    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [April 1, 2005]
    [Pages 543-548]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Helping America's Youth Initiative
    April 1, 2005

        The President. Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks. I thought
    you were going to say you couldn't give the speech because you were
    suffering from jetlag. [Laughter] Laura just got
    back from Afghanistan and reported that freedom is a beautiful thing,
    that society is changing because the people are free there.
        And it's quite a job I have when you get to be introduced by your
    wife. I want to thank you all for coming. I'm a lucky man that
    Laura said yes when I asked her to marry me. She
    is a great mom, fabulous wife. She's doing a wonderful job as our First
    Lady. She is a tireless advocate for children in our country. She is a
    teacher. And you learn a thing or two when you marry a teacher.
    [Laughter] You learn to behave yourself--[laughter]--most of the time.
    [Laughter]
        And you learn that a single soul can make a difference in a young
    person's life. That's what you learn. As a matter of fact, that's what
    we're here to talk about today, how to help Americans realize the great
    promise of a single person's compassion and its ability to help save a
    soul. America can change one heart, one soul at a time.
        And our job, frankly, all our jobs, is to find those who are willing
    to be a part of the solution and encourage them to help surround
    somebody who hurts with love. That's what we're here to talk about
    today.
        First, I want to thank Mike Leavitt
    for serving as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
    Services. One of the reasons he is here is this Department distributes a
    lot of Federal money, and I--you'll hear me talk about public policy
    that hopefully will encourage faith- and community-based programs to do
    a more--a better job of helping to save lives in our country.
        Frank Wolf is with us. Frank, I'm honored
    you're here. Congressman Frank Wolf has been a leading advocate in the
    Congress for the faith-based and community-based initiatives. I
    appreciate you coming, Congressman. Glad to see you brought your
    daughter, Rebecca, with you. Frank, by the way,
    has been very instrumental in working in the Sudan to help bring peace
    to that troubled part of the world. I want to thank you for your
    efforts.
        While I'm mentioning it, we met with youngsters who are being
    mentored, their mentors, and the directors of programs that have
    encouraged the mentoring to take place. Dan Johnson, the executive director of Kinship of Greater Minneapolis,
    is with us. Thanks for coming, Dan. Denise Williams, the vice president for programs, Big Brothers Big
    Sisters for the Capital Area, is with us. Mark Earley, the president of Prison Fellowship, is with us today.
    Appreciate you coming, Mark. Maureen Holla,
    the executive director of the Higher Achievement Program--Maureen, thank
    you very much.
        Barbara--Barbara's been introduced once;
    I'll introduce her again. Barbara is a big name in my family. [Laughter]
    Thank you for being the head of this great school. We're honored to be
    here. I want to thank all the teachers who are here. I want to thank all
    the mentors who are here. I want to thank all the people who care about
    the future of this country who are here.
        Laura and I are thrilled to be here. I'm
    impressed by the results of the Higher

    [[Page 544]]

