[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 83 (Thursday, June 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          NATIONAL SERVICE DAY

 Mr. CARPER. Mr. President. I would like to speak for a few 
minutes about the Democratic Leadership Council's ``National Service 
Day.'' Today I join the Democratic Leadership Council, DLC, former 
President Clinton, DLC Chair Senator Evan Bayh, and New Democrats 
across the country in calling for the expansion of national service 
opportunities in a ``National Service Day.''
  Creating a strong system of voluntary national service has been a 
signature New Democrat idea from the founding of the Democratic 
Leadership Council to President Clinton's AmeriCorps initiative. In the 
wake of the surge of patriotism following the events of September 11, 
national service is squarely at the center of national debate.
  To build on this momentum, the DLC's Clinton Center is hosting 
``National Service Day,'' during which former DLC Chair President 
Clinton will participate in three service projects in New York City, 
and DLC Chair Evan Bayh, Representatives Harold Ford, Jr. and Rep. Tim 
Roemer will host a roundtable discussion with Members of Congress and 
AmeriCorps members from across the country. Other elected officials, 
including Virginia Governor Mark Warner, San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzalez, 
and Wisconsin State Representative Antonio Riley will join the DLC in 
promoting the New Democrat tradition of opportunity, responsibility and 
community through national service.
  In recognition of National Service Day, I am hosting Britt Eichner 
from Bear, DE, today. A rising senior at Archmere Academy with a 4.0 
GPA, Britt embodies a commitment to service. As Hugh O'Brian Youth 
Foundation Ambassador, she volunteered more than 100 hours of service 
to the community. Last spring, she mobilized faculty and student 
mentors to adopt neighborhood families in need. As proof that living 
with diabetes doesn't have to slow anyone down, Britt just completed 
her fifth Bike-a-Thon for the American Diabetes Foundation Tour de 
Cure. And she recently spent a weekend in western Philadelphia 
revitalizing neighborhoods in a community cleanup. Students like Britt 
represent the real promise of community service.
  While every American should be asked to consider setting aside time 
for service, be it mentoring a student or volunteering at a community 
center, it is also time to make sure we give those who are willing to 
serve, as Citizen-Soldiers in the Armed Forces or as AmeriCorps or 
Peace Corps volunteers, the opportunity to serve their country full-
time.
  I am proud to say that in Delaware, people of all ages and 
backgrounds are helping to solve problems and strengthen communities 
through 23 national service projects across the state. This year, 
AmeriCorps, the domestic Peace Corps, will provide more than 170 
individuals the opportunity to spend a full year serving in Delaware 
communities. More than 230 students in Delaware colleges and 
universities will help pay their way through school while aiding their 
community through service opportunities that are part of the Federal 
Work Study Program. And more than 3,300 seniors in Delaware will 
contribute their time and talents to one of three programs that make up 
the Senior Corps: Foster Grandparents, who serve one-on-one with more 
than 1,200 young people with special needs; Senior Companions, who help 
more than 100 other seniors live independently in their homes; and 
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, RSVP, volunteers, who work with 
more than 330 local groups to meet a wide range of community needs.
  These numbers, though inspiring as they are, represent just a small 
fraction of our population and are much smaller than the number of 
people who want to serve. If we are to make national service a culture-
changing rite of passage in America, we must do more. National service 
should not be a special chance for a few, but a way of life for many.
  At a time when Americans from all walks of life are asking what they 
can do to help make our Nation safer and stronger, national service 
offers an answer that points us towards a higher politics of national 
purpose.

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