WASHINGTON, D.C. – President George W. Bush today recognized five outstanding volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award during the 80th celebration of African American History Month at the White House.

Dr. Carl Anderson
Washington, D.C.

Carl is a volunteer with the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s Alumni Chapter in Washington, D.C. Twenty-two years ago he helped create the Kappa Endowment Fund, a scholarship program for deserving seniors attending public high schools in the District of Columbia. Each scholarship recipient must demonstrate financial need, have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and be involved in school and community activities. Carl served for ten years as president of the endowment fund, which has awarded $540,000 in scholarships to more than 300 promising students. Funding for the scholarships is generated in part, from the annual Celebrity Auction and Soul Food Feast. Carl has been chairman of this event for 22 years.

Karl’Nequa and Katie Ball
Jackson, Mississippi

Katie and Karl’Nequa are sisters who volunteer with Mississippi Youth Engaged in Service, a program that trains ninth through twelfth graders to be service leaders in their schools and communities. Katie, a high school sophomore, develops programs for youth to raise awareness about people living with disabilities. She has volunteered for two years at an assisted living complex for the disabled and has planned craft projects and holiday dinners for the residents. For three years, Karl’Nequa, a high school junior, has been a leader in planning the Mississippi Youth Service Summit in which more than 400 elementary and middle school students, statewide, celebrate volunteerism and service-learning. Following Hurricane Katrina, Katie and Karl’Nequa participated in a day of service in Biloxi, Mississippi, in which they helped remove debris from yards and homes impacted by the storm. Katie and Karl’Nequa have each volunteered more than 150 hours with Mississippi Youth Engaged in Service.

Steve Ellis
Carrollton, Texas

Steve has been a volunteer for seven years with the National Black Family Technology Awareness Program sponsored by IBM. This program provides African American families with access to technology training, promotes the importance of technology education, and encourages students to pursue careers in science and engineering. Steve coordinates the program in six schools and community centers in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area and teaches basic and advanced computer classes to parents and students in elementary, middle, and high school. Steve has also been a mentor for four years at the Boys and Girls Club of Plano.

Joan Thomas
Smyrna, Georgia

Joan has been a volunteer for 16 years with Cool Sisters, a one-on-one mentoring program through Cool Girls, Incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1989 Joan was matched with Erica Turner, an at-risk nine-year-old. As a mentor, Joan focused on academics, personal accountability, tough love, and laughter. Through the years, Joan became a friend, supporter, and role model who challenged Erica to believe in herself and her ability to achieve success in life. In 2002 Erica became the first person in her family to graduate from college. She works as a programmer analyst at Georgia Pacific Corporation and has followed in her mentor’s footsteps as a Cool Girls volunteer.

To read the President’s remarks, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/02/20060222-6.html.

The President's Volunteer Service Award, an initiative of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, was established by President Bush in January of 2003 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a sustained commitment to volunteer service. To date, more than 12,000 organizations have honored 312,000 individuals and groups with this award. To find out more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award, or how your organization can become a certifying organization, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities and across the globe through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to help Americans answer his Call to Service. Visit www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity and to find more information about volunteer service programs.

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