WASHINGTON, D.C. - Angela Perez Baraquio Grey, Miss America 2001, will volunteer on Monday in support of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, as will a number of her co-members in the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and promote the ethic of serving others that Dr. King exemplified,” said Ms. Grey. “The President’s Council consists of amazing leaders from the corporate, nonprofit, and entertainment industries – and we all share a commitment to making this a day ON, not a day off.”

In January of 2003, by Executive Order, President George W. Bush announced the formation of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Council was established to recognize the important contributions Americans of all ages are making within their communities through service and civic engagement.

In addition to awarding President’s Volunteer Service Awards, council members will honor Dr. King on Monday in the following capacities:

• Angela Perez Baraquio Grey will serve with L.A. Works as they revitalize and renovate a middle school located in Compton and facilitate a workshop for young people on the legacy of Dr. King.

• Jean Case, President of the Case Foundation, and Mary Jo Myers, who serves on the board of the Fisher House Foundation, will take part in a clothing drive organized by Howard University to benefit “So Others Might Eat.” Volunteers will be dropping off items, sorting items, and participating in educational activities around the civil rights movement. They will also perform a beautification project with City Year at Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. Projects will include painting inspirational murals and revitalizing the library in Cardozo, to give the school a strong sense of pride.

• Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Florida Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, will serve with “6 Ramps in 6 Days” in Tallahassee, Florida, reaching out to community members with disabilities and working with them to build handicap access ramps.

• Michelle Nunn, Co-Founder and CEO of Hands On Network, will volunteer in Birmingham with Hands On, which has organized 1,500 community volunteers of all ages, religions and cultural backgrounds in at least 50 service projects throughout the Birmingham metro area. She will be joined by Corporation for National and Community Service CEO David Eisner.

Council members Janine Turner, an actress and entertainer, and Kelly Perdew, winner of the second season of "The Apprentice," and managing director of Angel Venture Partners, also participated in festivities earlier this week. Ms. Turner presented Rev. Zan Holmes, Pastor Emeritus of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, with the President’s Call to Service Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service in his lifetime. Mr. Perdew presented a number of awards on January 8 as part of the Greater Los Angeles MLK Day of Service/Justice Sabbath and Sunday Partnership Dinner.

Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation has made a significant effort to encourage Americans to consider King Day “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” In this way, they follow in Dr. King’s footsteps and encourage the national to take to heart his encouragement that “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

Thousands have already registered to volunteer on Monday in honor of Dr. King. Visit http://www.mlkday.gov/ for more information, including details of planned projects and project sign ups.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year the Corporation provides opportunities for more than 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. The Corporation honors Dr. Martin Luther King each year by spearheading a national Day of Service for all Americans. For more information, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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