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Presidential Greeter Program
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

The White House - USA Freedom Corps
Contact: Press Office
Phone: 202-456-7381

President Bush to Recognize Durham Man for Dedication to Volunteer Service

President George W. Bush presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Jamie Lathan, 28, upon arrival at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, February 22, 2007.  Lathan is a volunteer with the Youth Life Learning Center of Durham. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States.  President Bush has met with more than 550 individuals around the country, like Lathan, since March 2002.

President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Jamie Lathan, 28, when he arrives at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, February 22, 2007. Lathan is a volunteer with the Youth Life Learning Center of Durham. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States. President Bush has met with more than 550 individuals around the country, like Lathan, since March 2002.

Lathan has been a mentor for four years at the Youth Life Learning Center of Durham, an outreach program originally founded by the King’s Park International Church. Youth Life Learning Centers benefit children and families living in low-income environments through after school programs and leadership clubs. Each week Lathan mentors at-risk youth in academics andc haracter education. He also takes students to cultural arts performances and lectures on leadership at North Carolina Central University. In addition, Lathan helped establish the Teen Leadership Club (TLC), an outreach program for young men from the Cornwallis community. Through TLC, Lathan mentors young men about the importance of education, leadership, and decision-making skills and challenges students to take responsibility for their families and communities.

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. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 61 million Americans volunteered in 2006. 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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