President Bush's Faith-Based & Community Initiative

Our country is blessed with a long tradition and honorable commitment to assisting individuals, families, and communities who have not fully shared in America's prosperity. But despite efforts by the Federal and State governments to battle social distress, too many of our neighbors still suffer from poverty and despair. In every corner of America, people of all ages and walks of life are calling for our help.

• Around 13.6 million children under the age of 12 - almost a third of America's young people - go hungry
  
• More than 5 million seniors were below or near the poverty level in 1999
  
• Last year, 16.6 million Americans had substance abuse problems
  
• More than 2 million children have a parent in prison

For years, faith-based and community groups have been assisting these people and others in need. They have transformed lives with their compassion and are America's unsung heroes - healing our country's ills one heart and one act of kindness at a time.

Unfortunately, the Federal government has often not been a willing partner to these faith-based and community groups. President Bush wants to change this. He believes that all groups - faith-based or secular, large or small - should compete on a level playing field, so long as they obey all legal requirements. That is the reason for the President's Faith-Based Community Initiative and why it is one of his top domestic priorities.