President George W. Bush will meet Peggy Valentino when he arrives in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, October 29, 2004. Valentino is an active volunteer with the Clothes Closet at Hilltop Lutheran Church, which is an outreach program for families in need.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and hecreated USA Freedom Corps to help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 350 individuals around the country, like Valentino, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

The Clothes Closet is open twice a month and provides gently used clothing and shoes for more than 100 families. As the program’s supervisor, Valentino coordinates clothing collection and distribution, as well as volunteer schedules. For the past two years, Valentino has also been a volunteer for the Hilltop Lutheran Church’s Sunday morning breakfast program which serves meals to over 200 needy people each week. In addition, Valentino is a volunteer with Special Olympics and with many programs at her church, Upper Arlington Lutheran Church.

Through 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 at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

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