[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 14 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H171-H174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 660) supporting the goals and ideals of
National Mentoring Month.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 660
Whereas youth mentoring is a centuries-old concept, through
which a dependable adult provides guidance, support, and
encouragement to help a young person become a responsible,
productive adult;
Whereas mentoring, when done well, helps young people stay
in school and improve academically, boosts self-esteem and
communication skills, and improves the chances of going on to
higher education;
Whereas there are thousands of mentoring programs in
communities of all sizes across the United States, focused on
building strong, effective relationships between caring and
responsible adults and young people who need positive adult
role models;
Whereas in spite of the great benefits mentoring provides,
America has a serious mentoring gap, with more than 15
million young people currently in need of caring adult role
models;
Whereas the demand for mentoring far exceeds the current
capacity of local mentoring programs and the number of adults
who currently volunteer as mentors;
Whereas on December 22, 2005, the President designated
January 2006 as National Mentoring Month to focus the
Nation's attention on the essential role mentoring plays in
the lives of young people;
Whereas the month-long celebration of mentoring will
encourage more individuals and organizations, including
schools, businesses, nonprofit organizations, faith
institutions, and foundations, to become engaged in
mentoring; and
Whereas National Mentoring Month will, most importantly,
build awareness of mentoring and recruit more individuals to
become mentors, helping close our Nation's mentoring gap:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National Mentoring
Month;
(2) acknowledges the hard work of individuals and groups
who promote mentoring and who are observing the month with
appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness
of and volunteer involvement with youth mentoring; and
(3) recognizes with gratitude the contributions of the
millions of caring adults who are already serving as mentors
and encourages more adults to volunteer as mentors.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 660.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in honor of National
Mentoring Month, which actually was celebrated in January, but we were
not here in January, so we are doing it a month late. I would like to
honor the contributions of the thousands of mentors and mentoring
programs across the country that work so hard to provide young people
with support and assistance.
And I would like to make a personal reference here, Mr. Speaker, in
that I spent most of my previous career, 36 years, working with young
people, and I saw many changes during that period of time, certainly
great changes in the family. The out-of-wedlock birth rate was 5
percent in 1960; today it is about 35 percent. So a huge increase.
And at the time that I first started my coaching career, the number
of children living with both biological parents was 90 percent. Today
it is roughly 50 percent. And we currently
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have 22 million fatherless children in the United States today. And I
worked with many young people who were without fathers, and I saw the
devastation that this lack of a father caused in their lives.
I also witnessed many cultural changes during that 36-year period. We
have become the most violent Nation in the developed countries for
young people, currently lead the world among developed nations in
suicide and homicide rates. Certainly drug and alcohol abuse has
increased dramatically. And, of course, gang activity, many people are
aware of the increase there.
And also some of the influences of the media have not all been that
positive. Some of the television, some of the movies, some of the
Internet activities, some video games certainly have been somewhat
pernicious and not been helpful to our young people.
So if we look at history, we realize that most great civilizations
decline and fall due to internal factors, not external consequences.
And so if we look at Rome, to some degree the British Empire, Soviet
Union, we see some of those things occurring. And I think it is
important that we not be caught off guard here in the United States.
It is difficult to legislate or mandate solutions to some of the
problems that I have outlined briefly here, but I would like to remind
the fact that mentoring does work. An adult who has no vested interest
in a young person, who is not a parent, not a grandparent not a
teacher, no one who is paid to come and spend time with that child,
makes a tremendous impact on that child's life if they simply care
enough to show up and spend time, because it indicates to that young
person that they are worth something, that they are worthwhile. And so
we see some dramatic changes.
My wife and I have been involved with a mentoring program which
currently mentors 2,900 young people, mostly in the State of Nebraska.
We have done some research through Gallup, the polling company, and
they have found that absenteeism, in a good mentoring program, is
reduced by 80 percent, absenteeism from school. We find that discipline
referrals go down by about 70 percent, grades improve by 40 percent,
and also pregnancy rates go down significantly. Substance abuse is
decreased by 40 to 50 percent. Gang activity is reduced substantially.
And some things improve and increase. Graduation rates go up. And
personal hygiene and personal relationships with parents and peers also
tends to improve.
So a mentor is someone who cares. And we have so many young people in
our country today who simply do not have an adult in their life that
they can count on, somebody that cares about them unequivocally and
will always be there for them.
A mentor is also someone who affirms, who says, I believe in you, I
see some talent, I see some possibility. A mentor is someone who
provides a vision of what might be possible. So mentoring is critical.
Mentoring does work.
And Congress has responded. We had an amendment to No Child Left
Behind called Mentoring For Success, which I was able to introduce. In
the last 5 years we have provided $184 million of support for mentoring
programs around the country. This is supported, of course, by Chairman
Boehner.
Another mentoring program was funded to the tune of $168 million, and
this is for children of prisoners. It was through HHS and supported by
the President. And currently it costs about $500 per mentoring match,
and so we reach undoubtedly 600,000, 700,000 children through these
programs.
