FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 03, 2003
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The White House - Office of the Press Secretary
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USA Freedom Corps Launches “How I Spent My Summer” |
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Today the USA Freedom Corps launched “How I Spent My Summer,” an
effort to mobilize Americans of all ages to volunteer time this summer to help
meet the needs of their communities.
Why Volunteer in the Summer?
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Many Americans enjoy time away from work or school during the
summer months, giving them the opportunity to visit places and do things that
they have been hoping to do all year long. This summer, Americans can
volunteer some of their free time to help others on their own, as a family
activity, or with friends.
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By dedicating time, Americans can meet needs like child
hunger, literacy, senior companionship, environmental protection and
conservation, housing, and public safety that persist year round, and in some
cases become more serious in the summer months. For example:
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During the summer, young people need help from volunteers to
sustain basic reading skills. Research shows that children lose some of
their reading skills during the summer. By tutoring or reading with youth,
an individual can help prevent summer learning loss.
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Crimes committed by and against young people occur at
substantially higher rates when children are not in school. Unsupervised
children and teens are far more likely to use alcohol and drugs, engage in
criminal and risky behaviors, and drop out of school. Volunteers can help by
coaching youth sports, helping out at a summer club or camp, or mentoring.
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The more than 15 million children who receive free or
reduced price school lunches during the school year need help getting
nutritious meals during the summer. By collecting food for a food bank or
pantry, or working with a feeding program, individuals can help.
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Summer brings more visitors to parks, beaches, and other
natural resources, and with them a greater need for trash pickup, guides,
trail maintenance, and upkeep in our National Parks, wildlife refuges,
beaches, and state and local parks. Volunteers can help meet all those
needs.
What is “How I Spent My Summer?”
To help individuals interested in volunteering to get started
using their summer free time to help their communities, the USA Freedom Corps is
offering:
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Information on the extra summer needs of youth-serving, parks
and recreation, hunger relief, and other community organizations around the
country.
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Ideas for how youth, families, seniors, and business,
religious, civic, and school groups can volunteer.
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Tips for starting a project based on these or other great
ideas.
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Millions of volunteer opportunities with organizations across
the country and around the world.
How to Find Needs Where You Spend the Summer
The USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network can connect individuals
with volunteer opportunities near their homes or even where they plan to
vacation. The USA Freedom Corps continues to add more volunteer opportunities to
our USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network. Already the largest online
clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities, the search engine, located at
www.usafreedomcorps.gov, now
includes millions of volunteer opportunities with more than 75,000 organizations
across the country and in more than 100 countries around the world. People can
find similar information by phone at 1-877-USA-CORPS.
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