[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[May 1, 1992]
[Pages 681-683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Points of Light Awards Ceremony

May 1, 1992
    Please be seated. Well, thank you, and welcome to the East Room. 
Barbara and I are very proud to be here with such an impressive group. 
And may I single out our truly special guest, Michael Jackson. I haven't 
seen so much excitement around here since Gorbachev came for the first 
time. Today we also want to extend a particularly warm welcome to 
members of our Cabinet, Dr. Lou Sullivan, Secretary Martin, and to the 
judges of this year's award: our ACTION Director, Jane Kenny; Rabbi 
Naiman of the Council of Jewish Organizations; our distinguished Surgeon 
General, Dr. Antonia Novello; James Renier, chairman and CEO of 
Honeywell; and thanks to Anita Baker and Frances Hesselbein who 
couldn't, regrettably, be with us today.
    My special thanks to the Points of Light Foundation and to ACTION 
for their help with these awards. And welcome, also, to the board 
members of the Commission on National and Community Service. And the 
warmest welcome to you all who make up the very heartbeat of our 
country, our volunteers. And a special welcome to our guest presenter 
today, a friend, our unparalleled Olympic golden girl, Florence Griffith 
Joyner. Thank you for being with us.
    Flo-Jo is here, and she's in reasonably good shape, but where's your 
husband who's trying out for--Al, right here, sitting down here. Got to 
give the man equal time. But we're delighted he's here. Flo-Jo wants 
everyone to work out, and she's targeted lazy Americans. [Laughter] I 
don't know why you're laughing, all of you, but anyway I guess with all 
this PC talk we should call them exertionally challenged. And she is 
going to wipe out couch potatoes, and I'm going to get her started on 
broccoli.
    I am here today to talk about something that's really very 
personally important to me and Barbara. You all know I love music, 
Anita's always been a favorite. And I especially love country music 
because it gets to the heart of the basic decency and compassion and 
heartbreak of people who are proud to call themselves Americans. Well, 
Randy Travis has a line in one of his songs, called ``Points of Light'' 
incidentally, that's like a spotlight on an answer for us. And he sings, 
``There are dreamers who are making dreams come true, giving hope to 
those without. Isn't that what this land's all about.'' I'm sure most of 
you have heard that song. But those are profound words.
    And you see, for all the good that Government can do, and it can do 
some good, to solve our country's social problems, we need people. We 
need every individual to respond to the problems right around them. And 
when each American is no longer willing to accept that someone on their 
street or someone in their town is homeless or jobless or friendless, 
then that's when we will truly renew America, when everybody understands 
that they're going to help their neighbor.
    We already have shining heroes in this quest, and I call them Points 
of Light, as you know; I think everyone does now. And that's the name of 
Randy's song. And there are Americans in towns and cities just like 
yours across the land discovering that service to others is a rich 
source of meaning in life. And I honor these men and women and children 
for showing the better angel of their nature by volunteering to help 
others. They sum up the great and gener-

