President George W. Bush will meet Maxine Phipps, a 94 year-old volunteer, on his arrival in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Monday, April 15. Phipps mentors and tutors local children in person and over the Internet through a program called Community Builders. The President will recognize Phipps as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans. In his State  of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing men and women from around the country who are answering the call to service as part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

The grandmother of three and great grandmother of four, Phipps began working with Community Builders just over a year ago. Community Builders allows Phipps to use her computer skills as she and the students in her "computer neighborhood" read books with themes related to citizenship and participate in on-line discussions with local college students who manage the "neighborhoods."

Phipps uses the computer her granddaughters gave her as a 90th birthday present and has shared her computer skills with many of her fellow volunteers. She also works to recruit other seniors to participate in the Community Builders program and has recently adopted a second "neighborhood."

Maxine Phipps is available to speak with reporters by telephone Saturday and Sunday between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Central Time.

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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