First Lady Michelle Obama continued her effort to get more Americans to volunteer their time and talents to various causes when she visited 100 disadvantaged teens from YouthBuild, a program where 16- to 24-year-olds learn job skills by building homes for the homeless. The group went to the National Mall to help build a “green” home for a Texas family who lost their mobile home during a hurricane, according to the Associated Press. Mrs. Obama commented that anyone can make a difference and community service is one of the things that set her husband on the path to being elected President.
“And he found his own direction, a direction that would bring him to where he is today, the President of the United States of America,” said Mrs. Obama. “And all of that came through service, giving, contributing.”
YouthBuild is currently funded primarily by the Labor Department. President Obama’s stimulus bill will allow $50 million to go toward YouthBuild, allowing the program to expand from 8,000 to 50,000 people by 2010.—WLW