President George W. Bush will meet Doris Harris when he arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday, September 2, 2002. Harris is a Pittsburgh native who volunteers as a Senior Companion, assisting senior citizens who are homebound and have difficulty completing everyday tasks.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service and will recognize Harris as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Since retiring in 1998, Harris has spent 20 hours each week helping elderly members in her community who are homebound and unable to perform everyday errands. As a Senior Companion, Harris spends one-on-one time with five senior citizens, helping them with grocery shopping, bill paying, and transportation to medical appointments.

The Senior Companion Program is part of Senior Corps, a network of national service programs that provides older Americans with the opportunity to apply their life experiences to meeting community needs. The Senior Companion Program in Pittsburgh is currently looking for volunteers to assist 150 elderly clients in the area who are on the wait list.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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