[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9063]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     SALUTING AMERICA'S VOLUNTEERS

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity 
to bring special attention to an area of service that I find 
particularly important, volunteerism. As we tackle, some of our 
nation's most pressing needs and problems, we should be promoting and 
encouraging volunteer activities in our communities.
  The importance of volunteering was taught to me as a child. I want to 
ensure now that we all are mindful of the lessons that volunteering 
teaches, such as a sense of community and compassion for others. I 
believe we should remind ourselves of the important role that 
volunteers play in the delivery of human services.
  Volunteers provide an invaluable service to our communities and our 
citizens. Their presence and contributions put the ``caring'' back into 
caregiving. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the 
contributions volunteers make to long-term care for our nation's 
seniors.
  For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic 
health care organization, has been supporting the creative delivery of 
health care and health systems for years. In my home state of Arkansas, 
we are working with the Johnson Foundation in a program entitled 
``Faith in Action.''
  ``Faith in Action'' is a faith-based initiative that encourages 
volunteerism as a strategy for meeting the needs of the chronically 
ill. This program provides seed money to fund partnerships between 
interfaith coalitions and other community organizations, such as Area 
Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and hospitals. All of these 
organizations share a common goal--to provide volunteer care to their 
neighbors in need.
  These groups provide a variety of services, including organizing 
outreach to the homebound; training group leaders who oversee outreach 
ministries; locating homebound people who have lost touch with their 
communities; recruiting volunteers from church congregations and 
communities; connecting with local medical and social services; and 
providing emotional support services to community members.
  The efforts of this dedicated group have brought much-needed support 
back into our Arkansas communities and are changing the lives of 
thousands of Arkansans. We are eternally grateful to leaders like 
Bishop Kenneth W. Hicks of United Methodist Church and Mr. Will Dublin, 
who have made a tremendous commitment to fostering and sustaining Faith 
In Action programs in Arkansas.
  Next week, these men and many other Arkansas community leaders and 
volunteers will join me in Little Rock for a special event entitled 
``Caring Across the Continuum,'' where we will consider new strategies 
to promote and encourage volunteer services to assist the aging. With 
their contributions and energy, I believe we can make a real difference 
in the quality of care we extend to our state's population of seniors.
  I commend these volunteers for their efforts, and I encourage them to 
continue setting the example for us as we seek legislative remedies for 
our nation's needs. If there is one thing I have come to appreciate 
about public policy and planning, it is that we are incapable of paying 
for everything that we need as a nation. Nor should we expect to do so.
  Volunteers play a vital role in filling the gaps in our health care 
and social services systems. The mere act of volunteering encourages us 
to look outside ourselves, which in turn nurtures the growth of caring 
communities. Let's encourage the rest of our nation to consider such 
efforts as we look to the future and seek to re-weave the moral fabric 
of our country with the qualities of volunteerism.

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