President George W. Bush will meet Erika McCroskey when he arrives in Des Moines on Wednesday. McCroskey is a 24 year-old AmeriCorps member from Monroe, Iowa, who began volunteering as a child and is now preparing for a new service experience in Bolivia.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service, and will recognize McCroskey as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Beginning with childhood visits to shut-ins with her mother and sisters, McCroskey has a long history of a volunteer service. Since high school she has volunteered as a summer camp counselor through her church, eventually becoming the campÕs co-directorÑa volunteer position she continues to hold this summer. McCroskey has been an advocate for victims of domestic violence since her junior year of college, and during college she raised funds for shelter programs for domestic abuse victims. She also started an on-campus mediation organization, served with Habitat for Humanity, and volunteered with the Young Peacemakers Club.

After graduation, McCroskey joined AmeriCorps where she works with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recruiting and training volunteers and organizing service projects as part of a statewide initiative. During the past year, she has also completed training as an American Red Cross disaster action team member. McCroskey completes her two years of service with AmeriCorps in September, and will depart for Bolivia in October, where she will work on education and community outreach activities through the World Service Corps.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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