[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 135 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING ANDY WILLIAMS

 Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I speak today to recognize Andy 
Williams, an individual who along with only seven others in the nation, 
has received the National Crime Prevention Council's Ameritech, Award 
of Excellence in Crime Prevention.
  Andy, while employed as a cab driver, made a decision in 1989 that 
inner-city youth needed both good role models and more chances to 
learn. He has since devoted his time, energy, and limited resources to 
the city of St. Paul's young people. Youth in St. Paul have benefited 
by the creation of his first program, Worker's Organization to Regain 
Confidence (WORC). After working a 7 or 8 hour day in his cab, he used 
it to collect kids from school and take them to miscellaneous jobs he 
had set up for them, providing an alternative to after-school 
delinquency and crime. Kids took on various jobs such as cleaning 
windows for a local business, running a lawn service, delivering 
dinners, learning how to repair small engines, and shovel snow. These 
programs usually involved 12 to 14 participants.
  A successful year later, he expanded WORC into a non-profit 
organization, guiding at-risk youth in the St. Paul communities of 
Frogtown and Summit-University. WORC and his newly created subsidiary, 
SOCK (Save Our City Kids), cooperate with other non-profits to provide 
work skills, peer counseling, and apprenticeship opportunities. These 
help the students develop self-confidence, self-respect, and more of 
the skills crucial to becoming self-sufficent.
  Andy has since created several other fruitful programs which continue 
to benefit the community. His innovations have enabled him and several 
hundred students to achieve a vision which reflects the nature of the 
Ameritech Award. His efforts and commitment are a great example for 
those who wish to make a difference in their own communities. The other 
programs include: WORC on Bikes, the Drop-In-Center, the Let's Talk 
program, and Whiz Kids. WORC on Bikes is a program in which youth learn 
to repair bicycles and eventually earn their own bikes. The Drop-In-
Center is a place where any adult or child can stop and discuss 
personal concerns, such as family problems, alcohol and drug abuse, and 
violence. The Let's Talk program empowers youth, teenagers, adults, and 
parents by providing the tools with which solutions to social problems 
can begin to be addressed. Whiz Kids is a community-based computer 
education program which makes technology more accessible to youth, 
while assisting them in developing related skills to prepare them for 
future endeavors. It is funded entirely through private donations.
  Clearly, Andy was selected for this award for his ability to truly 
make a difference, to persevere, to work for positive results in the 
lives of youth in the realm of crime prevention and far beyond. On 
behalf of the children and families who have profited from his 
exemplary efforts to better various communities in St. Paul, my thanks 
for his devoted and lasting contribution to the future of our children, 
and my congratulations on his well-deserved award.

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