[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E2143]]



                         TRIBUTE TO AMERICORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 20, 1999

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to over 
100,000 individuals who have served the American community through 
their participation in Americorps. As this program completes its fifth 
year, I would like to recognize some of the outstanding work that 
Americorps members have been doing in the Los Angeles area.
  Working with Building Up Los Angeles, over 100 Americorps 
participants a year serve thousands of young people from kindergarten 
through high school at 29 sites including public schools, churches and 
community centers. Corps members tutor and mentor children during the 
school year and deliver academic support services when school is out; 
provide health education and organize teen pregnancy and domestic 
violence prevention programs; and encourage residents to have pride in 
their communities through neighborhood clean-up and beautification 
projects and public art projects. Building Up Los Angeles serves East 
Los Angeles, Central City South, Hollywood, Northeast Los Angeles, Pico 
Union, Koreatown, the San Fernando Valley, Pocoima, South Central, and 
Watts.
  Over 100 individuals with the Southern California Environmental 
Resources Management AmeriCorps Program have been working to protect 
our environment by distributing over 30,000 water-conserving devices, 
such as low-flow showerheads, to residents in the Compton area and 
other communities in the greater metropolitan basin. The program, which 
is administered by the Executive Partnership for Environmental 
Resources Training (ExPERT), will mean a savings of over 4 billion 
gallons of water per year over the next ten years.
  In Bellflower, California, approximately 65 Americorps tutors work 
with Project REACH (Reading Excellence Achieved with Community Help) 
and Project APPLE (After School Program Promoting Learning and 
Enrichment), which provide academic support and enrichment for 1300 
students in grades K-8, with emphasis on grades three and four. This 
year, additional opportunities to serve through Project REACH and 
Project APPLE included a series of literacy programs designed to 
promote parent involvement; helping to organize the Special Olympics; 
assisting with a Community Immunization Project; planning activities 
for children in the performing arts; providing nutrition education; and 
developing initiatives that help children gain teamwork and leadership 
skills.
  Through their work, Americorps members are helping to improve 
neighborhoods and schools, develop communities, and protect the 
environment. I am pleased to have this opportunity to commend and thank 
those individuals who have served through the Americorps program and 
made such valuable contributions in the Los Angeles area.

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