THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLS FOR LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO SERVICE

October 20, 1999

The President and the First Lady today will host over 1,000 AmeriCorps members and friends to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the national service program. The President will recognize 21 AmeriCorps award winners for their extraordinary commitment to service. He will also unveil a new initiative to engage AmeriCorps alumni in continuing service to their communities. And, as he highlights the bipartisan support for AmeriCorps, he will call on Congress to pass a budget that honors the values and priorities of the American people.

Since September 1994, when President Clinton swore in the first AmeriCorps members, some 150,000 corpsmembers have served in over 4,000 communities, providing much-needed community assistance, from tutoring and mentoring to disaster relief and environmental work.

RECOGNIZING EXEMPLARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE

• First Annual All-AmeriCorps Award Winners. Today, the President will announce the first annual All-AmeriCorps awards, designed to honor the extraordinary contribution that AmeriCorps members have made to their communities every day. Awards will be presented by Gen. Colin Powell, Gov. Michael Leavitt, Coretta Scott King, and Sargent Shriver.

UNVEILING AN INITIATIVE TO ENGAGE AMERICORPS ALUMNI IN SERVICE

• Continuing Service Initiative for AmeriCorps Alumni. In taking the AmeriCorps pledge, each AmeriCorps member promises: "I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond." Today President Clinton will issue a renewed "call to service" to former AmeriCorps members and unveil an initiative to tap the energies and idealism of these alumni. Specifically, he will announce a new strategic alliance between the Corporation for National Service and leading non-profit organizations to engage former AmeriCorps members in community service opportunities. This alliance will include the National Mentoring Partnership; the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America; Habitat for Humanity International; the American Red Cross; the Boys and Girls Clubs; America's Promise; the Points of Light Foundation; and the United Way of America.
• "Taking Responsibility Personally." The President will also unveil two 30-second television spots -- part of a new ad campaign, "Taking Responsibility Personally" -- and a website designed by Yahoo! to tell the stories of AmeriCorps members.

CALLING FOR A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS OUR PRIORITIES AND VALUES

• President Clinton Urges the Congress to Pass a Budget Making Education and Young People the Top Priority. Emphasizing the importance of investing in our young people, the President will call on Congress to pass a budget that makes education the first priority -- by hiring more highly trained teachers to reduce class size in the early grades, investing in accountability to help turn around failing schools, and funding after-school and mentoring programs for young people in communities nationwide.