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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
National Urban League Grant Announcement
New Orleans, Louisiana
Monday, April 10, 2006
Thank you.
It is a very special honor to be here today in New Orleans with our nation's First Lady, Laura Bush; and with Wendy Vitter, the wife of U.S. Senator David Vitter; National Urban League President Mark Morial; Edith Gee Jones, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans; Mark Sanders, the General Manager of the New Orleans Marriott Hotel; Donna Gambrel, Regional Director of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Rebuilding the Gulf Coast; and our other special guests.
I also want to give a warm welcome to the young people the National Urban League brought with them today, LaToya Williams and Jeremy Greathouse. We've just had a wonderful meeting with them, and their stories are an inspiration. I want to commend the Urban League for 95 years of reaching out and building strong families, strong communities and a more caring nation.
We are here to announce a $20 million grant to the National Urban League to help at-risk, out-of-school young people develop job skills and find jobs. Today's grant will nearly triple this Administration's investment in the Urban Youth Empowerment Program, which was launched in 2004 with a $9.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This program works closely with faith-based and community organizations to help at-risk youth prepare for full-time employment. We hope it will provide a model for others to follow.
I'm especially pleased that a significant portion of this new funding will be used for the National Urban League's Gulf Coast Employment Initiative. This project will help at-risk young people access opportunities right here in New Orleans, and in 6 other areas that were devastated by — or accepted evacuees from — the recent Hurricanes.
The Gulf Coast Employment Initiative will provide a supportive environment for at-risk young people and give them the tools, counseling, skills training, tutoring and mentoring they need to get started on a career path. And it will help them access job opportunities in the sectors of our nation's economy that are growing.
This past October, I had the honor of participating in the First Lady's White House Conference on Helping America's Youth. It was a very moving experience. We listened as young people shared stories of how their lives were changed for the better by a teacher, a coach, a mentor or others who reached out and cared.
One message that came through loud and clear is that employment is critical for young people trying to turn their lives around. The Marriott Corporation has pledged to hire graduates from the Gulf Coast Employment Initiative here in New Orleans. I hope that other employers will follow their example.
And now, it is my great pleasure to invite First Lady Laura Bush to make a few remarks. She is, with very good reason, one of the most admired and respected women in the world today. A former public school teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush is a passionate advocate for education, early childhood development, literacy, and learning. She leads President Bush's Helping America's Youth initiative, which encourages a community-based approach to helping young people make the right choices so they can reach their full potential. Her work on behalf of opportunity for youth and for women's rights has earned her the reputation of a visionary leader. And her voice of compassion, hope and encouragement has won her a place in our hearts.
So, please join me in welcoming First Lady Laura Bush.
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