President George W. Bush will meet Dezzie Houston when he arrives in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, January 22, 2003. Houston has been a volunteer with the Missouri Mentoring Partnership for the past 10 years.

In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years over their lifetimes 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 Houston as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

For the past 10 years, Houston has volunteered with the Missouri Mentoring Partnership as part of the Working Teens Program, which offers workplace training and employment skills to qualifying young people ages 16 to 21. Schnucks Markets, where Houston is employed, helps support the Working Teens Program which provides part-time employment and mentors for qualifying program participants. Over the years, Houston has mentored three young people and recently had the opportunity to attend the college graduation of the first young woman she mentored. Houston also serves as a member of the Goodwill-MERS (Metro Employment Rehabilitation Services) program advisory board, the United Way allocation committee and she volunteers each year at the annual Annie Malone Children’s Home fundraiser.

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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