President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Don Clark when he arrives in Huntsville, Alabama, on Thursday, June 21, 2007.  Clark is a volunteer with a variety of community organizations including The Salvation Army, CASA, the United Way of Madison County and the Volunteer Center of Madison County.  To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States.  President Bush has met with more than 575 individuals around the country, like Clark, since March 2002.

Once per month for 20 years, Clark has organized a team of volunteers to staff The Salvation Army’s mobile kitchen, which delivers and serves meals to homeless residents. Clark also volunteers with Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA) of Madison County where he works in the Community Garden planting and harvesting vegetables for senior citizens.  He also volunteers with the Minor Home Repair program which provides improvement projects and wheelchair ramps to homes of senior citizens. In addition, Clark serves as Technology Consultant for the United Way of Madison County and The Volunteer Center of Madison County.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service. Americans are responding to the President’s Call to Service. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 61 million Americans volunteered in 2006. Go to www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity in your area or to find more information about service programs, including national service programs such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA Freedom Corps is also highlighting youth volunteer service. Visit www.volunteerkids.gov for games and ideas designed to show how America's youth are making a difference.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at the President’s direction by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Award is available to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older who have completed 100 or more hours; and to families or groups who have completed 200 or more hours. For more information about the Award, please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

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