Newark, NJ – Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark volunteers Shavar Jeffries and Roger Brown will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award on stage during recording artist Michael W. Smith’s Christmas concert tonight at the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts. The awards will be presented by Smith and New Jersey philanthropist Ray Chambers, both members of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

Jeffries, who grew up in the Boys and Girls Clubs, has served as the president of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark (BCGN) since 2004. Brown, who spends more than 12 hours a week coaching a table tennis team, has volunteered with the BCGN since 1983.

“Serving others not only makes a difference in their lives, but it changes your life, too,” said Michael W. Smith, Vice-Chair of the President’s Council of Service and Civic Participation. “When you give of yourself as Shavar and Roger have, you discover the true meaning of life.”

Chambers, chairman of The MCJ and Amelior Foundations, added: “During this season of giving, it’s wonderful to recognize Shavar and Roger who give their time and talents throughout the entire year. Newark is incredibly lucky to have among its residents two individuals who have devoted so much of their own lives to improving the lives of local youth.”

The President’s Volunteer Service Award was created by President George W. Bush and is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize and encourage sustained volunteer service, and to make volunteering a central part of the lives of all Americans.

Jeffries, an associate professor at Seton Hall Law School, serves in the volunteer position of president of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, which serve nearly 7,000 children. Growing up in Newark, Jeffries spent a lot of time at his local Boys and Girls Club. After completing his law degree at the Columbia School of Law, he made his way back to Newark as a civil rights attorney, and in his spare time became involved again in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark working with other alumni. Today as board president, Jeffries is trying to reach more Newark youth through BGCN while working to establish an endowment and improve the facilities of local clubs. Jeffries also volunteers his legal services in the Newark community and serves on the boards of TEAM Academy Charter School in Newark, New Heights Youth Development program in New York City, and Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange.

Since 1983, Brown has logged more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark. Brown, a certified table tennis coach with an extensive background in coaching nontraditional sports, coaches the BGCN’s Table Tennis Team, which has won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the National Junior Olympic Championships and numerous state championships. Brown volunteers at least 12 hours a week, training club members on match play, improving their physical fitness, and providing homework assistance for those players who struggle academically. Recently, Brown raised more than $8,000 himself to support the team’s travel to the national championships in Las Vegas, December 15-17.

The 25-member President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation was given a charge by President Bush to promote an ethic of service and to recognize the millions of Americans who are giving back to their communities through generous acts of service. Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Council brings together leaders from the worlds of business, entertainment, sports, education, government, nonprofits, and the media to promote their efforts. To date, more than 16,500 organizations are part of the Council’s network and together they honor America’s volunteers with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. To learn more about the Council and its members, please visit http://www.volunteer.gov. To learn more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award Program, administered by the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network please visit, http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

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