By Coleman                                             H.R. No. 425
         76R8705 MDM-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The lives of thousands of Texans are  enriched every
 1-2     day by the Senior Service Corps and it is appropriate that the
 1-3     members of this chamber recognize this worthy program at this time;
 1-4     and
 1-5           WHEREAS, The Senior Service Corps is a network of 35,000
 1-6     active volunteers who bring a wealth of invaluable experience,
 1-7     skills, talents, interests, and creativity to bear on problems
 1-8     facing the Lone Star State; older citizens provide positive
 1-9     solutions to community challenges in such vital areas as education,
1-10     public safety, health and human services, and the environment; and
1-11           WHEREAS, In 1998 alone, senior volunteers donated more than
1-12     seven million hours of service to assist 1.8 million Texans through
1-13     the three components of the Senior Service Corps--the Retired and
1-14     Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Foster Grandparents Program,
1-15     and the Senior Companion Program; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program members provide
1-17     assistance to nearly 4,000 public and nonprofit agencies by
1-18     identifying the most pressing community needs, recruiting and
1-19     training volunteers, and documenting the impact of their services;
1-20     during the past three years, one of the  major focus areas of the
1-21     program has been tutoring children to help them read independently
1-22     by the third grade; and
1-23           WHEREAS, Seniors working with the Foster Grandparent Program
1-24     provide strong guidance to young people with special needs in
 2-1     substance abuse recovery facilities, centers for battered women and
 2-2     children, nonprofit day care facilities, and schools for
 2-3     individuals  with mental, hearing, visual, and other physical
 2-4     challenges; "grandparents" serve four hours a day in these and
 2-5     other settings, and a recent analysis conducted in Head Start
 2-6     classrooms shows that a volunteer grandparent helps increase a
 2-7     child's self-esteem as well as mastery of skills; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, Senior Companions provide one-on-one help to ill,
 2-9     disabled, or frail elders who need in-home care to remain
2-10     independent; volunteers assist with daily living activities,
2-11     provide respite assistance to caregivers, and give comfort and
2-12     consolation to the terminally ill and their caregivers, and their
2-13     efforts help to reduce the costs of elder care to communities and
2-14     the state; and
2-15           WHEREAS, The Senior Service Corps represents one of our
2-16     state's most precious natural resources--the collective wisdom and
2-17     ability of our older citizens--and it is most appropriate that the
2-18     members of this exemplary organization be recognized; now,
2-19     therefore, be it
2-20           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
2-21     Legislature hereby commend the members of the Senior Service Corps
2-22     for their  dedication to bettering the quality of life for citizens
2-23     of all ages in the Lone Star State and extend to them sincere best
2-24     wishes for continued success; and, be it further
2-25           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-26     prepared for the Senior Service Corps as an expression of high
2-27     regard by the Texas House of Representatives.