1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 642
 1-3           WHEREAS, The lives of thousands of Texans are enriched
 1-4     every day by the Senior Service Corps and it is appropriate that
 1-5     the members of the Texas Senate recognize this worthy program at
 1-6     this time; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The Senior Service Corps is a network of 35,000
 1-8     active volunteers who bring a wealth of invaluable experience,
 1-9     skills, talents, interests, and creativity to bear on problems
1-10     facing the Lone Star State; older citizens provide positive
1-11     solutions to community challenges in such vital areas as education,
1-12     public safety, health and human services, and the environment; and
1-13           WHEREAS, In 1998 alone, senior volunteers donated more than
1-14     seven million hours of service to assist 1.8 million Texans through
1-15     the three components of the Senior Service Corps--the Retired and
1-16     Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Foster Grandparent Program,
1-17     and the Senior Companion Program; and
1-18           WHEREAS, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program members
1-19     provide assistance to nearly 4,000 public and nonprofit agencies
1-20     by identifying the most pressing community needs, recruiting and
1-21     training volunteers, and documenting the impact of their services;
1-22     during the past three years, one of the  major focus areas of the
 2-1     program has been tutoring children to help them read independently
 2-2     by the third grade; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Seniors working with the Foster Grandparent Program
 2-4     provide strong guidance to young people with special needs in
 2-5     substance abuse recovery facilities, centers for battered women
 2-6     and children, nonprofit day care facilities, and schools for
 2-7     individuals with mental, hearing, visual, and other physical
 2-8     challenges; "grandparents" serve four hours a day in these and
 2-9     other settings, and a recent analysis conducted in Head Start
2-10     classrooms shows that a volunteer grandparent helps increase
2-11     a child's self-esteem as well as mastery of skills; and
2-12           WHEREAS, Senior Companions provide one-on-one help to
2-13     ill, disabled, or frail elders who need in-home care to remain
2-14     independent; volunteers assist with daily living activities,
2-15     provide respite assistance to caregivers, and give comfort and
2-16     consolation to the terminally ill and their caregivers, and their
2-17     efforts help to reduce the costs of elder care to communities and
2-18     the state; and
2-19           WHEREAS, The Senior Service Corps represents one of our
2-20     state's most precious natural resources--the collective wisdom
2-21     and ability of our older citizens--and it is most appropriate
2-22     that the members of this exemplary organization be recognized;
2-23     now, therefore, be it
2-24           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-1     77th Legislature, hereby commend the members of the Senior
 3-2     Service Corps for their dedication to bettering the quality
 3-3     of life for citizens of all ages in the Lone Star State and
 3-4     extend to them sincere best wishes for continued success; and,
 3-5     be it further
 3-6           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared
 3-7     for the Senior Service Corps as an expression of high regard from
 3-8     the Texas Senate.
 3-9                                                                   Lucio
3-10                                  ______________________________________
3-11                                          President of the Senate
3-12                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-13                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-14                                  on April 3, 2001.
3-15                                  ______________________________________
3-16                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-17                                  ______________________________________
3-18                                           Member, Texas Senate