    Achievement Program. I think it's important if you're in my line of
    work, for example, to ask people, ``What's happening? What are the
    results? Show me some progress.'' I don't have much time in this job,
    and so one of the things I try to do is to say, ``Here's the goal, and
    how are we progressing toward this goal?''
        And one of the interesting things about the Higher Achievement
    Program, they have got a good track record, good results. It shows what
    is possible when you focus on a goal-oriented, results-oriented approach
    to helping save lives. For 30 years--they've got a long history, by the
    way; this program has been in existence for 30 years--they've mentored
    middle school students. And that's an important group, by the way. If
    you're interested in trying to figure out something to do in America,
    find some middle school students who need some help. It is a very
    important age for loving adults to enter into a child's life. And this
    initiative--let me just say this, of the more than 300 youngsters who
    take place in this program per year, 95 percent go to college.
        If you're interested in finding out what works, look at this
    program, because the results are clear. And I want to congratulate the
    visionaries involved with the program and those who are on the
    frontlines of making it work.
        I also--we have the honor of meeting folks who mentor. I call them
    soldiers in the armies of compassion, people who are willing to take
    time out of their too-busy lives to help save a life. Such a person is
    Stacey French. For 2\1/2\ years, she has
    volunteered to tutor a seventh grader named Lexus Henderson, both of whom are here today. Stacey watched as Lexus
    turned from an inattentive student to one who is focused, to one who
    sets goals. I asked Lexus, I said, ``You going to college?'' Thirteen-
    year-old guy, by the way. He said, ``Absolutely.'' He's even picked one
    out. He has set a goal. And Stacey is there to help him realize that
    goal. He wasn't very good in math. She helped focus on math. Math is now
    his favorite subject. Here's a guy going to college as a result of the
    love of Stacey. Thank you all for coming. Please stand up.
        Laura and I also met with some extraordinary
    young men and women who have faced some incredibly significant and great
    challenges in their life. Each of them has had a mother or father in
    prison. Each has had a volunteer mentor as well. And the caring presence
    of this adult, the soul who said, ``I love you,'' has made a big
    difference in these children's lives. They have made a--the kids have
    made a tough decision to kind of resist peer pressure and focus on
    achieving results in schools and staying off drugs and making tough
    choices. And we're really proud of the accomplishments that you all have
    made and the example you have set.
        One of those is Michaela Huberty, is
    with us today from Benjamin Mays Magnet School, St. Paul, Minnesota. She
    is the youngest of three children, and she's being raised by her mom.
    Her dad has been in and out of prison for her entire life. Fortunately,
    there's the Lutheran mentoring program--I just introduced the head of
    it--in Minneapolis that matched Michaela with Jennifer
    Kalenborn. She is a special needs teacher
    in St. Paul. Think about that. She's already helping children, and she
    wanted to do more.
        She is--and they do crafts together, and they go to museums
    together, and they read together, and they talk on the phone together.
    She sets an example. Guess what Michaela
    wants to be when she grows up: a teacher. [Laughter] It's pretty
    interesting--not coincidental, of course. She's being loved by a
    teacher. She's being helped by a teacher.
    She herself wants to teach. One of the most important programs that we
    need to focus on is to--helping a child whose parent is or has been in
    prison. And I want to thank the Minneapolis program, and I want to thank
    Jennifer for being such a good soul. Welcome

    [[Page 545]]

    to you both. Thanks for coming. Let them stand up.
        Jillian Antonucci is with us. She
    joined the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Program. That's a program all--
    that exists in order to help a child whose parent may be or has been in
    prison. It's a great program, by the way.
        She takes time out from attending
    Grove City College in Pennsylvania to mentor Brianna Morris, whose father and mother have both been in prison. I
    asked her, I said, ``Well, how did you get involved with the program?''
    She said, ``The first thing is I prayed and asked for guidance from the
    Almighty.'' It's kind of an interesting way to become inspired, isn't
    it? Matter of fact, it is the basis of many faith-based programs; matter
    of fact, it's the basis of all faith-based programs.
        Brianna was suffering from depression.
    But Jillian, as a result of her love and
    desire to help, has watched this young lady become someone who is
    laughing and more open, somebody who has set goals. Interestingly
    enough, the goal--she either wants to be a basketball player or a
    computer technician. If your jump shot doesn't work, go computers.
    [Laughter] But we want to thank you both for being here. Thank you for
    coming. Please stand up and be recognized for your good work. [Applause]
        Finally, we met Vinnie Thomas. Some
    people become mentors because of what mentors have done for them in
    their lives. In other words, one of the interesting things about
    mentoring is it can create a chain of compassion over the course of
    people's lives. And Vinnie Thomas left home when he was 16, ended up in
    California struggling with drugs. And guess where he ended up? In
    prison. He was there for 3\1/2\ years. And while he was there, a
    mentor--I think he said two mentors, but one sticks out in my mind in
    particular is a mentor that was a businessperson, came and mentored
    Vinnie and gave him an airplane ticket to fly back home, said ``If you
    need a problem [help], * here's a house; here's a bed.'' In other words,
    it's probably more effective than a probation officer could be. Somebody
    said, ``I care for you, Vinnie.'' Vinnie said he didn't have a family;
    he was lonely. He said this mentor helped him make sure that he didn't
    land back in jail. Guess what? Vinnie today is a Big Brother to Parry
    Elliott, who is with us as well.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        * White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Parry Elliott is a seventh grader, lives
    in a section of Washington known for gang violence. His dad is in prison
    right now. I asked Parry, I said, ``How about college?'' He said,
    ``Absolutely. You don't have to worry about me.'' He said, ``I've made
    my decision.'' He's accepted to the SEED School in Washington, DC, where
    100 percent of the graduating students were accepted into college last
    year. Thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area,
    their lives have been transformed.
        Let me tell you something about Vinnie.
    This week, he was ordained a deacon at the Galilee Baptist Church. I
    guess I shouldn't call him Vinnie; I should call him Deacon Thomas.
    [Laughter] As a matter of fact, I asked the deacon to offer a prayer
    after our gathering. I was hoping I would be the recipient of the first
    prayer that the newly ordained deacon would offer. I think I might have
    been.
        Vincent Thomas. You were.
        The President. Well, that's good. [Laughter] Let me just say you
    responded to the pressure quite well. [Laughter] It's an honor to
    welcome Deacon Thomas and Parry with us today. Thank you all for coming.
        I'm proud of these mentors; we're proud of you all who mentor as
    well. Anybody listening out there is interested in how to serve the
    country, one good way is to become a mentor. We talked to the program
    directors. I said, ``What are your bottlenecks? Where do you need
    help?'' They

