HARRISBURG, Pa. And I want to point
out that it's not just in the lives of the children. Our responsibility as adults is to help children resist
negative pressures and then to help children excel in every part of their
lives. Last summer ,
Chaquetta worked as an intern at Camp Friends, like Regis did. People who need help getting started can go to the website
USAFreedomCorps. PDT

practicable liturgies

"
The Rev.
Bennison, Jr. BUSH: Thank you very much. Thank you, Regis and James. Every
day was a struggle to avoid the easy money of his old life while enduring the
taunts of people in his neighborhood who ridicule his more disciplined way of
life now. In Philadelphia, the Boys and Girls Club has a program
called Passport to Manhood . Of the 13 at-risk children who entered the
program, 10 graduated from high school and another completed a GED. I didn't warn her and ask her
if she wanted to stand up. Today, nearly 600
children in nine communities from Boston to Seattle have their own group of
Friends. The conference will introduce a new assessment
tool that communities can use to identify the challenges that they face, to
identify the services that they already have, and then to work together so
they can meet the needs of their community.

Originating in the United States under the leadership of John Wesley and Francis Asbury , it is now growing most rapidly in Africa and has a significant presence throughout the world.

The UMC is the successor in the United States to the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren, which merged in the 1960s.

reminding temperance

Chaquetta and two of her siblings have been mentored by a friend. "They want
to experience new things and to have a positive adult female in their lives. If she wants to , would she? (Applause.
Through Helping America's Youth, we're encouraging communities to
recognize their needs and then to work together to meet them.

The United Methodist Church is the largest of the churches of the Wesleyan tradition.

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Senior State Religious Leaders Call on Congress to Act Now to Address Global Warming

Invitations to
Congressman Tim Holden and Joe Pitts went unanswered. As a young man, Ken dealt drugs and promoted prostitution and
stealing.
The President and I have also met with children who have a parent in
prison. After working his way
through college and law school, and starting a successful company, Duncan had
the resources and the commitment to honor his promise to himself -- and
Friends of the Children was born. They can integrate federal and
local programs to create seamless efforts to help all the children in each
community. Thank you for your commitment to children
here in Portland and everywhere.

segregation liturgies

"
The U.S. Dr.
One of the most important ways the federal government can help local
communities is by fostering connections between people who are running good
programs like this one and people who want to get started.

openly administering

Remarks By The First Lady on Helping America's Youth

A young man from Milwaukee named Ken Thigpen inspired my interest in this
subject. There are two million children in America just like them and those
children yearn for love and attention.
Dakota sees his father sporadically and his mom has to work many hours to make
ends meet. Dakota and Ben,
would you please stand? (Applause. Of course , not every community has a Friends of the Children
chapter, but every community does have loving people who can improve the life
of a child.

deacon intoxicants

Rev. Michael W.
I'm happy to be here at the national headquarters of Friends of the
Children, the place where Duncan Campbell's dream began. Young people often
feel pressured to have sex. Ken's childhood was disrupted by his parents' descent into drug
addiction.)
Chaquetta's sister, who graduated last year from the program and graduated
from high school at the same time is also here.
Thank you all very, very much.

intoxicants temperance

This
is the home to the Gwiichin people, who rely on the caribou for their culture
and sustenance.S. - Friends of the Children Headquarters

- Portland, Oregon

WASHINGTON,

MRS. I want to thank
Catherine Milton, who does great work as the National President of Friends of
the Children. The goal of Helping America's
Youth is to make sure that every child grows up with a caring adult in his or
her life -- whether that adult is a parent, a teacher, a coach or a mentor.
We all know that boys and girls, especially as they get to their teen
years, face hazards. Friends make a long-term
commitment to spending time with up to eight children on a regular basis. The relationship between the
Friends and each of the children they mentor requires at least four hours of
interaction a week for 12 years -- that's quite a commitment -- all the way
through high school graduation.