Mentoring is cost-effective. It costs $500 to mentor a child. It
costs $25,000 to $30,000 to lock someone up in prison. And the average
meth addict will cost the State that it resides in roughly $47,500 if
they are addicted to meth because of crimes committed and other abuses.
So at the present time, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that we need
roughly 18 million mentors in the United States, children who badly
need somebody in their life. We currently are able to supply roughly 3
million, so we are 15 million short. And what we have done in Congress
is helped; certainly been a step in the right direction.
So I am pleased that we can at least acknowledge what has been done,
and National Mentoring Month has certainly increased awareness and
shown the importance of mentoring and the need for more mentors across
the country.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for his
leadership in bringing this resolution recognizing National Mentoring
Month to the floor today. Since he arrived in Congress, the coach, as
he is so often called, has worked to make youth issues a priority both
on and off the field, and this resolution is another example of his
dedication to this effort.
As we celebrate mentoring today, I am reminded of the words of
Coretta Scott King when she said: I am fulfilled in what I do. I never
thought that a lot of money, nor fine clothes, the finer things in life
would make you happy.
Mentoring is not a material good. It does not involve lots of heavy
spending or working long hours to achieve monetary greatness, but
mentoring truly is one of the finer things in life. It is a valuable
activity that gives all involved a sense of happiness and connection
that material things cannot.
A mentor, of course, is often an adult, who, along with parents,
provides young people support, counsel, friendship, and a constructive
example. The average mentor spends 8 to 10 hours a month with his or
her mentee on activities such as reading a good book aloud, visiting
museums or going to the playground.
When a young person is matched with a caring, responsible individual,
this relationship often makes a positive difference in the quality of
life for that young person.
For much too long we have focused on providing remedies to problems
that only address negative behavior, rather than looking at ways to
promote the positive and healthy development of our young people. This
resolution directs us to focus on what children need in order to grow
into healthy, safe and well-educated adults, making sure that children
have access to a caring and responsible adult relationship.
Mentoring opens young people's eyes to a brighter future, and every
young person deserves that opportunity. Unfortunately at this time
there are simply not enough mentors to go around. Only about 1,000 of
the more than 1 million school-aged children in the Chicago area are
fortunate enough to have a mentor. Nationally more than 15 million
young people currently are in need of a caring adult role model.
In Chicago and across the country, it is clear that the mentoring
framework is in place. Now we just need more people to volunteer their
time to help change the life of a child. Research shows that young
people who are mentored have a stronger attachment to school, higher
graduation rates, and decreased involvement with drugs, gangs and
violence.
This bill recognizes these positive outcomes and acknowledges the
hard work of individuals and groups who promote mentoring. Mentoring is
a strong investment in our children and in the future of our country.
Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am indeed pleased to join with Representative
Osborne and my colleagues in celebrating the essential role that
mentoring plays in the lives of our young people.
Again, I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for his outstanding
leadership in bringing these kinds of issues to the forefront and to
the attention of the Members of this body.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
{time} 1530
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
House Resolution 660. I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for
his work stressing the need for mentoring in our Nation. It has been a
pleasure to work with Congressman Osborne over the years to emphasize
this great need for mentors.
Just yesterday a young woman from my San Diego community dropped by
my office to share her story of how a
[[Page H173]]
mentoring program changed her life. She came from a difficult family
situation as a teenager and sought help from the Turning Point program
at the YMCA Youth and Family Services in San Diego. There she found the
help and the guidance of mentors who helped her in turning her life
around for the best and eventually enrolling in college and setting
some very ambitious personal goals. With the help of mentors, she
learned the skills and confidence needed to make it in life, including
how to communicate and how to build self-esteem. And she also learned
practical skills in the 18-month program such as how to budget finances
and how to approach job interviews.
Mr. Speaker, her story is a perfect example of the power and impact
of mentoring. Those who receive the help and the support of a mentor
are likely to help others and to do good. As an adult she now works as
a staff member of the Turning Point program, returning the gift of
mentoring to young at-risk youth who face similar circumstances. Her
experience also shows that mentoring is not only about helping people
facing difficulties, but giving them the strength and the drive to
chart their own course and to discover their own strength and talents.
Her talent now is helping others change their lives for the better.
We are hearing a lot right now about the need to make our young
people competitive and to push academic standards, but let us also
guide our children and give them the self-esteem and the courage to
face the world and all its obstacles, particularly those young people
who face substantial obstacles. Our children need the wisdom and
strength of someone who cares. And I know as a school board member I
would often run into teachers and principals who came from what we
would call tough neighborhoods, and I would ask them what made the
difference, because they would share with me that a lot of children
they grew up with were in jail, and some had died, young people, and
they shared that the one person, that one teacher that showed an
interest, that one community member who always looked out for them,
that one member who really would not let them get away with things
growing up. It is always important to have that special someone there
who cares.
As a proud sponsor to H.R. 660, I want to urge my colleagues to
support the resolution before us today and to recognize the need to
promote mentoring.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the
proposed bill, H. Res. 660, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of
National Mentoring Month.''
