    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [July 30, 2002]
    [Pages 1322-1325]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the USA Freedom Corps Public Service Campaign
    July 30, 2002

        The President. Thanks. Thanks for coming to the White House.
    Welcome, and thanks so very much for your good works and your commitment
    to serve others.
        The men and women in this room and the members of my administration
    are working to foster a culture of service, of citizenship, and of
    responsibility for decades to come. You're part of a cultural change
    that will make America a much better place.
        Today I'm going to announce some new steps that the USA Freedom
    Corps will be taking to make service a more central part of American
    life. I want to thank Gale Norton, a member
    of my Cabinet, the Secretary of the Department of Interior, for being
    here. I appreciate one of the newest television stars, Bob Dole--[laughter]--being here. Thank you, Senator. And
    it's good to see my friend Steve Goldsmith,

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    who's the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation of
    National and Community Service; and its CEO, Les Lenkowsky. Thank you all for being here as well.
        I appreciate the many foundations and organizations who are
    represented here today that have supported the Corporation for National
    Community Service. The Network for Good, which is a nonprofit
    organization--it has been a strong supporter of our call to service from
    the very start. I want to thank the Walt Disney Company. I appreciate so
    very much the U.S. Department of Justice for sending representatives
    here. I want to thank the UPS Foundation. I want to thank Peggy
    Conlon, who is the president and the CEO of the
    Ad Council. I want to thank the members of the Ad Council who have done
    some pretty good work, as you'll see here in a minute.
        I appreciate very much the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network
    members who are here. I want to thank the representatives of television,
    print, and radio as well.
        You know, none of us would ever wish the evil that was done on
    September the 11th; yet out of the tragedy can come great good. I
    believe that from the bottom of my heart. Out of the evil done to
    America will come some good. Challenging times test the character of
    individuals and test the character of our Nation. In the aftermath of
    September the 11th, Americans have responded with courage and
    compassion, with great resolve and determination.
        The last 10 months have offered us a glimpse of what a new culture
    of service can be, and we're not going to let this moment pass. We'll
    sustain and extend the best that has emerged in our country. And there
    are good reasons for every American to serve our Nation.
        We serve because it's important to our neighbors. We understand that
    serving others meets needs that a Government can never fulfill. You see,
    Government can hand out money, but it can't put hope in people's hearts
    or a sense of purpose in people's lives. The need for kindness and for
    understanding and for love is not a Government function. It's a human
    function. And that's why we serve our neighbor.
        We serve because it's important to our own character. Acts of
    compassion add direction and purpose to our lives. Serving something
    greater than yourself in life is part of a fulfilling life.
        And finally, we serve because it's important to our country. Our
    Nation is the greatest force for good in history, and we show our
    gratitude by doing our duty. We express our love for America by loving
    Americans.
        Six months ago in my State of the Union Address, I issued a call to
    service. I asked every American to commit at least 2 years, 4,000 hours
    over the rest of your life, to service for neighbors and our Nation. To
    encourage service, we established what we call the USA Freedom Corps,
    ably headed by John Bridgeland.
        The USA Freedom Corps is matching potential volunteers with local
    charities. It is encouraging participation in the new Citizen Corps,
    AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps. We're promoting service
    to prepare for crises at home, to strengthen our communities, to help
    people in need, and to extend American compassion throughout the world.
        The response to the call to service has been strong, and it can get
    stronger. VolunteerMatch, a group that matches volunteers to charities
    on the USA Freedom Corps web page, reports that referrals have increased
    by more than 70 percent over last year.
        I want to thank my fellow Americans for answering the call to
    service, because Americans in record numbers are now being directed to
    local service opportunities. Since the State of the Union Address, more
    than 66,000 people have requested applications for the Peace Corps--
    66,000. Applications to join AmeriCorps are up by

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    nearly 90 percent. More than 45,000 Americans have signed up to
    participate in the new Citizen Corps. And visits to the Senior Corps web
    site have increased by almost 60 percent.
        Individuals and nonprofit organizations and businesses have stepped
    forward to offer pledges and new commitments and ways in which citizens
    can meet the 2-year call. Businesses are offering employees annual paid
    leave to perform community service. I think it's a movement that's just
    beginning here in the country, and I want to thank those corporate
    leaders who understand that responsibility not only to shareholders is
    important, but responsibility to communities in which they exist is
    equally as important.
        We're looking for ways to make service count positively in getting a
    job. In other words, corporate America views that as an important part
    of a complete employee. Promoting service is really what corporate
    responsibility means.
        The United States Congress is also meeting its responsibilities.
    Congress is providing $25 million this year to support Citizen Corps so
    that Americans can be trained in emergency response and can support
    first-responders. Good progress is being made to renew the promise of
    the Peace Corps and double the number of volunteers over the next 5
    years.
        I hope Congress will soon pass, so I can sign into law, the
    bipartisan ``Citizen Service Act,'' which incorporates many of the
    principles to strengthen and reform national service programs. It should
    be an interest to Members of Congress that all 50 Governors also have
    urged Congress to strengthen these important programs. Congress needs to
    act for the good of service for the United States.
        Since January, this Nation has made tremendous progress in serving
    others; yet I fully recognize more needs to be done. Today I'm pleased
    to announce a public service advertising campaign, developed with the
    Corporation for National and Community Service and the Ad Council. This
    campaign rests on a single, simple principle: Everyone can do something.
        And today I'm pleased to unleash the TV ads. It's a private showing,
    first of its kind. [Laughter] This is one part of an effort that
    includes radio and print and the Internet. To support Americans who will
    respond to the call to service, we are launching the new USA Freedom
    Corps Volunteer Network, which is the most comprehensive volunteer
    clearinghouse ever. The network connects Americans to service
    opportunities throughout more than 50,000 organizations, including
    America's Promise and the National Mentoring Partnership, the Points of
    Light Foundation, SERVEnet, and the United Way and VolunteerMatch.
        This network is now accessible through the newly redesigned USA
    Freedom Corps web site, usafreedomcorps.gov. If you want to serve in a
    soup kitchen or mentor a child in your local community, call up the web
    page, and you can find out where to go. If you want to take a full year
    and serve in the Senior Corps, America Corps, this is where you can find
    opportunity to do so. If you want to help people overseas through the
    Peace Corps or other organizations, usafreedomcorps.gov will tell you
    what's available.
        You know, one of the main reasons people give for not volunteering
    is that no one has asked them to do so. I'm asking. Another reason is
    that they don't know where to start. This public service advertising
    campaign will ask Americans to serve, and through the USA Freedom Corps
    web site, they have a place to start.
        These ads are important to America. And I urge television networks
    and major affiliates and radio stations and newspapers to run them. By
    broadcasting these PSAs, they promote the common good for our Nation. By
    broadcasting these PSAs, they will help show the world and our fellow
    Americans that out of the evil done to our country can come some
    incredible good.

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        It's now my pleasure to play four new public service announcements
    featuring some fine Americans. I'm not sure Mariano Rivera is an American citizen, but he's a fine New York
    Yankee--[laughter]--Angie Harmon, John
    Glenn, and Bob Dole. So now
    we'll watch the PSAs.

    [At this point, the public service announcements were shown.]

        The President. I want to thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoy
    a little reception we're throwing for you at the State Dining Room. But
    in the meantime, thank you for your love for the country. Thank you for
    helping people in need. May God bless your work, and may God continue to
    bless America.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:08 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to actress Angie Harmon; and former
    Senators John Glenn and Bob Dole. He also referred to H.R. 4854, the
    proposed ``Citizen Service Act of 2002.''