President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Tamara Skinner when he arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, May 27, 2008. Skinner, 12, is a volunteer with Project SHINE and Church for the Nations. 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. He has met with more than 600 volunteers, like Skinner, since March 2002.

Skinner, a seventh-grader at Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory, has been a volunteer for three years withthe school’s annual Project SHINE ministry. Through this program all students,faculty, and administrators participate in a one-day Serve-a-Thon in which they volunteer for a variety of service projects to benefit the local community. Skinnerhas helped paint and cleana school for low-income children, participated in acookieandletter driveto thank local law enforcement officials, and helped plan a brunch to honor spouses of local pastors. In addition, Skinner is a volunteer in the Kid’s World ministry at Church for the Nations where she leads youth in dance and drama activities, and prepares meals and activities for Vacation Bible School. Earlier this month Skinner, who is bilingual, accompanied her parents on a short-term mission trip to a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico.She served as a translator, worked with local youth, and helped build a home for a family in need.

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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