President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Andrew Barnhill when he arrives in Greer, South Carolina, on Saturday, May 31, 2008. Barnhill, 20, is a sophomore at Furman University and a volunteer with Heller Service Corps. 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 Barnhill, since March 2002.

As the director of Heller Service Corps, Barnhill matches 2,000 undergraduate students from Furman University with volunteer opportunities throughout the Greenville area. He also organized May Day Play Day, one of the nation's largest college-based community outreach programs that pairs college students with underprivileged children for a day of educational and recreational activities. Heller Service Corps is a recipient of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. Barnhill also serves children with disabilities as a volunteer with the Greenville County Disabilities and Special Needs Board, the Special Olympics, and Push America, a hands-on service program of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. In addition, last February, Barnhill organized a Valentine's Dance for Greenville Exceptional Adults.

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.

###