[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21160]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SAM DURAN: THE SAN DIEGO CHICANO FEDERATION'S COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

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                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2005

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, Sam Duran has devoted more than 30 years of 
his life to empowering, advocating and improving the lives of inner 
city youth. As the founding chief executive (CEO) of the Urban Corps of 
San Diego, Sam has grown the organization from its original budget of 
$120,000 to more than $5 million. Under his direction, the organization 
has been responsible for training, employing and providing educational 
opportunities for 5,700 at-risk youth.
  The mission of the Urban Corps of San Diego is to provide job 
training and educational opportunities to young adults in the fields of 
conservation, recycling and community service, which assists them in 
becoming more employable, while protecting San Diego's natural 
resources and instilling the importance of community involvement.
  Sam's passion is empowering youth. He inspires leadership by helping 
young people provide for themselves through solid education and 
environmental job training within a structured environment. It has been 
through Sam's continuous personal belief and commitment to empowering 
underprivileged youth from all walks of life, and giving back to the 
community through integrity and hard work, that the Urban Corps of San 
Diego has had the honor of being the only conservation corps to have 
ever received a grant from the Smithsonian Museum to conduct a survey 
of all outdoor sculptures in the county of San Diego. The Urban Corps 
assessed and cataloged the condition of San Diego's outdoor sculptures 
in order for the Smithsonian to begin the important and much-needed 
work of repairing and preserving them for future generations to cherish 
and enjoy.
  He has been a committed community leader, environmentalist and 
activist for his entire adult life. During his tenure as Academy 
Superintendent for the California Conservation Corps from 1978-1980, 
Sam oversaw the life skills training for 740 youth per month. As a 
board member of the National Association of Service and Conservation 
Corps, Citizens for Clean Air Policy and EarthShare of California, he 
is actively involved in statewide conservation efforts and has 
contributed to the empowerment of youth in the conservation and 
environmental fields through education and vocational job training.
  Sam also served as the Deputy Director of Eureka Communities, a 
nonprofit organization created by San Diego philanthropist Deborah 
Szekely, to increase the capacity of executive directors of community-
based organizations to improve the lives of children, youth and 
families in need. In that role, he encouraged other nonprofit leaders 
to raise environmental awareness in their organizations and 
communities; to better the lives of disadvantaged children and youth; 
and to create forums for learning exchanges that would expose leaders 
to effective methods and best practices throughout San Diego and the 
nation.
  In addition to his service on the task force created to advise 
President Bill Clinton on AmeriCorps, Sam serves on the boards of the 
San Diego Juvenile Justice Prevention Commission, the San Diego 
Maritime Museum, the Conservation Corps State Museum, San Diego 
Riverpark Foundation and the Farmworkers Institute for Education & 
Leadership Development (FIELD).
  Sam is also a decorated Vietnam veteran who holds a Bronze Star and 
an Air Force Commendation with two Oak leaf clusters.
  Congratulations, Sam, on this Award for Community Service!

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