As Citizen Corps celebrates its one-year anniversary, there are many successes to applaud about this presidential initiative that was launched last January during President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address as part of the USA Freedom Corps and the President's Call to Service. Some of Citizen Corps highlights include:

• State Citizen Corps Councils formed in 31 States and 2 Territories, with all 56 states and territories expected to have State Councils by the end of February 2003.

• 304 local Citizen Corps Councils formed in 43 states and territories serving 19% of the United States population.

• Over 56,000 individuals registered on the Citizen Corps website to receive ongoing information about the Citizen Corps initiative and its programs; 20 electronic newsletters distributed.

• Launch of revised website: www.citizencorps.gov

• $21 million in grants from FEMA distributed to all 56 States and Territories in December 2002, with 75% of this amount expected to be passed down to local communities by April 2003.

• Citizen Corps: A Guide for Local Officials published in April 2002, over 6,000 copies distributed to date and also available on the Citizen Corps website.

• National Citizen Corps Council formed, comprised of leaders from 43 organizations representing first responder groups, emergency management, volunteer organizations, government, and the private sector to advance the mission of Citizen Corps and to promote the formation of Citizen Corps Councils across the country.

• Citizen Corps Affiliate Program initiated to expand the resources and materials available to states and local communities under the Citizen Corps umbrella. The National Fire Protection Association and Save A Life Foundation signed as affiliates to date.

• Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness distributed to stakeholders, Citizen Corps Councils, and posted on the web.

"Citizen Corps is a critical component of our work to prepare the homeland by getting citizens prepared, trained and involved," said Michael Brown, Deputy Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Chairman of the National Citizen Corps Council. "President Bush's vision has helped 56,000 Americans get involved in community preparedness and that is a remarkable accomplishment. I applaud USA Freedom Corps for their many achievements, especially with Citizen Corps, as they also celebrate their one-year anniversary."

Citizen Corps' mission is to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds by engaging individuals in emergency preparedness and response through education, training, and volunteer service. President Bush established the Citizen Corps initiative, a component of the USA Freedom Corps, to provide individuals with opportunities to volunteer in a range of homeland security measures within their communities. The Citizen Corps initiative includes programs administered by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, as well as FEMA, which is also responsible for coordinating Citizen Corps nationwide.

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