    [[Page 546]]

    need help in matching lost souls with somebody who loves. And so spread
    the word. I'm trying to spread it right now through that camera.
    [Laughter] But if you want to serve America, become a mentor.
        And there are ways to do so. Plenty of access to the Internet--
    usafreedomcorps.gov is one way to figure out a mentoring program close
    to you that is looking for help. The amazing thing is, is that all this
    happens without Government. There's success stories like the four we
    just heard all across America, because there are a lot of people who are
    saying, ``What can I do? How can I help? What do I need to do to make
    sure opportunity is available to all people?''
        Now, Government has got a role to play, in my judgment. I think
    there's a vital role for Government to play. But first we've got to
    understand the limitations of Government. Government can do a lot of
    things, but one of the things Government is not really good at is love.
    It can hand out money, but it can't put hope in a person's heart. It
    can't serve to inspire a person to set goals like going to college. But
    what Government can do is to empower people who have heard the call to
    love a neighbor, and that's what Government should do, in my judgment.
    Government should be an advocate of faith-based and community-based
    programs, not an impedent [impediment] * to faith-based programs.
    Government ought to be not a roadblock.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        * White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        So we're committed to making Government an effective partner for
    those bringing hope to harsh places. In the State of the Union this
    year, I announced the Helping America's Youth Initiative that's going to
    be led by Laura. She talked about it. She'll be
    focusing on three key areas vital to helping young people succeed,
    family, school, and community.
        This fall, she's--as she mentioned, she's going to be convening a
    White House conference that will bring researchers and policy experts
    and educators and parents and community leaders together. They will
    discuss ways and strategies to help children avoid drugs, alcohol,
    violence, early sexual activity, ways to help people build successful
    lives.
        As part of Helping America's Youth Initiative, we've proposed a new
    $150 million effort to discourage gangs, to encourage faith-based and
    community-based organizations to provide alternatives to gangs. I can't
    think of a better group of people to rally and inspire, to offset the
    lure of a gang, than somebody who has heard a universal call to love a
    neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves.
        I'm really excited about Laura's initiative.
    I urge Congress to support programs that will make this initiative
    viable, initiatives such as programs to help strengthen marriages, a
    responsible fatherhood initiative that would support community- and
    faith-based organizations to help fathers stay involved in their
    children's lives, a healthy marriage initiative to support research on
    the best ways to keep marriages strong. Those seem like reasonable
    programs if we're all aiming to try to make this society as strong a
    society as possible.
        There are over 2 million children in America with at least one
    parent in prison. That is a problem that we must address, and the
    problem is, is that if your dad or mother is in prison, you're likely to
    end up there yourself without love and compassion in your life. That's a
    fact.
        And so one of the initiatives that I called upon Congress to fund
    was the initiative to help faith-based and community organizations to
    recruit enough mentors to save the lives of 100,000 children whose
    parent may be in prison. It's a vital initiative; it's an important
    initiative. Last year we gave out $55 million in grants that had been
    awarded to 221 organizations. There is still work to be done. We're just
    starting.
        I urge those of you involved in the Faith- and Community-Based
    Initiative to set up programs to mentor a child whose parent

    [[Page 547]]

