Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 660) supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 660.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in honor of National Mentoring Month, which actually was celebrated in January, but we were not here in January, so we are doing it a month late. I would like to honor the contributions of the thousands of mentors and mentoring programs across the country that work so hard to provide young people with support and assistance.

And I would like to make a personal reference here, Mr. Speaker, in that I spent most of my previous career, 36 years, working with young people, and I saw many changes during that period of time, certainly great changes in the family. The out-of-wedlock birth rate was 5 percent in 1960; today it is about 35 percent. So a huge increase.

And at the time that I first started my coaching career, the number of children living with both biological parents was 90 percent. Today it is roughly 50 percent. And we currently

have 22 million fatherless children in the United States today. And I worked with many young people who were without fathers, and I saw the devastation that this lack of a father caused in their lives.

I also witnessed many cultural changes during that 36-year period. We have become the most violent Nation in the developed countries for young people, currently lead the world among developed nations in suicide and homicide rates. Certainly drug and alcohol abuse has increased dramatically. And, of course, gang activity, many people are aware of the increase there.

And also some of the influences of the media have not all been that positive. Some of the television, some of the movies, some of the Internet activities, some video games certainly have been somewhat pernicious and not been helpful to our young people.

So if we look at history, we realize that most great civilizations decline and fall due to internal factors, not external consequences. And so if we look at Rome, to some degree the British Empire, Soviet Union, we see some of those things occurring. And I think it is important that we not be caught off guard here in the United States.

It is difficult to legislate or mandate solutions to some of the problems that I have outlined briefly here, but I would like to remind the fact that mentoring does work. An adult who has no vested interest in a young person, who is not a parent, not a grandparent not a teacher, no one who is paid to come and spend time with that child, makes a tremendous impact on that child's life if they simply care enough to show up and spend time, because it indicates to that young person that they are worth something, that they are worthwhile. And so we see some dramatic changes.

My wife and I have been involved with a mentoring program which currently mentors 2,900 young people, mostly in the State of Nebraska. We have done some research through Gallup, the polling company, and they have found that absenteeism, in a good mentoring program, is reduced by 80 percent, absenteeism from school. We find that discipline referrals go down by about 70 percent, grades improve by 40 percent, and also pregnancy rates go down significantly. Substance abuse is decreased by 40 to 50 percent. Gang activity is reduced substantially.

And some things improve and increase. Graduation rates go up. And personal hygiene and personal relationships with parents and peers also tends to improve.

So a mentor is someone who cares. And we have so many young people in our country today who simply do not have an adult in their life that they can count on, somebody that cares about them unequivocally and will always be there for them.

A mentor is also someone who affirms, who says, I believe in you, I see some talent, I see some possibility. A mentor is someone who provides a vision of what might be possible. So mentoring is critical. Mentoring does work.

And Congress has responded. We had an amendment to No Child Left Behind called Mentoring For Success, which I was able to introduce. In the last 5 years we have provided $184 million of support for mentoring programs around the country. This is supported, of course, by Chairman Boehner.

Another mentoring program was funded to the tune of $168 million, and this is for children of prisoners. It was through HHS and supported by the President. And currently it costs about $500 per mentoring match, and so we reach undoubtedly 600,000, 700,000 children through these programs.

Mentoring is cost-effective. It costs $500 to mentor a child. It costs $25,000 to $30,000 to lock someone up in prison. And the average meth addict will cost the State that it resides in roughly $47,500 if they are addicted to meth because of crimes committed and other abuses.

So at the present time, Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that we need roughly 18 million mentors in the United States, children who badly need somebody in their life. We currently are able to supply roughly 3 million, so we are 15 million short. And what we have done in Congress is helped; certainly been a step in the right direction.

So I am pleased that we can at least acknowledge what has been done, and National Mentoring Month has certainly increased awareness and shown the importance of mentoring and the need for more mentors across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 660. I want to thank Mr. Davis of Illinois for his support.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to be here with my colleagues Supporting Goals and Ideals of National Mentoring Month.

As House Resolution 660 so accurately states, ``mentoring is a centries-old concept, through which a dependable adult provides guidance, support, and encouragement to help a young become a responsible, productive adult.'' It goes on to conclude that when properly carried out mentoring ``helps young people stay in school and improve academically, boosts self-esteem and communication skills, and improves the chances of going on to higher education.'' I could not agree more.

