Chelsea Clinton will attend her second America Forward event when she and her father, former President Bill Clinton, serve alongside volunteers this morning to build a community garden and help paint a mural at Woodlawn Elementary School in Portland, OR. The service project is being sponsored locally by “I Have A Dream” Founation of Oregon, which works to ensure that all children have the opportunity to pursue higher education. Late last month, Chelsea spoke to volunteers at an America’s Promise event in Charlotte, NC.
Local “I Have A Dream” chapters sponsor entire grade levels of underserved students in public elementary schools and public housing developments, and work with these students from an early age all the way to college. Upon high school graduation, each Dreamer receives guaranteed tuition assistance for higher education. Currently, more than 4,000 Dreamers are on the pathway to college in 16 states, Washington, D.C., and New Zealand, following some 10,000 Dreamers who came before them.
“The ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation is pleased that President Clinton and Chelsea will help us showcase the innovative work of organizations that are making a difference across the nation at a community level,” said Karen Hill, Executive Director of I Have A Dream of Oregon. “We are delighted to have the Clintons join us today for this volunteer service event.”
The America Forward coalition, organized by New Profit Inc., includes more than 60 results-oriented, entrepreneurial nonprofit organizations with programs operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Together, these organizations serve more than 10 million people per year and have a collective budget of more than $300 million. Coalition members have innovative, results-driven solutions to some of the toughest domestic challenges facing our nation in education, public health, poverty and economic mobility, workforce development, crime prevention, and civic engagement. The coalition is working to educate all the presidential candidates about the impact social entrepreneurs are having on communities and promote a policy agenda that scales their impact.
“America Forward coalition organizations like ‘I Have A Dream’ have innovative, results-oriented solutions to many of the problems facing America’s families, schools, and communities,” said Kelly Ward, Director of America Forward. “It’s an honor to have President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton join one of our coalition organizations to showcase innovative approaches to service and see first-hand the great work underway in Portland.”
I enjoyed my visit (albeit brief) to Portland last week en route from Seattle to San Francisco. Last fall, I spent a weekend in the City of Roses. If it were a day earlier, I’d suggest the Clintons check out the Portland Saturday Market while in the area. But it’s not. So I won’t call them. I hear they have a busier-than-usual schedule these days…
Check back for a recap of today’s event!
1 Comment
March 18, 2009 at 8:55 pm
There is bad news about Clinton.
It is opined that Bill Clinton committed racist hate crimes, and I am not free to say anything further about it.
Respectfully Submitted by Andrew Y. Wang, J.D. Candidate
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are probably thousands of copies on the Internet indicating the content of this post. Moreover, there are innumerable copies in very many countries around the world.)
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“If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never got stale and faded.” Off the top of my head—it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.