RESOLUTION No. 36147

Recognize City employees who volunteer with youth (Resolution)

WHEREAS, the City Council has a goal to “support quality education to produce well educated citizens;” and

WHEREAS, the city values quality schools and successful youth in order to maintain a healthy, vibrant city; to produce responsible citizens and well prepared work force; and to prevent human problems and later costs by investing early in the lives of Portland children; and

WHEREAS, our community benefits from literacy programs such as SMART, OASIS and Books2U where caring adults meet and read regularly with young children to help children learn to read and thus ultimately read to learn; and

WHEREAS, children who can read successfully are less likely later to drop out of school, live in poverty, receive welfare or enter the justice system; and

WHEREAS, when our youth have caring adult mentors who meet frequently with them, the youth are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, have better school attendance, and are less likely to be involved in fights; and

WHEREAS, the City Council has worked to increase the number of city employees who are actively involved in the education and well-being of our youth; and

WHEREAS, the City works in partnership with such organizations as the Leaders Roundtable, the Multnomah County Library and the Commission on Children, Families and the Community to support the Connecting For Kids initiative with the goal of increasing the percentage of third graders reading at grade level; and

WHEREAS, the City Council has supported such volunteer involvement by allowing city employees who participate with SMART or volunteer in their children’s schools to use flex time, with the permission of their supervisors; and

WHEREAS, city employees clearly value being actively involved with the youth of our community, as 31% of them reported several years ago that they regularly volunteered with youth an average of 11 hours a month or more.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby proclaims their pride in and appreciation for our city employees who give so generously to our community youth through literacy efforts, coaching, mentoring, and working with youth groups.

Adopted by the Council: June 11, 2003

GARY BLACKMER

Auditor of the City of Portland

By /S/ Susan Parsons

Deputy

Prepared by:

Carol Turner: CT

June 5, 2003

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 567-2003

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 36147