In 2002, January was deemed National Mentoring Month to recognize the
importance that mentoring has on our Nation's youth. The demand for
mentors stems from the growing need of our Nation's youth to have
positive role models in their life that can provide them with the
critical support and guidance necessary for them to succeed.
Without external support they are less likely to graduate from high
school, and more likely to engage in criminal behavior. In contrast,
youth matched in mentoring programs are 46 percent less likely to use
illegal drugs and 37 percent less likely to skip a day of class.
Additionally, youth in mentoring programs show increased self-esteem,
self-confidence and self-worth.
The benefits of mentoring do not stop with the youth. Research by the
Commonwealth Fund shows that 83 percent of adult mentors ``learned or
gained something personally from their mentoring experience,''
suggesting that mentoring is a positive experience for the both the
mentor and the youth.
Further, by involving individuals and organizations, such as non-
profits, faith-based institutions and businesses, we strengthen our
communities--something that each of us works diligently to accomplish
on a daily basis.
In my district in Houston, we have worked to foster this relationship
through several mentoring programs. Two key institutions are the
Volunteer Houston Mentoring Institute and the National Big Brothers,
Big Sisters Program, both of which are working with area schools to
administer successful programs. Volunteer Houston and the Houston
Independent School District entered into a partnership to ensure that
at-risk high school students have mentors to help them achieve academic
success. Last year, the national Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program
matched 225,000 youth with mentors, 1,500 of which are in the Houston
program.
Both of these programs illustrate that significant progress has been
made, but there is still much to be done. Nationally, there are as many
as 15 million young people that make up what is known as the mentoring
gap, or youth in need of mentors. In my district this is of
particularly grave concern, as 5,300 youth displaced by hurricane
Katrina are enrolled in the Houston Independent School District. They
have sustained both psychological and emotional burdens, and could
immediately benefit from a mentoring program.
In order to extend the great benefits of mentoring to all of those in
need of services it is important to recruit new volunteers and expand
the scope of operations.
With that said, I join my colleagues in supporting the goals and
ideals of National Mentoring Month, recognize the need for increased
awareness, and stand to recognize those self-less individuals and
organizations that make mentoring a priority, often without the praise
they deserve.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to be here with my colleagues
Supporting Goals and Ideals of National Mentoring Month.
As House Resolution 660 so accurately states, ``mentoring is a
centries-old concept, through which a dependable adult provides
guidance, support, and encouragement to help a young become a
responsible, productive adult.'' It goes on to conclude that when
properly carried out mentoring ``helps young people stay in school and
improve academically, boosts self-esteem and communication skills, and
improves the chances of going on to higher education.'' I could not
agree more.
In Michigan, we proudly recognize the contributions made by Mentor
Michigan, led by Governor Jennifer Granholm, and the First Gentleman
Dan Mulhern. Two individuals who lead by example and serve as mentors
themselves. I was recently privileged to join the First Gentleman at a
presentation on mentoring at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt.
Clemens, Michigan where he spoke passionately and effectively not only
about the meaning of mentoring in his own life but the broader impact
it has for our Michigan community.
This program exemplifies what happens when government and community
actively work to make certain all of our youth develop lasting
relationships with individuals who are stable and caring. By developing
a state-wide network of mentoring programs, Mentor Michigan has
fostered support and unity among programs that accomplish what so often
gets overlooked, encouragement and guidance of youth. Mentoring
programs throughout the state are work in conjunction with Mentor
Michigan to promote three simple values.
First, that every child has the right to a stable, caring adult in
his or her life. It is so easy to take this for granted. In Michigan,
over 237 programs connect youth with high quality mentors that are
dedicated to helping children reach their aspirations and guiding them
through fulfilling their needs. Mentor Michigan recruits and connects
dedicated mentors with effective programs.
Second, everyone is responsible for the well being of our children
including individuals, businesses, nonprofit and faith-based
organizations, education institutions, and government. ``It takes a
village to raise a child,'' says an old African proverb, and Mentor
Michigan knows that a safe, well developed network of resources is a
vital way to show that community involvement matters in shaping the way
young people see the world. Mentors satisfy needs and programs that
value mentors such as Mentor Michigan should be commended.
Third, volunteering is a significant way for people to enrich their
lives by giving of themselves to children in their community. Youth
energize the world around them and working with youth energizes the
individuals who take up the challenge. Over 99 percent of Michigan's
mentors have recommended mentoring to others. Mentor Michigan programs
provide Americans the opportunity to develop young leaders of tomorrow.
Michigan is the only state with such a focus on tracking and
assessing its mentoring programs. It is estimated that over 30,000
Michigan youth benefitted from having a mentor in 2005. I feel
privileged to know such outstanding devotion to the generation of
tomorrow and very proud to honor it today.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the
great contributions mentoring programs make every day to a better
America of tomorrow.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 660. I want to
thank Mr. Davis of Illinois for his support.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gutknecht). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 660.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof)
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the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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