In Michigan, we proudly recognize the contributions made by Mentor Michigan, led by Governor Jennifer Granholm, and the First Gentleman Dan Mulhern. Two individuals who lead by example and serve as mentors themselves. I was recently privileged to join the First Gentleman at a presentation on mentoring at the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Clemens, Michigan where he spoke passionately and effectively not only about the meaning of mentoring in his own life but the broader impact it has for our Michigan community.

This program exemplifies what happens when government and community actively work to make certain all of our youth develop lasting relationships with individuals who are stable and caring. By developing a state-wide network of mentoring programs, Mentor Michigan has fostered support and unity among programs that accomplish what so often gets overlooked, encouragement and guidance of youth. Mentoring programs throughout the state are work in conjunction with Mentor Michigan to promote three simple values.

First, that every child has the right to a stable, caring adult in his or her life. It is so easy to take this for granted. In Michigan, over 237 programs connect youth with high quality mentors that are dedicated to helping children reach their aspirations and guiding them through fulfilling their needs. Mentor Michigan recruits and connects dedicated mentors with effective programs.

Second, everyone is responsible for the well being of our children including individuals, businesses, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, education institutions, and government. ``It takes a village to raise a child,'' says an old African proverb, and Mentor Michigan knows that a safe, well developed network of resources is a vital way to show that community involvement matters in shaping the way young people see the world. Mentors satisfy needs and programs that value mentors such as Mentor Michigan should be commended.

Third, volunteering is a significant way for people to enrich their lives by giving of themselves to children in their community. Youth energize the world around them and working with youth energizes the individuals who take up the challenge. Over 99 percent of Michigan's mentors have recommended mentoring to others. Mentor Michigan programs provide Americans the opportunity to develop young leaders of tomorrow.

Michigan is the only state with such a focus on tracking and assessing its mentoring programs. It is estimated that over 30,000 Michigan youth benefitted from having a mentor in 2005. I feel privileged to know such outstanding devotion to the generation of tomorrow and very proud to honor it today.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the great contributions mentoring programs make every day to a better America of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for his leadership in bringing this resolution recognizing National Mentoring Month to the floor today. Since he arrived in Congress, the coach, as he is so often called, has worked to make youth issues a priority both on and off the field, and this resolution is another example of his dedication to this effort.

As we celebrate mentoring today, I am reminded of the words of Coretta Scott King when she said: I am fulfilled in what I do. I never thought that a lot of money, nor fine clothes, the finer things in life would make you happy.

Mentoring is not a material good. It does not involve lots of heavy spending or working long hours to achieve monetary greatness, but mentoring truly is one of the finer things in life. It is a valuable activity that gives all involved a sense of happiness and connection that material things cannot.

A mentor, of course, is often an adult, who, along with parents, provides young people support, counsel, friendship, and a constructive example. The average mentor spends 8 to 10 hours a month with his or her mentee on activities such as reading a good book aloud, visiting museums or going to the playground.

When a young person is matched with a caring, responsible individual, this relationship often makes a positive difference in the quality of life for that young person.

For much too long we have focused on providing remedies to problems that only address negative behavior, rather than looking at ways to promote the positive and healthy development of our young people. This resolution directs us to focus on what children need in order to grow into healthy, safe and well-educated adults, making sure that children have access to a caring and responsible adult relationship.

Mentoring opens young people's eyes to a brighter future, and every young person deserves that opportunity. Unfortunately at this time there are simply not enough mentors to go around. Only about 1,000 of the more than 1 million school-aged children in the Chicago area are fortunate enough to have a mentor. Nationally more than 15 million young people currently are in need of a caring adult role model.

In Chicago and across the country, it is clear that the mentoring framework is in place. Now we just need more people to volunteer their time to help change the life of a child. Research shows that young people who are mentored have a stronger attachment to school, higher graduation rates, and decreased involvement with drugs, gangs and violence.

This bill recognizes these positive outcomes and acknowledges the hard work of individuals and groups who promote mentoring. Mentoring is a strong investment in our children and in the future of our country. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am indeed pleased to join with Representative Osborne and my colleagues in celebrating the essential role that mentoring plays in the lives of our young people.

