President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Marion Jones when he arrives in Charleston, South Carolina, on Tuesday, July 24, 2007.  Jones is a volunteer with the Airman and Family Readiness Center at Charleston Air Force Base.  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 Jones, since March 2002.

Jones has been a volunteer for 13 years at the Airman and Family Readiness Center and has logged nearly 5,000 hours of service.  Shortly after her husband retired from the United States Air Force a flood destroyed their home in Charleston.  The military base and families responded with an outpouring of assistance and as a result, Jones and her husband pledged to give back to the Air Force Community. Jones began volunteering at the Charleston Air Force Base Clinic Pharmacy where she served for four years.  She currently volunteers two days per week at the Family Services Department of the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Jones works with the Airman's Attic which provides donated furniture, clothing and household items to airmen, ranks E-5 and below, and their families.  She also works in the Loan Closet which lends essential household goods to military families who are moving in or out of Charleston, and the Food Pantry which provides staples to active duty families who are experiencing financial difficulties.

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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