Washington, D.C.– Two Millennium Challenge Corporation employees, Karen DeLaBarre Chase and John Polk, were honored today for their volunteer efforts to improve our community during National Volunteer Week, April 15-21. MCC Deputy CEO Rodney Bent presented each employee with the President’s Volunteer Service Award at MCC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Chase was presented with a silver award for volunteering over 250 hours with the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, a local church and a school. Mr. Polk was awarded the bronze award for volunteering more than 100 hours as an English as a second language teacher at a church. These awards are issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States. They recognize the best in the American spirit and encourage all Americans to contribute to their communities through volunteer service.

During National Volunteer Week, thousands of volunteers nationwide receive presidential recognition for their service through the President’s Volunteer Service Award – the most prestigious volunteer award currently associated with the White House. Like National Volunteer Week, this award seeks to inspire by example and honors the service of our country’s most committed volunteers.

The National Volunteer Week theme, “Inspire By Example” truly reflects the power volunteers have to inspire the people they help and to inspire others to serve. National Volunteer Week is sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network. National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting the week.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a United States Government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.

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