[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 36 (Monday, September 9, 2002)]
[Pages 1474-1475]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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The President's Radio Address

August 31, 2002

    Good morning. In all of the trials we have faced this past year, 
countless acts of generosity and sacrifice have revealed the good heart 
of our Nation. Time and time again, our country has shown the strength 
of its character by responding to acts of evil with acts of good. And in 
coming weeks, I ask all citizens to answer the call to help those in 
need and make this month a ``September of Service.''
    I created USA Freedom Corps, a single organization to encourage and 
assist Americans in finding service opportunities both locally and 
around the globe, to harness and put to good use the service and 
idealism we saw after the attacks of September the 11th. In addition, I 
called on all Americans to enlist in the armies of compassion and 
dedicate at least 4,000 hours in service to their communities, our 
country, and to the world.
    The response to the call to service has been strong. 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. Requests for Peace Corps volunteer applications have 
increased 40 percent over the same period last year. Online AmeriCorps 
applications are up by 95 percent since January. And more than 48,000 
individuals have signed up online to participate in the newly created 
Citizens Corps program.
    The response we have seen is more than numbers, though. It is a 
reminder that when people help each other, our entire Nation benefits. 
As I have traveled across the country, I have met with volunteers who 
have set an example with their uplifting acts of service, volunteers 
like Maxine Phipps, a 95-year-old Iowan who mentors and tutors local 
children through an online book club--she uses her computer skills as 
she and her students read and discuss books about the importance of 
citizenship--or Star Wallin, a college freshman from Mississippi who 
founded Project CARE in 1999. Project CARE is an organization that has 
impacted so many lives through activities such as matching elementary 
school students with high school mentors, collecting food, clothing, and 
furniture for impoverished families, and helping to refurbish the 
grounds of local public schools.
    I hope the work of these individuals and that of volunteers all 
across the country inspires others, especially our young people. Young 
people have the energy and determination to do important work, and 
volunteer service can teach them valuable lessons about responsibility, 
community, and selflessness at an early age.
    I urge our teachers and schools to begin service projects and 
activities in September and to make this new school year the start of a 
lifelong habit of service to others. In an effort to assist educators 
and students in getting started, we've developed a new guidebook, CD-
ROM, and Web site called Students in Service to America. These resources 
offer valuable information about planning service activities and working 
with community groups.
    More than 130,000 public and private, elementary and secondary, home 
schools and after-school programs throughout the country will receive 
these materials in September. In addition, we will encourage AmeriCorps 
members and Senior Corps volunteers to recruit more young people for 
service opportunities and to work closely with schools and community 
organizations to support in-school and after-school programs. Through 
these efforts, young people will learn how important service is to our 
Nation and how to get started today.
    As September the 11th approaches, difficult memories of planes and 
buildings will resurface, but so will images of brave individuals coming 
to the aid of neighbors in need. That spirit of courage and selflessness 
has

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shown the world why our Nation is the greatest force for good in 
history. I urge all Americans to honor the memory of those lost by 
serving others.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 9:41 a.m. on August 30 at the Bush 
Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 31. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
August 30 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
this address.