those
bringing hope to harsh places. In the State of the Union this year, I
announced the Helping America's Youth Initiative that's going to be led by
Laura. She talked about it. She'll be focusing on three key areas vital to
helping young people succeed: family, school and community.

This fall, she's -- as she mentioned, she's going to be convening a White
House conference that will bring researchers and policy experts and
educators and parents and community leaders together. They will discuss
ways and strategies to help children avoid drugs, alcohol, violence, early
sexual activity, ways to help people build successful lives.

As part of Helping America's Youth Initiative, we've proposed a new
$150-million effort to discourage gangs, to encourage faith-based and
community-based organizations to provide alternatives to gangs. I can't
think of a better group of people to rally and inspire, to offset the lure
of a gang, than somebody who has heard a universal call to love a neighbor,
just like they'd like to be loved themselves.

I'm really excited about Laura's initiative. I urge Congress to support
programs that will make this initiative viable, initiatives such as
programs to help strengthen marriages; a responsible fatherhood initiative
that would support community- and faith-based organizations to help fathers
stay involved in their children's lives; a healthy marriage initiative to
support research on the best ways to keep marriages strong. Those seem like
reasonable programs if we're all aiming to try to make this society as
strong a society as possible.

There are over two million children in America with at least one parent in
prison. That is a problem that we must address, and the problem is, is that
if your dad or mother is in prison, you're likely to end up there yourself
without love and compassion in your life; that's a fact.

And so one of the initiatives that I called upon Congress to fund was the
initiative to help faith-based and community organizations to recruit
enough mentors to save the lives of 100,000 children whose parent may be in
prison. It's a vital initiative; it's an important initiative. Last year we
gave out $55 million in grants that had been awarded to 221 organizations.
There is still work to be done. We're just starting.

I urge those of you involved in the Faith- and Community-Based Initiative
to set up programs to mentor a child whose parent may be in prison. It is a
vital contribution to our country that you can make. It's an important part
of keeping this country a hopeful place for all. We'll have more money
available in the budgets coming out, but what we can't do is we can't buy
compassion and love. It's up to those at the community level to take
advantage of the funding available. It's up to you to go out and help
recruit. I can call people to service and will continue to do so. A
patriotic way to serve America is to mentor a child whose parent may be in
prison. But I encourage the social entrepreneurs in America to funnel
resources and efforts and energy toward this vital program.

The faith-based program is one that is going to be -- remain a constant
part of my administration. Obviously, there's some limitations on the faith
program. You can't take federal money to proselytize. You can't take
federal money and discriminate against somebody based upon religion. In
other words, if you're an alcohol and drug rehabilitation program, you
happen to be associated with the Methodist church, you can't say only
Methodists who are drunk can come here. You got to say all drunks are able
to come here. (Laughter.) In other words, there is some limitations.
(Applause.) There are limitations to how this federal money can be used.

But one of the limitations should not be based upon the fact that you're a
faith-based program. In other words, we strongly believe at the federal
level that federal money ought to be accessible on an equal playing field,
level playing field to faith-based programs.

Jim Towey runs an office in my -- runs an office there at the White House.
See, I ask Towey all the time, I say, how much money are we getting out the
door? It's one thing to talk the faith-based and community-based
initiative, another thing is actually to make sure money is available. And
he reported to me last year, $2 billion was accessed by the faith
community. And that's good. That's a good start. We spend a lot more than
$2 billion a year.

The whole goal, see, is to focus on results, not on process. Those of us in
Washington, we ought to say, are we saving lives? Are we getting enough
mentors in people's lives? Are we helping enough drunks get off alcohol?
Are we helping enough addicts get off drugs? That's what we ought to be
asking. And we ought to recognize that in programs that exist because
they've heard a call to love a neighbor, you can find great results. And so
this Faith-Based and Community-Based Initiative is a results-oriented
approach that'll protect the church and -- the separation of church and
state, but at the same time, wisely uses taxpayers' money so that we can
achieve important social objectives.

For those of you involved in the faith and community programs, I want to
say thank you for your efforts. You've got a friend and ally in the federal
government now. (Applause.)

Part of making sure you can do your job is to make sure regulations don't
stand in the way of doing your job. Congress needs to make sure that
faith-based groups are not forced to give up their right to hire people of
their own faith as a price for competing for federal money. I'm pleased
that the House voted a month ago to protect the civil rights of faith-based
groups. I urge the Senate to do the same when it considers welfare reform
and job training legislation this year. (Applause.)

We're beginning to change the culture here in Washington. There's a more
accepting attitude toward the role that faith-based and community-based
programs can play in helping cure social ills and helping to shine a light
into some of the dark places in our country.

In order to make sure that we continue to stay focused on this initiative
and to be -- and to succeed, I've set up 10 faith-based offices in 10
agencies, federal agencies. In other words, there's got to be some
accountability. I want there to be a presence in these federal
bureaucracies. I want somebody in there agitating for fairness,
understanding the great hope of this initiative.

In 2003, grants to faith-based programs had gone up by 20 percent, and
what's important for you to understand is that all the grant money hasn't
just gone to the established faith providers, like the Salvation Army,
which has done a fantastic job, or Catholic Charities, which has done a
fantastic job in America. But I want to make sure that social
entrepreneurs, large and small, had access to federal money. In other
words, we want to make sure that the program reaches some of the most
lonely corners in America, that we touch both large and small providers.
And we're making progress. And I'm asking Towey all the time, are we
reaching new programs? Are we making a difference in other neighborhoods?
Are we making sure that this has a broad reach throughout America? And I'm
proud to report that thousands of small groups, tiny grassroots
organizations, are being touched by this initiative, and that's important.

Let me tell you why I feel so strongly about this initiative, because I
understand the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of our
citizens. Interestingly enough, I wasn't the first person to recognize
this, nor will I be the last. De Tocqueville, fine fellow from France, came
to the United States in the 1830s. And he studied what made America unique.
And what he found was the uniqueness of America then was their eagerness to
come together to form associations to enable people to serve a cause
greater than themselves. Many of those associations existed because of
religion; a lot of them didn't. But there was this great desire for
Americans to voluntarily associate in order to help realize an ambition
deep within our soul, and that is to make our country a better place, and
at the same time, make ourself a better person by working to help somebody
who hurts. He recognized, de Tocqueville recognized that a strength -- that
that was our strength then. It's very important for those of us

And so I want to thank you all for being a soldier in the army of
compassion, some of you privates, some of you sergeants, some of you
generals, all soldiers, bound together by the great desire to love a
neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.

Over the next four years, I'll continue to work with our faith- and
community-based programs to save America one heart, one soul, one
conscience at a time. Thanks for coming today. God bless. (Applause.)

END 11:21 A.M. EST

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