VOICE ONE:
More than eighty-million Americans give their time to help theircommunities and people in need. President Bush has asked more peopleto become volunteers. I’m Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. The story of volunteers in the United Statesis our report today on the VOA Special English program, THIS ISAMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
Volunteers are people who help others without being paid.Volunteering is a well-established tradition in the United States.
Recently, President Bush orderedthe government to find ways for more civilians to help the nation.He says America needs additional volunteers after the terroristattacks in New York City and Washington, D-C. More thanthree-thousand people are thought to have died as a result of theSeptember Eleventh attacks.
The president also asked state andlocal officials to create civilian defense groups to protect UnitedStates territory. Mister Bush said the volunteer civilian defenseservices would help police and fire officials. The volunteers alsowould aid public health agencies during emergencies. White Houseofficials say twenty-thousand members of the government volunteerprograms AmeriCorps and Senior Corps would be asked to take part.
VOICE TWO:
Fifty-thousand young people arevolunteers with AmeriCorps. They are men and women between the agesof eighteen and twenty-four. They serve from ten months to twoyears. Members receive a small amount of money for living expenses,but no pay. They also receive almost five-thousand dollars forcollege or other educational expenses when they finish theirservice.
These young volunteers help poor people in America develop skillsto improve their lives. They teach in schools and help children withtheir school work. Some AmeriCorps volunteers guard public parks andhelp put out wildfires in forests. Others are helping families ofvictims of the terrorist attacks. Since those attacks, thirtypercent more people have expressed interest in joining AmeriCorps.
VOICE ONE:
Two United States senators recently proposed increasingAmeriCorps to two-hundred-fifty-thousand members. This increasewould take place over ten years. Senator Evan Bayh and Senator JohnMcCain say the organization could provide valuable help for homelanddefense. Officials say AmeriCorps volunteers might be trained to aidborder and airport security guards.
VOICE TWO:
Older Americans serve in the government volunteer program calledSenior Corps. More than five-hundred-thousand volunteers have servedin the Senior Corps during the past thirty years. Many older peopleare able to volunteer because they are retired from their jobs andhave extra time to help others. Senior Corps members volunteer intheir own communities. They teach children. They aid old people sothey can continue to live independently. They help sick people inhospitals and nursing homes. They provide food for the homeless.
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VOICE ONE:
The United States has more than one-million firefighters. Aboutseventy-four percent of them serve without pay. The NationalAssociation of State Foresters says volunteer firefighters savecommunities across the country almost thirty-seven-thousand-milliondollars a year.
Every day, volunteers fight fires.They respond to medical emergencies. They keep equipment andvehicles ready for action. They help the public during floods,severe windstorms and incidents involving dangerous materials.
The number of volunteer firefighters in the United States hasdecreased between five and ten percent since Nineteen-Eighty-Three.Since then, the hours of training required to become a volunteerfirefighter have increased. So have the number of emergency calls.But even with increased demands on volunteer firefighters, manypeople enjoy this valuable work.
VOICE TWO:
Each year, thousands of Americans work in hospitals without pay.These volunteers include retired people and young students. Hospitalvolunteers read to patients. They help sick children forget theirpain. They work in the hospital gift store. They work in the waitingareas for emergency rooms and operating rooms. They tell familieshow patients are doing. Hospital volunteers recently helpedthousands of people after the terrorist attacks in New York andWashington.
For example, volunteers at New York Presbyterian Hospital workedin the emergency rooms. They brought equipment, medical supplies,food and water to doctors and nurses treating patients. Theyassisted people who came to give blood. They helped families lookingfor loved ones injured in the attacks.
VOICE ONE:
American Red Cross volunteers work at thousands of floods, firesand other terrible events every year. They also performed greatservice after the terrorist attacks. Some of these people worked dayand night for days at the fallen World Trade Center buildings in NewYork. Red Cross workers helped care for injured people who escapedfrom the buildings. They aided the firefighters and police whohelped people flee. They tried to help people find their loved onesmissing in the fires and explosions. They managed supplies thatpeople gave to help the rescue and recovery work.
Many other people in New York helped the rescue workers bybringing food, water and supplies. Reports said so many peoplevolunteered to help that many had to be turned away.
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VOICE TWO:
There are thousands of volunteer organizations in the UnitedStates. Almost all of them report an increase in volunteers sincethe terrorist attacks. A group called A-A-R-P represents olderAmericans. It recently organized a Day of Service on December sixth.A-A-R-P called on its thirty-five-million members to make adifference by volunteering in their communities that day andthroughout the year.
Several other volunteer organizations also took part in the Dayof Service. A group called America’s Second Harvest is the nation’slargest hunger-relief organization. Its volunteers provide food forAmericans in need. Meals on Wheels is another well-known volunteerorganization. It operates in thousands of communities in the UnitedStates. Volunteers bring hot meals to old people who are not able toleave their homes.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters ofAmerica is the nation’s largest and oldest mentoring organization.Volunteers help children and young people by providing friendshipand guidance.
VOICE ONE:
Other volunteer organizationsbuild and repair homes for poor people. One of these is Habitat forHumanity. It began in Nineteen-Seventy-Six. Since then, volunteershave built more than one-hundred-thousand houses in the UnitedStates and in more than eighty other countries.
The organization has hundreds ofthousands of volunteers. Two of the most famous are former AmericanPresident Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn (pictured).
Former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore alsohave helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity.
Many young people also volunteer to build houses. Thousands ofcollege students take part during their holidays from school.
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VOICE TWO:
Until recently, a majority of volunteers in America were olderpeople. Now, however, more and more young people are becomingvolunteers, too. Most American teenagers do some volunteer work.Many get their first experience helping others by taking part inprograms organized by their schools or churches. For example, theyhelp young children learn to read. They serve meals at local centersfor the homeless. Or, during their summer holiday, they volunteer atspecial camps for children and adults with disabilities.
VOICE ONE:
Many American volunteers do not work for organized groups. Still,they help others and can make a difference in peoples’ lives. Forexample, a Chicago writer gave reading lessons to a child who livednearby. She did this after his mother said the boy seemingly couldnot learn. His teachers had offered little hope for his success inschool, or in life. Now, many years later, this young man isstudying engineering in a university.
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VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was producedGeorge Grow. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for anotherreport about life in the United States on the VOA Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.