administering methodists

"Pennsylvanians bear particular responsibility to act on this problem,"
said Joy Bergey, Project Director of the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate
Change Campaign. McCoid, Southwest Pennsylvania Synod,
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) (Pittsburgh); and Bishop
Jane Allen Middleton, Central Pennsylvania Conference, the United Methodist
Church (Mechanicsburg).
(Applause. These kids had a lot of fun with their mentors, going to
ballgames, riding bikes or reading books.)
Stories like these are being repeated throughout America as Friends of the
Children expands to serve more children in more cities.gov, which has the largest online clearinghouse of volunteer
opportunities ever created.

openly igniting

In a meeting in Harrisburg organized
by the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, twenty-five leaders from various
faith traditions called on the U. Strauss. Josh Trego, Director of Community and
Economic Development from Senator Santorum's office, said more study is needed
before taking action.
All around America, there are great programs that are improving the lives
of young people. With help from her Friend, Rena,
Chaquetta is making progress and she's on the track to graduate. She enjoyed
serving as a guide for children and she now has a goal of attending college so
she can become a teacher.

(Applause. (Applause.

exegesis cokesbury

Global warming will hurt first and foremost the poor, the old, the
young , and the sick - those least able to care for themselves. But Ken's life changed when his girlfriend became pregnant. And Ken wants to have a bigger career than delivering pizzas, but
he made a courageous start, and it's important that we praise adults who
commit themselves to helping children grow up feeling safe and loved. At the end of the day, though, the
most important part about being a mentor is just spending time with each
other. I'm impressed to learn that as a third grader, Dakota
reads at a middle school level. Surely there are 15 million caring adults who can fill that
need. Thanks so much.

discipleship liturgies

The evidence for global warming is
overwhelming. Further inaction imperils future generations . He
knew that if his son was going to have a better childhood than he had had, he
would have to clean up his own life and commit himself to being a positive
influence for his child.
Children who are brought into the program are considered to be at the highest
risk of getting into trouble as they grow up. The President
has introduced several initiatives that support local communities , including
funding to provide mentors for children who have a parent in prison and a new
proposal to reduce gang violence and gang involvement.

segregation vow

Congress to pass the Climate Stewardship
Act.
"Delaying makes no sense," said Joy Bergey. "This is like a smoker saying
he'll wait to get cancer before he quits. Creighton, Bishop,
Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania (Harrisburg); The Rev . And I want to thank Mayor Tom Potter for being here today, and
also Mylene Walden.
Duncan Campbell knows all about the need for time together. Last June, the Portland chapter celebrated
its first class of graduates.
Rena said the great thing about Chaquetta and the other girls she mentors
is how motivated they are. "The girls want to be here," she said.)

END 2:44 P.M.

discipleship exegesis

U.
"We are deeply disappointed that none of our elected officials take this
issue seriously enough to have attended in person," said Rev.
Hendrix, Lower Susquehanna Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) (Harrisburg); Bishop Donald J.
So thank you both for telling us about your friendship.)
In his State of the Union address this year, the President announced a new
initiative called Helping America's Youth. In getting to know
each other, Ben found out that Dakota likes math. Dakota is learning ways to control his anger and he's
excelling in school. The Responsible
Fatherhood Initiative and the Healthy Marriage Initiative are designed to keep
families strong and stable, so that whenever possible, children can grow up
with two loving parents in their home. The time between childhood and
adulthood is all too short -- as George and I can attest -- and every moment
in a child's life is precious.

reminding methodists

Congress to act
immediately to slow down global warming. "Our state creates more global warming pollution than 105
developing countries combined, and is the third worst state in the country,
behind only California and Texas. Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter and Congressman Todd Platts,
Joseph Pitts, and Tim Holden were invited to the meeting.
The concept of mentoring used by the Friends of the Children is unique,
and it's praised by people who study the results. After I visited Think Detroit, a reporter -- a
newspaper reporter asked one of the little boys I met what he thought about my
visit, and I was moved when I read that he simply said, "I wish she could stay
here.

segregation practicable

We are called
by our faith to protect them. Growing up
with parents who often neglected him, Duncan made a vow to himself that he
wouldn't let other children be lonely like he was.)
When I arrived here this afternoon, I was met at the door by Dakota.

