President George W. Bush will meet Helen Suchara and Erin Murray Chekal when he and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski arrive in Rochester, Michigan tomorrow. Suchara, age 83, and Chekal, age 33, both served as Peace Corps volunteers in Poland and have continued their commitment to service after returning to Detroit.

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 he will recognize Suchara and Chekal as examples of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps.

As a child of Polish immigrants, the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland had special meaning for Helen Suchara. Since returning from her service with the Peace Corps, Suchara, a retired educator, has used her Polish language skills as a reader at St. Florian Church in Hamtramck and has worked through the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit to help polish immigrants with relocation. Suchara is also active with the Wayne State University Retirees Association and the Wayne State Youth Urban Agenda Civic Literacy Project.

Erin Murray Chekal joined the Peace Corps in 1992 after graduating from Marquette University. She has also served as a Peace Corps recruiter and has worked at Peace Corps headquarters. Chekal currently works as a librarian in Detroit. She continues to serve as a volunteer through her church and she hosts a monthly mother-daughter book club. Chekal has two children.

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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