Washington D.C. — The Corporation for National and Community Service is announcing a national call for nominations for the 2004 Spirit of Service Awards, which pay tribute to the most outstanding participants in each of the Corporation’s programs – Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America.

The awards will be presented to the winners during a special ceremony at the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service, June 6-8, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nominees must exemplify the spirit of national service, demonstrate exceptional service or leadership, and serve as role models for others in their community. Awards recipients will be selected from the following categories:

For nomination guidelines and to apply online, visit www.nationalservice.org/spiritofservice. To request a hard copy of the nomination guidelines, call (202) 606-5000 ext.428. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 16, 2004, Eastern Standard Time.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Working with national and community nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies, the Corporation engages Americans in meeting critical needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other areas while fostering the habits of good citizenship. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.org.