[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[December 25, 1999]
[Pages 2342-2343]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
December 25, 1999

    Good morning. Hillary, Chelsea, and I join millions of American 
families celebrating Christmas today. For Americans of many faiths, this 
is a season of renewal, of light returned from darkness, and despair 
transformed to hope. And as the year ends, and this millennium draws to 
a close, we all have a chance and a responsibility to reflect on our 
lives and rejoice in our blessings.
    On this holiday morning, I know many of us are thankful for the love 
of family and friends and the richness of the world around us. We're 
grateful for the advances in science and medicine that are letting us 
live longer, healthier lives. We enjoy freedom and prosperity at home 
and peace with our neighbors. And we are privileged to be a leader for 
peace and liberty around the world, from Bosnia to Kosovo to Northern 
Ireland and the Middle East. And we're very thankful for the sacrifices 
of our men and women in uniform, especially those who can't be with 
their families as they stand on the frontlines of freedom far from home.
    Most of all, we're blessed by the millions of Americans who take 
time out from the holiday season, and all year round, to remember those 
in need, those who are sick, those who are troubled. In the spirit of 
the season, Americans are reaching out to victims of disaster, like our 
neighbors in Venezuela, where floods and landslides have killed 
thousands and left tens of thousands homeless this Christmas. I'm proud 
that the United States is leading the international relief effort there 
and that so many Americans are donating food, clothes, and medicine for 
the survivors.
    Here at home, we're reaching out to the poorest among us, to those 
who do not yet share in America's growing prosperity. We're making new 
efforts to reach out to the homeless, to help them find housing, medical 
care, and jobs. Today I am glad to announce that we will be providing 
nearly $1 billion in new Federal grants for housing and social services 
to help the homeless in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico. Those grants will fund proven, successful programs that 
help homeless families, veterans, and children, and people looking for 
work. They are a Christmas gift all of us can all be proud of.
    I want to end my talk today with a Christmas story. A few days ago, 
I helped prepare holiday meals at the D.C. Central Kitchen, a community 
kitchen that prepares 3,000 meals a day for the homeless and hungry and 
trains people to work in food services, to hold down jobs, to turn their 
lives around.
    I worked with a man named Steve Pritchett. As a young man, Steve had a scholarship for college, 
and his future looked bright. But he made some mistakes, and as a 
result, he's been homeless for much of his adult life. At Christmastime, 
he might go see his mother for a day, but if it was cold, you'd most 
likely find Steve spending Christmas under a bus shelter or beside a 
steam grate.
    But this year, Steve found the D.C. 
Central Kitchen and discovered it's never too late to change. He's been 
in their training program for 2 months now, and already he's been 
offered a job. He's clean and off the streets. Best of all, his mother, 
who never gave up on her son, is so proud. She told him, ``Steve, you 
don't

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have to be a doctor or a lawyer. I just want to know that when I close 
my eyes, you'll be able to stand on your own two feet.'' They're 
together today celebrating Christmas.
    D.C. Central Kitchen had the help of 5,000 volunteers this year; 
each one of them deserves a little credit for the success of Steve and 
so many others like him. That's America at its best, when neighbor helps 
to lift up neighbor and together we shine a light in the darkness. That 
is also the true spirit of Christmas.
    So let us all resolve to take this spirit with us into the new 
millennium. We'll be better people and a stronger nation for doing so.
    Happy holidays, and thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 5:43 p.m. on December 23 in the Map 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 25. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 23 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.