WASHINGTON, June 5, 2003—Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today unveiled Mrs. Bush’s National Hunger Awareness Day public service announcement that encourages Americans to volunteer in the fight against hunger and announced the availability of new tools designed to increase access to the Food Stamp Program to help raise awareness of the resources available to those in need.

Veneman made the announcement during a National Hunger Awareness Day event at the Downtown Services Center in the First Congregational Church. National Hunger Awareness Day is a public information initiative started in 2002, by America’s Second Harvest to highlight the continued existence of hunger in America. The Bush Administration has joined with America’s Second Harvest and other faith and community-based organizations to show what Americans can do to combat hunger in their communities.

At the event, Veneman unveiled the public service announcement, which will be broadcast on television stations nationwide. Veneman was joined by community leaders and anti-hunger advocates honoring the commitment of volunteers in Washington, DC—and across the country—who are working to combat hunger in America.

Only one year after its birth, the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program -- managed and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) -- now includes more than 500 registered programs, representing more than 22,000 volunteers in 49 states and the District of Columbia.

The VIPS program is one of the Citizen Corps programs under the USA Freedom Corps initiative created by President George W. Bush. These programs share the common goal of helping communities prevent, prepare for and respond to crime, natural disasters and other emergencies.

Besides IACP, the VIPS program is supported in partnership with, and on behalf of, the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps and the U.S. Department of Justice. The programs' ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to utilize volunteers.

Volunteers who participate in VIPS programs assist departments by performing non-sworn duties, such as answering phones, compiling crime data, preparing incident reports and facilitating crime prevention programs.

"VIPs is the first program to bring together law enforcement volunteer initiatives nationwide to share resources and support each other's efforts," said IACP President Joseph Samuels, Jr. police chief of Richmond, Calif. "This national effort assists state and local law enforcement agencies by increasing the number of law enforcement volunteers, expanding or improving various components of existing programs, and aiding agencies without VIPs programs to establish them."

Samuels added: "The program is extremely important, particularly in this time of heightened terrorism concerns across the land."

Other highlights of VIPs very successful first year:

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