April 16-18, 2004 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Contact:     Lindsey Birkel                                                  
Children’s Home                                             
309-687-7423                                                 
lbirkel@chail.org      

Sharon Brender  
Youth Service America
202-296-2992 x 31
sbrender@YSA.org                                            

Children’s Home selected as lead agency for the 16^th annual national youth service day, April 16-18^th 

Central Illinois Youth to Join Millions of Their Peers as Part of International Volunteering Movement 

PEORIA, IL AND WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 6, 2004 – Youth Service America (YSA) today announced the selection of Children’s Home as a Lead Agency for the 16^th Annual National Youth Service Day, April 16-18, 2004.  Children’s Home joins 49 other Lead Agencies across the country in coordinating local, regional, or statewide celebrations of National Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, promoting projects and events, coordinating volunteer recruitment, local media outreach, and hands-on participation by elected officials.   

As the Presenting Sponsor of National Youth Service Day 2004, the State Farmä Companies Foundation is making a substantial commitment to the Lead Agency program. In addition to financial support from State Farm Companies Foundation, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company will involve their employees and agents, and their families in local National Youth Service Day events. 

On National and Global Youth Service Day, a public awareness and education campaign that highlights the amazing contributions that young people make to their communities 365 days a year, young people will design and lead service-learning and civic engagement projects in areas ranging from voter registration and education, literacy and the environment, to homeland security preparedness, hunger, homelessness, and help for the elderly.  National and Global Youth Service Day mobilizes millions of young people to address the needs of their communities, and educates the public, the media, and policymakers about the year-round contributions of young people as community leaders.   An active consortium of more than 200 National and Global Partners organizes thousands of projects each year in the United States and over 100 countries. 

Children’s Home is a 138-year-old social service agency dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in central Illinois.  This is the second year Children’s Home has been a part of this event.  This year’s effort will focus on the tri-county region and will include the counties of Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford.  The theme for this year’s event is “Healthy Kids for a Healthy Community”.  The focus of the volunteer effort will be to engage youth in addressing critical health problems confronting their generation through promotion of physical fitness and wellness activities.  National Youth Service Day 2004 will conclude with a celebration ceremony at the Peoria River Plex.  Participation from local legislators, youth, parents, and community organizations is expected.

“It is a distinct honor to work with such amazing Lead Agencies.  Their leadership increases the scale and visibility of youth service year-round, and helps young Americans play a lead role in learning about community needs, while giving their time, energy, commitment, and idealism,” said Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America.   "Getting young people to see the connection between community participation and public policy through the Lead Agency’s efforts for National Youth Service Day will be key to increasing political participation among young people – a level of involvement which could make a significant impact on the 2004 elections.” Culbertson added. 

“We are so honored to be a part of this nation-wide volunteer effort.  We believe children are the heart of every community and it is vital to teach them the importance of volunteerism.  Highlighting the accomplishments of these dedicated young Americans is humbling,” said Jim Sherman, CEO of Children’s Home. 

National Youth Service Day is coordinated by Youth Service America, in partnership with the National Youth Leadership Council and PARADE Magazine.  Youth Service America is joined by a consortium that includes more than 80 of the nation’s largest nonprofit and youth development organizations, including America’s Promise; Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America; Campfire USA; Habitat for Humanity; National Education Association; the US Conference of Mayors; and YMCA of the USA. Financial support for National and Global Youth Service Day is provided by: State Farm Companies Foundation, GM Foundation, Disney Inc., the Clay Aiken and the Bubel Aiken Foundation, AT&T Foundation, and the National Education Association. 

For more information about local events or to get involved please contact: Children’s Home, Lindsey Birkel, 309-687-7423, lbirkel@chail.org.   

### 

CHILDREN’S HOME is a 138-year-old private, not-for-profit, social service agency that provides an array of services to children and families in central Illinois.  With an operating budget of $19 million, Children’s Home offers such programs and services as live-in care and treatment, foster care, homeless youth services, educational services, family treatment and counseling, community service programs, prevention programs, mental health services, and teen parenting classes.  Serving over 2000 children and families each year, the Children’s Home is one of the largest agencies in Illinois. 

Youth Service America (YSA) is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people in America, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, YSA's mission is to strengthen the effectiveness, sustainability, and scale of the youth service and service-learning fields. A strong youth service movement will create healthy communities and foster citizenship, knowledge, and the personal development of young people. YSA envisions a powerful network of organizations committed to making service and service-learning the common expectation and common experience of all young people in America.   For more information, visit: www.YSA.org. In addition to National Youth Service Day and Global Youth Service Day, which take place concurrently each April, YSA also hosts SERVEnet (www.SERVEnet.org), an award-winning one-stop portal for information and resources on service and volunteering with over 52 million volunteer opportunities.