Immediately following the tragic events of Sept. 11, the world saw the true core of the American spirit. People all over this great country reached out to help. It didn’t matter where they lived, what their nationality was or how much money they made, they just did what they could to help.
In an effort to capture that spirit, President George W. Bush called on all Americans to commit to two years of their lives, or 4,000 hours, to serve others. At his State of the Union address in January 2002, President Bush introduced the USA Freedom Corps as an opportunity for individuals to volunteer their time, at home or abroad.
Redondo Beach followed this executive order through the creation of Citizen Corps Council, a component of the President’s USA Freedom Corps. The Citizen Corps program builds on programs that currently exist in our community, while adding an element of Homeland Security.
The five national Citizen Corps programs are:
Neighborhood Watch
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS)
Medical Reserve Corps
Three of these programs, Neighborhood Watch,CERT, and VIPS, have been implemented for several years here in Redondo Beach. The Beach Cities Health District is utilizing their contacts to complete the development of the Medical Reserve Corps.
The goal of the Citizens Corps is to have many of our local citizens participate in making our community safer, stronger, and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds.
In order to ensure the success of these programs, we need your help. You can make a difference in our community by volunteering your time. For more information on the programs available through the city, please call the Fire Department at (310) 318-0663. Information on the USA Freedom Corps is available online atwww.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.