Again, I commend the gentleman from Nebraska for his outstanding leadership in bringing these kinds of issues to the forefront and to the attention of the Members of this body.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the proposed bill, H. Res. 660, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month.''

In 2002, January was deemed National Mentoring Month to recognize the importance that mentoring has on our Nation's youth. The demand for mentors stems from the growing need of our Nation's youth to have positive role models in their life that can provide them with the critical support and guidance necessary for them to succeed.

Without external support they are less likely to graduate from high school, and more likely to engage in criminal behavior. In contrast, youth matched in mentoring programs are 46 percent less likely to use illegal drugs and 37 percent less likely to skip a day of class. Additionally, youth in mentoring programs show increased self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth.

The benefits of mentoring do not stop with the youth. Research by the Commonwealth Fund shows that 83 percent of adult mentors ``learned or gained something personally from their mentoring experience,'' suggesting that mentoring is a positive experience for the both the mentor and the youth.

Further, by involving individuals and organizations, such as non- profits, faith-based institutions and businesses, we strengthen our communities--something that each of us works diligently to accomplish on a daily basis.

In my district in Houston, we have worked to foster this relationship through several mentoring programs. Two key institutions are the Volunteer Houston Mentoring Institute and the National Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program, both of which are working with area schools to administer successful programs. Volunteer Houston and the Houston Independent School District entered into a partnership to ensure that at-risk high school students have mentors to help them achieve academic success. Last year, the national Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program matched 225,000 youth with mentors, 1,500 of which are in the Houston program.

Both of these programs illustrate that significant progress has been made, but there is still much to be done. Nationally, there are as many as 15 million young people that make up what is known as the mentoring gap, or youth in need of mentors. In my district this is of particularly grave concern, as 5,300 youth displaced by hurricane Katrina are enrolled in the Houston Independent School District. They have sustained both psychological and emotional burdens, and could immediately benefit from a mentoring program.

In order to extend the great benefits of mentoring to all of those in need of services it is important to recruit new volunteers and expand the scope of operations.

With that said, I join my colleagues in supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month, recognize the need for increased awareness, and stand to recognize those self-less individuals and organizations that make mentoring a priority, often without the praise they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 660. I want to thank my colleague from Nebraska for his work stressing the need for mentoring in our Nation. It has been a pleasure to work with Congressman Osborne over the years to emphasize this great need for mentors.

Just yesterday a young woman from my San Diego community dropped by my office to share her story of how a

mentoring program changed her life. She came from a difficult family situation as a teenager and sought help from the Turning Point program at the YMCA Youth and Family Services in San Diego. There she found the help and the guidance of mentors who helped her in turning her life around for the best and eventually enrolling in college and setting some very ambitious personal goals. With the help of mentors, she learned the skills and confidence needed to make it in life, including how to communicate and how to build self-esteem. And she also learned practical skills in the 18-month program such as how to budget finances and how to approach job interviews.

Mr. Speaker, her story is a perfect example of the power and impact of mentoring. Those who receive the help and the support of a mentor are likely to help others and to do good. As an adult she now works as a staff member of the Turning Point program, returning the gift of mentoring to young at-risk youth who face similar circumstances. Her experience also shows that mentoring is not only about helping people facing difficulties, but giving them the strength and the drive to chart their own course and to discover their own strength and talents. Her talent now is helping others change their lives for the better.

We are hearing a lot right now about the need to make our young people competitive and to push academic standards, but let us also guide our children and give them the self-esteem and the courage to face the world and all its obstacles, particularly those young people who face substantial obstacles. Our children need the wisdom and strength of someone who cares. And I know as a school board member I would often run into teachers and principals who came from what we would call tough neighborhoods, and I would ask them what made the difference, because they would share with me that a lot of children they grew up with were in jail, and some had died, young people, and they shared that the one person, that one teacher that showed an interest, that one community member who always looked out for them, that one member who really would not let them get away with things growing up. It is always important to have that special someone there who cares.

As a proud sponsor to H.R. 660, I want to urge my colleagues to support the resolution before us today and to recognize the need to promote mentoring.