[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6850-6851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY

  Mrs. DOLE. Madam President, I rise today in support of the 20th 
Annual Global Youth Service Day. This event, the largest service event 
in the world, celebrates the contributions of young people to better 
their community, country and world through voluntarism. The day also 
celebrates contributions by the community, including the public, 
private, and nonprofit sectors, to empower young people.
  Like the youth who participate in the Global Youth Service Day, I 
gravitated towards public service at a young age. After graduating from 
law school, I worked for the Department of Health, Education and 
Welfare on the rights and potential contributions of disabled 
Americans. We all have a contribution to make, and for me, the greatest 
joy in life has come from public service, which has enabled me to touch 
countless lives. My mother, Mary Hanford, who passed away just shy of 
103 years old, taught me at a very young age the importance of giving 
back to your community and helping those around you. She taught me that 
the best thing you can leave behind is not found on a resume or in a 
bank account; it is found in your character, making a difference, a 
positive difference, the lives of others.
  During Global Youth Service Day, millions of young people across the 
globe will participate in thousands of community improvement projects. 
Although we commemorate this event only once a year, Global Youth 
Service Day is a celebration of contributions made every day by 
dedicated young people who desire to change the world one good deed at 
a time, and by the communities that empower them to do so. True service 
is not giving 1 day or even 1 week a year; it is truly a way of life.
  The projects carried out for Global Youth Service Day focus on issues 
ranging from increasing literacy to protecting the environment and 
ending hunger. One can see the diversity of the projects and the 
dedication of the participants by looking at those carried out in my 
home state of North Carolina during last year's Global Youth Service 
Day. One such project, the Pfeiffer University Relay for Life, was held 
a few miles from my hometown of Salisbury. This 24-hour relay was held 
to support cancer research and to raise awareness. Another project, in 
Charlotte, involved a group doing their own part to protect the 
environment by picking up litter and cleaning a creek in their 
neighborhood.
  Looking back over the years, my belief is it won't be the cars you 
drove or the titles you held or the awards you were given that will 
matter. No, it is character, integrity, a caring heart and 
compassionate concern and love for your fellow man that will count for 
so much more. So let me assure you, that just one individual, one 
person like those who participate in this important day, can make a 
world of difference . . . even, I might say, a different world. 
Volunteers are a powerful force, and our future depends on people like 
these youth, who will motivate and challenge others and make that 
positive difference.
  No one is ever too young or too old to be involved in shaping our 
world. I encourage all youth to be inspired on this

[[Page 6851]]

day to use their talents to find ways to make a positive difference in 
the lives of others. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of 
legislation designating April 25, 2008, as Global Youth Service Day.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Klobuchar). The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANDERS. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________