President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Sherrill Estes when he arrives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, on Thursday, June 28, 2007.  Estes is a volunteer with the East Bay Community Action Program and Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island.  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 Estes, since March 2002.

Estes is a volunteer with the Social Services Department of the East Bay Community Action Program, a non-profit organization that provides heath and human service programs to East Bay residents. She has logged more than 1,800 hours of volunteer service in the  Food Pantry program where she stocks shelves and packages food boxes for distribution to individuals and families in need in the local area. In addition, Estes has been a volunteer for six years with Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island where each week she delivers food to the homebound.

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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