WASHINGTON – Emmy-winning actress Patricia Heaton joins the
Corporation for National and Community Service, a division of the U.S.
Department of Justice and the nonprofit MentorYouth.com at an event that
helps faith- and community-based organizations recruit more mentors.
Heaton, of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame, will speak Wednesday in Los
Angeles at a training conference that aims to build the capacity of
mentor-recruiting organizations. She also will present a President's
Volunteer Service Award to an outstanding mentor in her role as a member
of the President's Council on Service and Civic Engagement.
The conference is a three-day training called "Mobilizing New
Mentors...Through Faith- and Community-Based Collaborations." The event
helps mentoring programs explore avenues for finding new mentors. The
training builds on a national goal supported by the Corporation to
recruit mentors for an additional three million at-risk children by
2010. Faith-based organizations are an integral part of that goal: A
recent study found that almost 43 percent of volunteers become mentors
through religious organizations.
"We already have found great success in building capacity in the
faith-based community as we improve our ability to attract caring adults
to serve as role models for children," said Alison Fritz, Director of
Faith and Community Based Initiatives at the Corporation. "Churches,
synagogues and other religious organizations have been a prolific
resource for recruiting mentors, who often make a pivotal difference in
a child's life. We will continue strengthening the ability of these
organizations to make those important connections."
Some of the key faith-based initiatives nationally are Amachi, which is
building congregational mentoring hubs to help children of prisoners;
the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Dearborn,
Mich., which provides health and literacy programs; Xavier University of
Louisiana, which uses a Learn and Serve grant to engage more than 500
students in service-learning; and the California Youth Authority, which
provides education, training and treatment services to serious youthful
offenders.
This week's training, which began today, continues tomorrow and
Wednesday at the Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Westside.
Heaton, who co-founded and operates a production company with her
husband, will appear at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. The actress, a two-time
Emmy winner who gained stardom from her portrayal of Debra Barone in
"Everybody Loves Raymond," promotes civic engagement across the nation
in her role as a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic
Participation.
Heaton will present a President's Volunteer Service Award to attorney
Robert L. Madok, who volunteers through Catholic Big Brothers Big
Sisters. Mr. Madok will receive the Call to Service Award, which is an
honor from President George W. Bush for a lifetime of volunteer service.
MentorYouth.com, is a division of the National Network of Youth
Ministries. It is the training's host, along with the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs at the
U.S. Department of Justice, and the Corporation.
The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives,
strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service
and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for
1.5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their
communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and
Serve America. For more information, go to
http://www.nationalservice.gov.
