Questions and Answers
Q. What is the Take Pride in America
Initiative?
A. The Take Pride in America
Initiative is a national campaign to
encourage Federal, state, and local
public and private partnerships and
volunteer service to protect public
parks, recreation areas, and cultural
resources. Its primary focus will be to
encourage citizen stewards to dedicate
time and service to help protect and
restore resources and facilities in their
area.
Q. Why is this being launched now?
A. President George W. Bush has
made a strong commitment to
encouraging citizens to public service.
This initiative, part of the President’s
USA Freedom Corps volunteer
service initiative, represents range of
opportunities for citizens to take active
roles in their communities. America’s
public parks, recreation areas, and
cultural sites are more popular
than ever and continue to attract
many visitors. In some instances,
recreational uses are up dramatically.
Take Pride in America can help
mobilize much needed volunteer
efforts and create a new synergy in
addressing Federal, state, and local
resource and recreation needs.
Q. How can corporations and private
industry participate?
A. The private sector can participate
in a number of ways. First and
foremost, contributions (including inkind
efforts) will be needed to launch
successful local stewardship, clean up,
and restoration projects. An example
might be a local soft drink distributor
providing complimentary beverages
to volunteers who are working on
a community improvement project.
Corporations and businesses could
also sponsor the awards programs
public agencies establish to recognize
especially good and beneficial projects.
And businesses and corporations can
recruit their employees and consumers
to take part in local Take Pride In
America volunteer opportunities.
Q. Is the Take Pride in America
Initiative related to the President’s call
to volunteer service?
A. Yes. The President recognizes
that public lands, parks, playgrounds
and recreation areas afford an
excellent opportunity for citizens and
communities to demonstrate local
pride, initiative, and stewardship. The
new public lands program will help
foster innovative partnerships and
volunteerism on public lands as part of
the President’s USA Freedom Corps
initiative.
Q. Wasn’t there an earlier Take Pride
In America initiative?
A. Yes, in 1986 President Ronald
Reagan launched the first Take Pride
In America. All 50 states participated,
along with hundreds of local
communities and private corporations
and countless citizens.
Between 1986 and 1992, the Take Pride
In America program was credited with
generating more than 10 million hours
of volunteer service to our public lands.
Q. Will this renewed initiative be
similar to the old Take Pride In
America?
A. There will be many similarities
in goals and approaches. But the
renewed program will strive to be
even more inclusive and far-reaching,
seeking to embrace groups and
individuals who may not have been
touched by the initial Take Pride In
America effort.
For example, the effort will reach out
to community and faith-based groups.
Church and religiously-affiliated
organizations provide extraordinary
contributions to American
society. President Bush believes
our community and faith-based
organizations can be valuable and
highly effective partners in addressing
public lands and facilities renewal
projects in urban and rural settings
alike. In addition, the renewed effort
will reach out to inner city groups, to
offer them opportunities to participate
in outdoor and land stewardship
experiences.
Take Pride in America will have two
goals: 1) to inspire more volunteer
service on public lands and at public
spaces; and 2) to generate volunteer
service projects that help protect,
restore, and maintain public lands and
enhance visitor enjoyment of these
places.
Q. The earlier Take Pride In
America developed a very visible and
prestigious national awards program.
What about President Bush’s
initiative?
A. Current plans call for many levels
of recognition, from local community
awards to State awards to national
recognition. One of the chief features
of the renewed Take Pride in America
will the recognition of individuals who
have made exceptional contributions
of time and service. With Take Pride,
individuals who contribute 4,000
hours of public service will earn a new
Presidential Take Pride in America
Award.
Q. These are challenging financial
times – how will a program like this
be funded?
A. The President’s budget request
for 2004 seeks $1.1 million for the
Department of the Interior to staff
and coordinate the government wide
Take Pride in America effort. But
not all of the Take Pride in America
investment must be borne by public
funding sources. We believe that many
responsible corporate entities will
come forward to demonstrate their
commitment to good environmental
stewardship and community
involvement.
Q. So there will be fund raising?
A. What we envision are true
partnerships. Public and private
sources will be asked to provide a fair
and appropriate share to this initiative
that will have, cumulatively, some
extraordinary national benefits.
Q. How do we get additional
information about the Take Pride In
America Initiative?
A. Information about Take Pride
In America is available at www.
takepride.gov, the Department of the
Interior website www.doi.gov, and
at the USAFreedom Corps website
www.usafreedomcorps.gov
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