President George W. Bush will meet Bernice Young when he arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday, August 26, 2004. Young, 71, is an active volunteer at Children’s Hospital of New Mexico.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created USA Freedom Corps to help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 300 individuals around the country, like Young, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Over the past 13 years, Young has volunteered more than 11,000 hours at the hospital. She began serving in the Cuddler Program, holding and rocking critically ill babies, and is now the chairman of the Milagro Program, a residential substance abuse treatment program for pregnant women. Young counsels the women and helps provide for their physical needs by giving materials such as clothing and baby items. Her fundraising efforts have helped furnish the residential home. Young also organizes fundraising programs for the hospital auxiliary’s scholarship fund. Last year more than $75,000 was raised for scholarships to students pursing a career in the medical field.

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 summer is 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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