White House Meeting with West Virginia AmeriCorps Member Part of AmeriCorps Week

Washington D.C. - President Bush welcomed West Virginia AmeriCorps member Alivia Sturgill to the Oval Office this morning as part of a nationwide recognition week for the AmeriCorps national service program as it reaches a historic milestone of 500,000 members.

“AmeriCorps was founded to encourage citizens to strengthen their communities through acts of service. Today, thousands of AmeriCorps volunteers contribute to a culture of compassion by mentoring children, providing shelter for the homeless and performing countless other acts of kindness. This week is an opportunity to raise awareness about volunteerism and honor those who are making a difference in the lives of others,” the President said in greetings to those observing the first-ever AmeriCorps Week.

“I am grateful for all those involved with AmeriCorps for your dedication to a cause greater than self. Your compassionate efforts demonstrate the great character of our country and inspire others to build a more hopeful society,” the President said. (Click here to read the full text of the President's message)

Sturgill, 24, will mentor low-income elementary students in rural Mingo County this summer as part of the Energy Express AmeriCorps program run by West Virginia University. Sturgill graduated last week from Midway College in Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and will immediately put her training to work providing summer reading instruction to students. AmeriCorps members in Energy Express have served more than 34,000 low-income and rural children across the state since 1996.

After meeting with the President, Sturgill joined 100 of her fellow members from Washington, D.C. area AmeriCorps programs for a reception at the Indian Treaty Room at the White House. They heard words of congratulations from USA Freedom Corps Director Desiree Sayle and Corporation for National and Community Service CEO David Eisner. AmeriCorps Director Kristin McSwain led the members in taking the AmeriCorps pledge to “get things done for America.”

The President’s recognition highlighted a series of more than 200 events for the first-ever AmeriCorps Week including service projects, recruitment fairs, and recognition ceremonies. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing AmeriCorps for its important contribution to our nation on Monday; and 19 Governors have issued AmeriCorps Week proclamations.

“One of the President’s major goals is building a national culture of service and responsibility, and AmeriCorps is doing that every day in profound and powerful ways in small towns and big cities all across America,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “AmeriCorps members tackle our toughest problems; make our communities safer and healthier; and improve the lives of tens of millions of our most vulnerable citizens. AmeriCorps Week is a time to thank these local heroes and ask more Americans to answer the call.”

AmeriCorps was created by President Clinton and Congress in 1993 as a way for Americans to give back to their communities and country and earn money for college in return. President Bush first championed AmeriCorps as Governor of Texas, where AmeriCorps members were a key part of his statewide literacy initiative to get more third-graders up to basic reading levels. As President, he successfully pushed for a 50 percent expansion of AmeriCorps to 75,000 members each year. His Administration has also enacted reforms to reduce costs, increase efficiency, devolve more authority to the state and local level, and strengthen AmeriCorps focus on recruiting and managing community volunteers.

AmeriCorps members have provided more than 637 million hours of service since the first members began serving in 1994. Using Independent Sector’s estimate of the dollar value of a volunteer’s time, those hours equate to more than $11.9 billion in value. In addition to their direct service, AmeriCorps members have proved to be a powerful force multiplier for volunteer efforts. In 2006 alone, members recruited and managed 1.4 million community volunteers. Once they complete their service, AmeriCorps alums remain highly engaged and active in their communities, volunteering and entering public service careers at disproportionately high levels.

AmeriCorps Week kicked off on Monday, when the Corporation for National and Community Service announced AmeriCorps grants and education awards totaling $172 million for 167 organizations across the United States. On Wednesday, the agency released a new study showing that serving in AmeriCorps is a way for individuals to gain valuable career skills, leadership abilities, civic connections and a lasting ethic of volunteering and civic engagement. Yesterday, agency leaders were in New Orleans to launch an initiative to engage 200 AmeriCorps VISTA members in helping city children and youth have safe and productive summers. This initiative complements the NCCC Summer of Service, which will engage 300 14-17 year-old youth in a three-week residential program to carry out community service projects in New Orleans, Charleston, and Denver.

AmeriCorps Week ends this Sunday in Biloxi, Miss. with a closing ceremony that also serves as the kickoff of Habitat for Humanity’s annual AmeriCorps Build-A-Thon. During the following five days of the Build-A-Thon, hosted by Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, more than 500 AmeriCorps members and alumni from across the country will blitz build 20 Habitat homes in Gulfport, Miss.

Additional Photos:

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.

###