President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Randy Hatfield when he arrives at the airport in Victorville, California, on Wednesday, April, 4, 2007.  Hatfield is a volunteer with the City of Victorville Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Emergency Communication Service (ESC).  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 575 individuals around the country, like Hatfield, since March 2002.

Hatfield is a volunteer with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program of Citizen Corps that trains volunteers in basic response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue and disaster preparedness.  He also volunteers with the Emergency Communication Service (ECS), a program that utilizes amateur radio volunteers to assist city and county personnel in the event of a disaster or emergency.  Hatfield has logged more than 500 hours of volunteer service over the past 12 months.  He instructs Ham radio training classes for community members who are interested in volunteer service with the local ECS program and helps prepare students to pass the Federal Communications Commission exams. 

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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