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 Children’s home mobilizes youth for 15^th annual national youth service day 

Youth Across the U.S. Respond to Global Unrest By Serving Others 

PEORIA, IL AND WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 17, 2003 – Despite global unrest, youth in central Illinois and across America are mobilizing for action on April 11-13^th in celebration of the 15^th Annual National Youth Service Day, a program of Youth Service America.  Through Children’s Home, one of fifty Lead Agencies, and several other collaborating agencies an estimated 500 young people in the Tri-County area will join millions of youth in conducting service projects addressing literacy, hunger, public safety, and the environment.  As the Presenting Sponsor of National Youth Service Day 2003, the State Farm Companies Foundation is making a substantial commitment to the Lead Agency program. 

National Youth Service Day is a public awareness and education campaign that highlights the amazing contributions that young people make to their communities 365 days a year.  As the largest service event in the world, engaging millions of young people, National Youth Service Day draws together a remarkable consortium of local, regional and national partners, while recruiting the next generation of young volunteers.  Youth in over 150 countries join their U.S. peers as part of the Fourth Annual Global Youth Service Day, which takes place concurrently with support from the GM Foundation. 

Children’s Home is one of fifty Lead Agencies across the country coordinating local, regional, or statewide celebrations of National Youth Service Day, promoting projects and events, coordinating volunteer recruitment, local media outreach, and hands-on participation by elected officials.  

This is the first year, central Illinois has participated in this national service event.  To date, nearly 500 young people will be giving back to their community through approximately 40 different service projects.  Service projects include an HIV/AIDS Awareness Teen Summit, the cleaning and preserving of local parks and playgrounds, delivering care baskets to nursing homes and shut-ins, and much more. 

To kick-off National Youth Service Day, a rally will take place at the River Plex in downtown Peoria on Friday, April 11, 2003 at 10:30 a.m.  Keynote speaker will be Olympic figure skater and Peorian, Matt Savoie.  This celebration of youth and philanthropy is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. 

“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.  “Millions of young people serving together on National Youth Service Day creates a tidal wave of good and sends a powerful message of hope and healing around the globe,” Culbertson added.   

Underscoring the importance of youth service, a recent study conducted by Independent Sector and Youth Service America revealed that forty-four percent of adults volunteer and two-thirds of these volunteers began volunteering their time when they were young.  The study also showed that volunteering amongst high school students recently reached the highest levels in the past 50 years.  To learn more about the report, entitled “Engaging Youth in Lifelong Service”, visit: http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/engagingyouth.html 

“For over 135 years, Children’s Home has been dedicated to not only serving children and families, but also making the community stronger.  What better way to do this than by encouraging young people to give back.  We are proud to be a Local Lead Agency and feel the youth of central Illinois should be applauded for their participation in this wonderful event,” 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 60 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. 

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

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CHILDREN’S HOME is a 137-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 and premier alliance of 300+ organizations committed to increasing the quantity and quality of opportunities for young Americans to serve locally, nationally, or globally.  Founded in 1986, YSA's mission is to strengthen the Effectiveness, Sustainability, and Scale of the youth service and service-learning fields. 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.  A strong youth service network will create healthy communities, and foster citizenship, knowledge, and the personal development of young people.  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.  Media contact: Dave DeCicco, 202-296-2992 Ext. 11, Dave@YSA.org, www.YSA.org.

For more information, please contact:
Lindsey Birkel, Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator
(309)687-7423, (309)687-7299 (fax)
lbirkel@chail.org
2130 N. Knoxville
Peoria, IL 61603