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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 19, 1998

                        1998 MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY 
                   SERVICE PROJECT AT CARDOZO HIGH SCHOOL

January 19, 1998

On the King holiday, President Clinton and Corporation for National Service CEO Harris Wofford will join sixty-five AmeriCorps members and 300 community volunteers in repairing and re-painting Cardozo High School in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Volunteers from local churches, business groups, and schools will renovate classrooms in the historic school. Cardozo's third floor classrooms have suffered extensive damage due to leaking roofs and have not been painted for 15 years. By the time the volunteers leave, 27 classrooms will be spackled, primed, and have two new coats of paint. In addition, Cardozo's 220-foot long basement hallway, which provides access to the school cafeteria, will be painted. AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members will provide training, supervise the volunteers, and ensure the work is completed in a professional manner.

NCCC is a ten-month residential service program that engages 18-24 year-olds in service to communities across the country. In exchange for their service, members earn an education award of $4,725. Now in its fourth year, AmeriCorps has provided more than 100,000 citizens the opportunity to serve their country and earn money for college. AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National Service, a public-private partnership created in 1993 that engages more than 1.2 million Americans in service through three programs: Learn and Serve America, AmeriCorps and the National Senior Service Corps.

Partners and volunteers in this project include: Student Conservation Corps volunteers, KaBOOM! staff, Cardozo students, Network of Asian Professionals members, Howard University students, Potomac High School students, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, members of Christ Episcopal Church of Alexandria and Cardozo Alumni Association members.

In 1994, President Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act, establishing the King holiday as a national day of service. On Monday, January 19, President Clinton, the First Lady, Cabinet Secretaries, members of the President's Advisory Board on Race and tens of thousands of Americans are joining in service projects across the country to honor Dr. King's legacy.