President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Jerron Johnson when he arrives in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, May, 2, 2008. Johnson served as a volunteer with AmeriCorps St. Louis and is an active volunteer with Make a Difference Day and the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. 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. He has met with more than 600 volunteers, like Johnson, since March 2002.

Johnson served as a volunteer with AmeriCorps St. Louis from 2004 through 2006. During this time he worked as a mentor and tutor for sixth-grade students at Turner Middle School. He also served on the Community Outreach Team where he recruited and matched volunteers with service opportunities within the St. Louis area. For three years, Johnson has been a volunteer with the annual Make a Difference Day, a program in which volunteers nationwide participate in service projects within their communities. In addition, he volunteers as a youth leader and the assistant minister of music at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

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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