    may be in prison. It is a vital contribution to our country that you can
    make. It's an important part of keeping this country a hopeful place for
    all. We'll have more money available in the budgets coming out, but what
    we can't do is we can't buy compassion and love. It's up to those at the
    community level to take advantage of the funding available. It's up to
    you to go out and help recruit. I can call people to service and will
    continue to do so. A patriotic way to serve America is to mentor a child
    whose parent may be in prison. But I encourage the social entrepreneurs
    in America to funnel resources and efforts and energy toward this vital
    program.
        The faith-based program is one that is going to be--remain a
    constant part of my administration. Obviously, there's some limitations
    on the faith program. You can't take Federal money to proselytize. You
    can't take Federal money and discriminate against somebody based upon
    religion. In other words, if you're an alcohol and drug rehabilitation
    program and you happen to be associated with the Methodist church, you
    can't say only Methodists who are drunk can come here. You got to say,
    ``All drunks are able to come here.'' [Laughter] In other words, there
    is some limitations. There are limitations to how this Federal money can
    be used.
        But one of the limitations should not be based upon the fact that
    you're a faith-based program. In other words, we strongly believe at the
    Federal level that Federal money ought to be accessible on an equal
    playing field, level playing field to faith-based programs.
        Jim Towey runs an office in
    my--runs an office there at the White House. See, I ask Towey all the
    time, I say, ``How much money are we getting out the door?'' It's one
    thing to talk the Faith-Based and Community-Based Initiative; another
    thing is actually to make sure money is available. And he reported to me
    last year, $2 billion was accessed by the faith community. And that's
    good. That's a good start. We spend a lot more than 2 billion a year.
        The whole goal, see, is to focus on results, not on process. Those
    of us in Washington, we ought to say, ``Are we saving lives? Are we
    getting enough mentors in people's lives? Are we helping enough drunks
    get off alcohol? Are we helping enough addicts get off drugs?'' That's
    what we ought to be asking. And we ought to recognize that in programs
    that exist because they've heard a call to love a neighbor, you can find
    great results. And so this Faith-Based and Community-Based Initiative is
    a results-oriented approach that'll protect the church and--the
    separation of church and state but, at the same time, wisely uses
    taxpayers' money so that we can achieve important social objectives.
        For those of you involved in the faith and community programs, I
    want to say thank you for your efforts. You've got a friend and ally in
    the Federal Government now.
        Part of making sure you can do your job is to make sure regulations
    don't stand in the way of doing your job. Congress needs to make sure
    that faith-based groups are not forced to give up their right to hire
    people of their own faith as a price for competing for Federal money.
    I'm pleased that the House voted a month ago to protect the civil rights
    of faith-based groups. I urge the Senate to do the same when it
    considers welfare reform and job training legislation this year.
        We're beginning to change the culture here in Washington. There's a
    more accepting attitude toward the role that faith-based and community-
    based programs can play in helping cure social ills and helping to shine
    a light into some of the dark places in our country.
        In order to make sure that we continue to stay focused on this
    initiative and to be--and to succeed, I've set up 10 faith-based offices
    in 10 agencies, Federal agencies. In other words, there's got to be some

    [[Page 548]]

    accountability. I want there to be a presence in these Federal
    bureaucracies. I want somebody in there agitating for fairness,
    understanding the great hope of this initiative.
        In 2003, grants to faith-based programs had gone up by 20 percent,
    and what's important for you to understand is that all the grant money
    hasn't just gone to the established faith providers, like the Salvation
    Army, which has done a fantastic job, or Catholic Charities, which has
    done a fantastic job in America. But I want to make sure that social
    entrepreneurs, large and small, had access to Federal money. In other
    words, we want to make sure that the program reaches some of the most
    lonely corners in America, that we touch both large and small providers.
    And we're making progress. And I'm asking Towey all the time, ``Are we
    reaching new programs? Are we making a difference in other
    neighborhoods? Are we making sure that this has a broad reach throughout
    America?'' And I'm proud to report that thousands of small groups, tiny
    grassroots organizations, are being touched by this initiative, and
    that's important.
        Let me tell you why I feel so strongly about this initiative,
    because I understand the true strength of America lies in the hearts and
    souls of our citizens. Interestingly enough, I wasn't the first person
    to recognize this, nor will I be the last. De Tocqueville, fine fellow
    from France, came to the United States in the 1830s. And he studied what
    made America unique. And what he found was, the uniqueness of America
    then was their eagerness to come together to form associations to enable
    people to serve a cause greater than themselves. Many of those
    associations existed because of religion; a lot of them didn't. But
    there was this great desire for Americans to voluntarily associate in
    order to help realize an ambition deep within our soul, and that is to
    make our country a better place and, at the same time, make ourself a
    better person by working to help somebody who hurts. He recognized, de
    Tocqueville recognized that a strength--that that was our strength then.
    It's very important for those of us in public policy to recognize that
    it is our strength today.
        And so I want to thank you all for being a soldier in the army of
    compassion, some of you privates, some of you sergeants, some of you
    generals, all soldiers, bound together by the great desire to love a
    neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
        Over the next 4 years, I'll continue to work with our faith- and
    community-based programs to save America one heart, one soul, one
    conscience at a time.
        Thanks for coming today. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 10:55 a.m. at Paul Public
    Charter School. In his remarks, he referred to Barbara Nophlin, head of
    school, Paul Public Charter School. The transcript released by the
    Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First
    Lady.