The city aims to reach 120,000 kids through volunteer efforts by the turn of the century.
Mary Strasser, executive director of Philadelphia Promise, said her organization has been working with businesses, non-profit groups and citizens who made volunteer pledges last year.
She admits it's hard to be sure every claim is accurate.
``We're reporting the progress reports that the pledge-makers made to us,'' Strasser said. ``We are not Price Waterhouse. We asked people to report to us the net gains made since April 1997 in the work they're doing with young people.''
But Strasser said Philadelphia Promise has not padded the numbers. It excluded thousands of instances, she said, where volunteer efforts were a one-day event.
The progress report lists five areas of work - youth mentoring, providing after-school activities, health and nutrition efforts, employment skills, and youth community service.
Rendell said he was ``a little disappointed'' at the score on the last category. Only 8,000 kids were involved in community work projects.
One teen doing such work is Stephanie Bentley, 17, from North Philadelphia. She attended the summit last year and got hooked up with ``Story Tree Gang,'' a group that gives educational performances on lead poisoning, nutrition, and environmental issues.
``It's pretty great because you get to serve kids,'' Bentley said. ``Even if you're unfortunate yourself, you're just out there giving back to your community.''
Hundreds of young people and other volunteers will be on Ridge Avenue today, cleaning sidewalks, painting murals, and removing graffiti.
``We're going to re-create the spirit of Germantown Avenue,'' Strasser said, recalling last year's massive effort during the Presidents Summit.
Rendell said very few of the more than 300 organizations who pledged volunteer time last year have stiffed the city.
