(Washington, D.C.) – UPS was honored for its outstanding corporate citizenship and generosity with the first-ever Corporate Spirit of Service Award, presented today by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The award was presented during the annual National Conference on Volunteering and Service.

A leader in corporate service and volunteering, UPS donated nearly $40 million to the communities it served during 2004. The heart of the company’s philanthropic outreach is the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, through which UPS’s 380,000 employees volunteer to improve impoverished neighborhoods throughout the world. In addition, an internship program allows senior level executives to experience the social and economic challenges in communities by spending a month living and working at sites run by non-profit agencies.

When President Bush issued his call to service in 2002, UPS responded by becoming a founding and active member of the peer-to-peer group Business Strengthening America, and has been the principal private supporter of the USA Freedom Corps website, the world’s largest clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities. In addition, UPS joined the Corporation in funding a landmark national study to assess the capacity of our nation’s charities to utilize and mobilize volunteers.

Cynthia J. Burleson, a member of the Corporation’s board of directors, presented the award, noting that UPS has been in the business of philanthropy for 50 years. “UPS exemplifies the spirit of service and serves as a role model for others. They are a leader in defining the emerging needs of our sector.”

In accepting the award, Keith Jones, program director of the UPS Foundation, noted that his company just yesterday launched a new collaborative initiative called Impact: A Fund for Change Through Volunteerism, and has committed $1 million to it over three years. The purpose of the fund, he said, is to encourage funders to collaborate to support positive community change by helping organizations manage volunteers more effectively.

Co-sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, the annual conference is the largest gathering of leaders in the national service and volunteer networks. Through workshops, general sessions, exhibits, “town hall” gatherings, and informal get-togethers, volunteer and national service leaders share information, gain skills, and develop strategies to engage more Americans more effectively in volunteer service to meet pressing social needs.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and countries through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to foster a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility, and to help all Americans answer the President’s Call to Service. For more information, call 202-606-5000 or visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/.

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