President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Devy Goradia when he arrives in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Friday, July 4, 2008.  Goradia is a volunteer with the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, the Small Business Development Center and Shelter for Help in Emergency.  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 Goradia, since March 2002.

Goradia emigrated from India to the United States and became a naturalized American citizen in 2003 at the annual Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony.  She is a volunteer with the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce where she provides professional business counseling to help Charlottesville's professional men and women achieve success.  Goradia has been a volunteer seminar instructor for four years with SCORE, a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration that assists entrepreneurs and small business owners nationwide.  She also volunteers with the Small Business Development Center where she helps set up accounting and tax programs for new Charlottesville businesses.  In addition, Goradia serves on the board of directors and provides pro bono accounting services and business counseling for Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE), a program that offers services and assistance to victims of domestic violence. Goradia is the recipient of the 2006 Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year award.

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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