$100,000 grant links Job Corps with religious, community groups

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Labor Department awarded a $100,000 grant Tuesday to link Job Corps programs with religious and community organizations working with troubled young people.

President Bush has said that religious groups are key to solving many social problems. His legislation opening a dozen new government programs to churches and other religious organizations is stalled, but he gave his support last week to a compromise bill that would make it a bit easier for some groups to get government grants.

The agreement was signed by Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and representatives of Public-Private Ventures, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that supports religious groups in developing and implementing programs for youths and young adults.

"This is the department’s first test in linking one of our most important programs — Job Corps — with a community collaboration of faith-based organizations, community organizations, police and local officials," Chao told a news conference at the Southeast Tabernacle Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

"It’s a simple idea," she said. "Give someone a little help and you give them a lot of hope."

Maurice Hayes, 19, said he was encouraged by the program.

"It really helps to know that there are people out there who really want to help us," said Hayes, who is mentored by a clergy, police and community partnership in Washington.

The Labor Department grant targets programs in New York, Detroit, Indianapolis and Washington.

Since taking office, Bush has pushed to open government programs to religious groups. He was forced to scale back his proposals because of questions about the constitutional separation of church and state. The compromise legislation includes tax breaks to encourage donations to charities and money for a social services grant program.

Established in 1964, Job Corps is the nation’s largest educational training program for disadvantaged youths ages 16 to 24. The program has trained and educated more than 2 million young people to date, serving over 71,000 young Americans in 2000.