FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 26, 2006
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The White House - USA Freedom Corps
Contact: Press Office Phone: 202-456-7381 |
President Bush to Recognize St. Louis Woman for Dedication to Volunteer Service |
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President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Susan Reese when he arrives at the airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. Reese is a volunteer with St. Patrick Center. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer, called a USA Freedom Corps greeter, when he travels throughout the United States. President Bush has met with more than 500 individuals around the country, like Reese, since March 2002.
Reese is a volunteer with St. Patrick Center, a faith-based, non-profit organization founded in 1983 to help individuals and families move from homelessness to independence. For 22 years, Reese has coordinated the Casserole Program which provides meals 363 days per year for individuals from St. Patrick’s Center’s Shamrock Club, Women’s Night program, Alumni Club and Rosati Transitional Living Center. The Casserole Program serves more than 115,000 meals per year with the help of more than 2,800 volunteers from 60 parishes and groups throughout the St. Louis area.
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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