President George W. Bush will meet Alyse Eady when he arrives in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on Tuesday, May 11, 2004. Eady, a sophomore at Southside High School, is an active tutor at the Jeffrey Boys and Girls Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Earlier this year, the USA Freedom Corps – President Bush’s initiative to engage all Americans in service to their neighbors and their nation by volunteering two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetime – celebrated its second anniversary. Since January 2002, President Bush has met with more than 280 individuals around the country, like Eady, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Eady has been an active volunteer in her community for several years. Every Tuesday evening, she tutors children at the Jeffrey Boys and Girls Club in Fort Smith, Arkansas, assisting children with their reading and math skills, and performing puppet shows for the younger children. In addition, Eady is a singer who regularly performs at fundraisers for the Fort Smith Boys Shelter. She celebrates Black History Month each year by reading to children at her local library. Three or four times each month, Eady speaks about the values of love, compassion, and kindness at various churches in her area.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster a 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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