‘Era Of Big Citizens’ Clinton, Former Presidents, Summit Delegates Aim To Get Americans, Corporations More Involved In Community Volunteerism

President Clinton, two of his White House predecessors and a former first lady starred in a made-for-television ceremony at the birthplace of American democracy on Monday in an effort to usher in a new era of corporate-backed volunteerism.

Clinton and former Presidents George Bush and Gerald Ford, along with former first lady Nancy Reagan, gathered on the steps of Independence Hall to try to inspire Americans and corporate America to greater involvement in voluntary community service.

“As I have said repeatedly, the era of big government may be over, but the era of big challenges for our country is not,” Clinton told an invitation-only crowd of about 3,000. “So we need an era of big citizens.”

The appearance of Nancy Reagan, representing former President Ronald Reagan, drew a warm response from the crowd, especially with her allusion to the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign. “When someone asks you to help a child, just say yes,” she said.

Retired Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future, called the country to action, declaring: “We gather here to pledge that those of us who are more fortunate will not forget those who are less fortunate. Let’s go save our children!”

Former President Jimmy Carter, addressing the crowd by satellite from Atlanta, praised the goals of the three-day summit on volunteerism but reminded the audience that “the real revolution will take place only if we carry this spirit of Philadelphia back to our neighborhoods.”

That was the thrust of the working sessions that summit delegates retired to after the ceremony at Independence Hall. Representatives from 140 communities from all 50 states spent the afternoon drafting plans for continuing the work of the summit after it ends today.

“We’ve got to keep the momentum going,” said Mike Morrison, mayor of Waco, Texas.

A key element of that momentum is getting corporate America more involved in community service. And the presence of corporate America clearly was seen Monday, from the Walt Disney Co. rain ponchos at the Independence Hall ceremony to the elaborate, colorful displays at the downtown convention center.

The largest single commitment totals $100 million from Ronald McDonald House Charities for, among other things, research on childhood cancer cures, suicide prevention and child abuse research.

But such corporate largess had some critics suggesting that corporations are using the summit as a public relations tool. And furthermore, that politicians are looking to corporations to mend the social safety net that they themselves have frayed.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, leader of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, made that point at a “people’s summit” protest after his appearance at the Independence Hall ceremony.

“The best mentor for a child is an educated parent with a job,” Jackson said.

Clinton, in his remarks, alluded to the political debate over the proper role for government.

“Yes, there are things that the government should do, … but even if we do everything we should, you and I both know that a lot of the problems facing our children are problems of the heart,” he said.

These problems “can be solved only when there is a one-on-one connection, community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, home by home, with every child in America,” he added.

Nevertheless, the president called on corporations to sponsor 50,000 additional slots in Americorps, the national service program he sponsored that pays young volunteers for community service.

The challenge the summit faces was apparent Monday morning. Less than 12 hours after thousands of volunteers had painted over graffiti along Philadelphia’s Germantown Avenue, some of the thoroughfare’s 60 blocks once again were scarred with graffiti.