President George W. Bush will meet Bill Carney when he arrives in Vienna, Ohio, on Wednesday, October 27, 2004. Carney, 77, is a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and is an active volunteer with a number of organizations in the community.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and hecreated USA Freedom Corpsto help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 350 individuals around the country, like Carney, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Carney is on the board of the Volunteer Services Agency of Youngstown/Mahoning Valley which coordinates volunteer opportunities throughout the local area. For the past 20 years, Carney has been a Boy Scout counselor helping scouts earn their citizenship badge and was an assistant Scout master for ten years. Carney is also a master gardener and works with the Men’s Garden Club of Youngstown helping to plan beautification projects and gardens. Carney gives tours of the gardens to local elementary school students. In November, Carney will be sworn in as the national president of The Gardeners of America/Men’s Garden Club.

Through 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 at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

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