cokesbury liturgies

Marja Coons-Torn, Conference Minister, Penn Central Conference,
United Church of Christ (UCC); the Rt.
The initiative calls for action in the three most important parts of a
child's life: a child's family, a child's school and a child 's community. Drugs are a temptation. This fall, we'll
convene a White House Conference on Helping America's Youth to discuss some of
the best practices to help children avoid risky behaviors and become
responsible, healthy adults.

hymnal discipleship

Conference of Catholic Bishops has been calling for federal
action on global warming since 2001. Smoking and drinking may look appealing to children when
they see older kids doing it. Boys meet with a mentor to discuss topics like
respecting yourself and others , and avoiding alcohol and drugs. Another program,
called Think Detroit, recruits volunteer coaches who incorporate lessons about
positive character development into every practice and game. To
provide some context for that accomplishment, keep in mind that of those 10
graduates, six were the first in their family to ever graduate from high
school.

igniting openly

Sandra Strauss, Director of Public Policy, Pennsylvania Council
of Churches, said, "The debate is over.
The staff members of the elected officials indicated they are not willing
to vote for the Climate Stewardship Act."
Senior church executives in attendance were the Rt. Charles E. Gary Harke,
Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches; Bishop Carol S. The adults who are the
mentors also share in the success of the children they work with, and that
relationship is every bit as important to the adults as it is to the children . They see an
ideal of manhood that respects life and rejects violence. The children we met with had mentors
who were helping them do well in school and helping them avoid the hazards of
drugs and violence. Fifteen million children in America need a mentor or a role model
in their lives.

intoxicants discipleship

To open the Arctic to yet more drilling means we will endanger
a precious and irreplaceable human culture.

" Children want us in their lives and children need us in their lives.

cokesbury umc

Santorum , Specter, and Platts sent staff members., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia area );
the Rev. Ken was featured in an article in the New York Times Magazine last
summer. He's had problems with anger and depression, sometimes lashing out
at others. Dakota's Friend, Ben, has been a great mentor.
Helping America's Youth depends on partnerships within communities, and on
the individual commitment of Americans.

liturgies quadrennial

S. Thank you
so much for telling your stories so people can hear what a great difference a
great mentoring relationship can make in people's lives. Thank you both very much for coming to join us.
We're emphasizing the needs of boys because statistics show us that boys are
falling behind girls in school, they're more likely than girls to drop out of
school , and boys are more likely than girls to be victims of crime or to go to
jail themselves."
Rena and Chaquetta, would you please stand and be recognized? (Applause. He enrolled him in the
Saturday Academy at Portland State University, which offers a class that uses
Legos to teach physics.

deacon discipleship

Global warming is real, and it's time
to act. Every child has to make choices between healthy
behaviors that lead to success and risky behaviors that can lead down a road
of bad outcomes.
Chaquetta , who is 15 years old, struggled academically, and she's been
suspended from school for fighting.

And as I've learned from the remarkable men and women I've met here at Friends
of the Children , each of us has the power to make the difference in the life
of a child.

secretaries umc

S."
Sister Kathleen Coll, Social Justice Coordinator for Sisters of Saint
Joseph, Philadelphia, said, "We can not simply drill our way out of fuel
shortages. Clean, alternative energies and conservation are the responsible
pathways to energy independence.
"Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is not the answer.) With great reading skills, and
with caring guidance from Ben, Dakota has a bright future .

secretaries resourcing

, Senior religious leaders from
across the state gathered this week to call on the U. Rev.
Faith traditions represented by those in attendance included the Church of
the Brethren, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Religious Society of Friends
(Quakers), the Roman Catholic Church, the United Church of Christ, and the
United Methodist Church. Gangs and violence are a regular presence in many
neighborhoods.
These challenges aren't limited to any one part of the country or to any
one segment of society. Ken stopped selling drugs and he took a job
delivering pizzas so he could be at home with his son during the day.