President George W. Bush will meet Sister Joan Marie Coleman when he arrives in Charleston, West Virginia, on Sunday, July 4, 2004. Coleman is an active volunteer with the Red Cross.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility, and he called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetime. Since January 2002, President Bush has met with hundreds of individuals around the country, like Coleman, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Coleman has been a Red Cross volunteer since 1997, devoting 15-20 hours each week to the American Red Cross Central West Virginia Chapter. As a Disaster Action Team Member Coleman answers calls and initiates the appropriate response to crisis situations, such as floods and fires. She also teaches classes to help volunteers improve their skills in damage assessment and shelter operations, and how to respond in basic emergency situations. Additionally, Coleman works with the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service helping military families communicate during emergencies or following the birth of a child. In 1998, Coleman spent five weeks in Puerto Rico with the Red Cross Disaster Human Resource Group to assist in relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Georges.

The USA Freedom Corps has launched “A Call to Summer Service,” an initiative to encourage Americans to spend a part of their summer in volunteer service. Through “A Call to Summer Service,” citizens are reminded that the summer months are an excellent time to answer the President’s Call to Service, strengthen their communities, and extend the compassion and greatness of America. Interested volunteers can find ideas for summer volunteering and information on how to get started at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

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