President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Amber Davis-Collins when he arrives in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, March 9, 2006. Davis-Collins served two years in Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush has met with more than 475 individuals around the country, like Davis-Collins, since March 2002.

Davis-Collins, a Peace Corps volunteer from 2002 to 2004, served as a Family Hillside Farming Volunteer in San Pedro de Tutule, La Paz, Honduras. She worked with local women’s groups to improve nutrition and reduce infant mortality rates through crop diversification. Davis-Collins is also a volunteer mentor with Cool Girls, Inc, an Atlanta based non-profit dedicated to the social and intellectual development of underprivileged girls. In addition, in January 2006, she also helped coordinate a book drive in which more than 5,000 books were collected for schools in Hancock County, Mississippi, impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service. Americans are responding to the President’s Call to Service. Go to www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity in your area or to find more information about service programs, including national service programs such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA Freedom Corps is also highlighting youth volunteer service. Visit www.volunteerkids.gov for games and ideas designed to show how America's youth are making a difference.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at the President’s direction by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Award is available to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older who have completed 100 or more hours; and to families or groups who have completed 200 or more hours. For more information about the Award, please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

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