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ous land that we have. They see the genius of this land and ordinary 
people doing extraordinary things.
    Day in and day out, these Americans wage our war for human life and 
dignity. And they don't say, ``This is why I can't help.'' They say, 
``This is why I can.'' And they say, ``Maybe I don't have money, but I 
have time,'' and ``Maybe I can't help someone build a house, but I'm a 
good listener; I care.'' And we celebrate that spirit. Whoever you are, 
you have something to share. For Americans are the greatest natural 
resource of this, the greatest Nation on Earth. And I am proud to be 
here for this very special, very important event.
    We come together today at the culmination of National Volunteer 
Week, honoring the millions of Americans who transform communities 
across the country through voluntary service. In particular, for the 
11th year, we recognize with these awards the inspirational example of 
people who meet a simple three-part test. One, they looked around. Two, 
they saw a need. And three, they filled it.
    What a cross section of wonderful Americans are represented here 
today among these 21 winners of the 1992 President's annual Points of 
Light award. There are individuals like my seatmate--all but one--at the 
luncheon, 17-year-old Robert Zamora who created the Getting Busy Teen 
Club as an alternative to gangs in east Los Angeles. And there are 
businesses like IBM which gives its employees encouragement and time off 
to volunteer, and 90,000 of them do.
    And our winners represent neighborhoods, places of worship, every 
kind of group across this broad and good land. They and all the others 
like them are shaping a Nation whose goodness grows out of the small 
acts of consequence made by many people.
    America's pioneer days are not behind us. And we still have 
frontiers left to cross, the thrill of adventure yet to discover, an 
American renaissance yet to speak. I believe there are five core 
elements of the new America which are reflected in the award categories. 
And let me just share with you how some of our award winners are drawing 
us closer to each goal.
    First, I believe every community must have excellent schools and a 
culture that fosters lifelong learning. Well, Kentucky's Berea College 
students saw a critical need right around them in the Appalachia, and so 
they volunteered as mentors and tutors to tutor grade school kids all 
the way up through adults struggling to overcome illiteracy. It started 
with the young, worked right on through those illiterate adults who 
needed help.
    Second, every community must be a decent, drug-free, and safe place 
to live. Well, 1,800 members of the Emmanuel Reformed Church saw the 
need around them, joined with their city of Paramount, California, and 
started tackling the crises that threatened their neighborhood, like 
gangs and illiteracy and crime.
    A third one: Every American community must offer quality health care 
for all. Well, 24 labor unions out in Omaha saw the need of families 
whose children were hospitalized for transplant operations. So, these 
unions joined together to buy a building, and then more than 500 skilled 
union volunteers renovated it to house these families.
    The fourth example: Every American community must offer its members 
the hope of good jobs with a future. Well, Urban Miyares can tell you 
firsthand about this need. A Vietnam vet who became blind, he found 
there were no business counseling services available to people like him, 
and he received training and now volunteers to provide job counseling to 
people with disabilities.
    And the fifth one: Every American community must be a place with a 
commitment to children, youth developing good character and values, and 
strong families. A Pennsylvania group called Magic Mix saw the needs of 
two generations and brought latchkey kids and at-risk students together 
with residents of local nursing homes who tutor, teach, and befriend 
them.
    With role models like these, I am confident that together we can 
shape our future, not through our fears but through our dreams. And yes, 
we're going to continue to work for legislation to make this a safer 
America, fairer America, a better educated America, a more efficient 
America. But the

[[Page 683]]

most important legacy of all is one that each person in this great 
country can help create, the legacy of a more caring America.
    Now, look closely at our world. People say the problem is crack or 
crimes or babies having babies. Those are only symptoms. The problem is 
a moral emptiness. And if, as President, I had the power to give just 
one thing to this Nation, it would be the return of an inner moral 
compass, nurtured by the family and valued by society. This compass 
would guide us to value every life. It would show us that each life lost 
to despair really devalues us all. And it would remind us that caring 
and conscience are what make us human.
    So, let's make this National Volunteer Week an extraordinary moment 
in our Nation, our communal commitment to a true American renewal. And I 
urge each of you to step forward, to take this country's future in your 
own hands and become a Point of Light. And I ask leaders of businesses, 
places of worship, schools, neighborhoods, other organizations to lead 
their members toward the bright goal of service.
    Wherever people from all walks of life work together and claim their 
community's problem is their own, they create communities of light to 
guide this Nation's path. As you cross this land, I'd ask you to 
remember some special words. Recently, Barbara and I had the magnificent 
honor of meeting Mother Teresa again. Her very life speaks only of 
service to others. And I was touched by her words. She said, ``It is not 
how much we do, but how much love we put into it.'' May Americans 
continue to put love into all our works.
    Bar joins me in saying congratulations to you and the millions more 
like you across America for what you do. You are an example for the rest 
of this country. And may God continue to bless this wonderful Nation in 
these troubled times.
    And now, Barbara and I will present the awards, and I will ask Flo-
Jo to come up here to do the honors and read the citations. Florence, 
all yours.

[At this point the awards were presented.]

    Let me just say I want to now turn to the last item on the program, 
and I want to give special thanks to Michael Jackson for being here to 
help honor all of you today. Michael's work with disadvantaged young 
people and those with disabilities reflect his profound commitment to 
children. And I am delighted to recognize him as a Points of Light 
ambassador.
    Michael, we wish you well, sir, as you bring light into children's 
lives, something you feel so strongly about as part of the Points of 
Light movement. And now, I want to put you on the spot. If you'd like to 
say a few words, the floor is yours, and we welcome you.

                    Note: The President spoke at 1:25 p.m. in the East 
                        Room at the White House. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to entertainers Michael Jackson and 
                        Anita Baker; Frances Hesselbein, president and 
                        chief executive officer, Peter F. Drucker 
                        Foundation for Nonprofit Management; and U.S. 
                        Olympic gold medalists Florence Griffith Joyner 
                        and Al Joyner.