Clinton: Help kids `one by one'

PHILADELPHIA The problems facing America's vulnerable childrenare well beyond the capacity of government to address or evenunderstand, President Clinton said here Monday as he called onindividuals to help save these children "one by one."

Standing in front of Independence Hall, Clinton delivered aspeech on volunteerism that attempted to define the limits ofgovernment in America regarding children who "are being left behindin lives of too much danger."

"Even if we do everything we should, you and I know that a lotof the problems facing our children are problems of the human heart,"said Clinton, delivering the keynote address for the Presidents'Summit for America's Future.One-on-one mentoring of vulnerable children by successful adultswas the principal solution advanced by Clinton and by the formidablecast of three former presidents, 30 governors and more than 100mayors attending the three-day summit here. Organizers said thereare 15 million children in need of mentors and other assistance."In terms of numbers, the task may seem staggering. But if welook at the simple needs that these children have, then the task ismanageable," said Colin L. Powell, the summit's general chairman."We know what they need. They need an adult caring person."To put more mentors, teachers and other full-time volunteers towork, Clinton Monday proposed a de facto melding of AmeriCorps, thedomestic Peace Corps created in 1993, with programs already run bycharitable institutions.The president said he will propose legislation creating 50,000new AmeriCorps scholarships for volunteers working for church andcharitable groups, which would be asked to pay the volunteers' livingexpenses."I want to challenge every charity, every religious group, everycommunity group and their business supporters to give young peoplethe support they need to do a year of community service," Clintonsaid.The AmeriCorps program currently awards a college scholarshipworth $4,725 for every year of service. It also picks up livingcosts of about $7,000.Several of the approximately 3,000 delegates said Monday theywould attempt to raise the money.