Clinton Resumes Daily Awards Honoring Volunteers

President Clinton has started off the new year by continuing President Bush’s tradition of giving a daily “Points of Light” award to honor people who have done outstanding volunteer work.

The name of the award comes from President Bush’s description of people who do community service as “points of light.” Mr. Bush gave the award to 1,020 people while he was in office; Mr. Clinton decided to resume the awards after a national summit on volunteerism in April.

The Knights of Columbus Supreme Council provided $250,000 to the Points of Light Foundation, a Washington charity, so it could assist the President in making the choices and carrying out the award program. More information about the award winners and the program is available at the foundation’s World-Wide Web site: http://www.pointsoflight.org or by getting in touch with the foundation at 1737 H Street, N.W., Washington 20006; (202) 223-9186.

Following are the names of the first recipients that President Clinton has announced:

1021. Amy Achor, Waco, Tex., who organized the Central Texas Youth Summit after attending the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future and who co-founded Loving Hands, a youth group that works with nursing-home residents and homebound people.

1022. Give a Parent Support, Tucson, Ariz., whose volunteers provide in-home support and training to first-time parents who are at high risk for child abuse.

1023. Operation Clean Slate, Costa Mesa, Cal., a graffiti-prevention program that provides young people with a positive alternative to gang-related activities.

1024. John J. George, Detroit, who founded Motor City Blight Busters, a volunteer-run group that works to revitalize and beautify inner-city Detroit neighborhoods.

1025. Father’s Active in Children’s Education, Montgomery, Ala., which promotes the positive involvement of fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other males in the educational development of children by such activities as serving as tutors, providing school security, and presenting achievement awards and workshops.

1026. American Bar Association/Young Lawyers Division — Aspiring Youth Program of Chicago, which provides mentor, educational, and athletic activities to at-risk middle-school students during after-school hours when the students’ parents are at work.

1027. Edward S. Cahn, Washington, who founded the “Time Dollar Program,” which enables people in participating communities to earn credits for time spent volunteering that can then be redeemed for needed goods and services.

1028. Youth Adult Participation Project, Mineola, N.Y., which allows teen-agers to develop leadership and vocational skills as they implement local community-service projects.

1029. George Westrom Anaheim, Cal., who created Future Scientists and Engineers of America, which educates children about science and technology and encourages them to pursue science and engineering programs when they reach college.

1030. Patricia Mitchell, Birmingham, Ala., a former teacher who developed an environmental-education curriculum and created the “Auntie Litter” character, which delivers anti-littering presentations to children and adults.

1031. Martin Flores, Los Angeles, who responded to the death of his 17-year-old brother, Rogelio, by creating an organization that encourages young people to avoid gangs and drugs and to pursue educational opportunities.

1032. Aftershare, Woodbridge, Va., a volunteer organization run by formerly homeless people who provide support services to homeless and formerly homeless individuals and families in Prince William County, Va. Members of Motor City Blight Busters in Detroit work on projects to renew blighted neighborhoods throughout the city.