Commemorating April 21st 2007 as National Youth Service Day in Philadelphia and recognizing the host, Greater Philadelphia Cares, whose mission is to give positive direction to our young people and to make a positive difference in our communities.

WHEREAS, Greater Philadelphia Cares will host National Youth Service Day on April 21, 2007, for the Greater Philadelphia Region to foster and celebrate the contributions of vast number of young people who participate in their programs; and

WHEREAS, National Youth Service Day is the largest youth service event in the nation, mobilizing young people to identify the needs of their communities and address them through service - recruiting the next generation of volunteers and educating the public about year-round youth community leadership activities; and

WHEREAS, On National Youth Service Day, a public awareness campaign will highlight the valuable and productive contributions young people are making throughout the region and their communities 365 days a year; and

WHEREAS, Young people will design and facilitate service-learning projects in a broad variety of areas - ranging from literacy to healthcare, aid the elderly, help for the hungry or homelessness and concern for the environment; and

WHEREAS, Young people, their leaders and youth service workers, in coalition with Greater Philadelphia Cares, are operating and producing projects in areas such as community development, blight removal, social services, assistance to senior or people with disabilities, AIDS/HIV related services and animal care; and

WHEREAS, Greater Philadelphia Cares continues to succeed in its mission “to support the creation of vibrant communities by motivating people to volunteer their time, talents, and resources - providing a clear path to service for all, enhancing the impact of non-profit agencies throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region”; and

WHEREAS, Greater Philadelphia Cares, through its mission, strives to raise the awareness level of us all regarding the critical social and quality of life needs in all communities in and around our City, our region and nation – which then increases our capacity to care and serve; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we commemorate April 21st 2007 as National Youth Service Day in Philadelphia; and recognize the host, Greater Philadelphia Cares, for its valuable contributions to our communities.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Greater Philadelphia Cares, as further evidencing the sincere admiration and gratitude of this legislative body.

End