President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Char and Roy Brady when he arrives in Great Falls, Montana, on Thursday, February 3, 2005. The Bradys are active volunteers with the Cascade County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P)

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 400 individuals around the country, like the Bradys, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Through R.S.V.P., Char Brady has volunteered more than 7,000 hours with more than 35 local non-profit organizations. She assists with administrative tasks and prepares bulk mailing materials for non-profit organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and the Montana Special Olympics. In addition, during the past two years she has sewn more than 200 baby caps for newborns at Benefis Hospital. For the past five years, Roy Brady has worked with R.S.V.P. helping with bulk mailings and flu clinics. Twice a month the Bradys also prepare boxes of food for low-income seniors through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. R.S.V.P. is part of Senior Corps, a network of national service programs that provides older Americans the opportunity to apply their life experience to meeting community needs. Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and is a vital component of USA Freedom Corps.

The President's Volunteer Service Award, an initiative of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, is available to Americans of all ages who have demonstrated their dedication to volunteer service. More information about the award is available at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Through USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the Call to Service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities. Interested volunteers can find available service opportunities in their communities at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS. For information designed to show elementary and middle school students how they can start making a difference by volunteering, visit www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov.

At the direction of President George W. Bush, USA Freedom Corps is also working with former President George Bush and former President Bill Clinton as they lead a nationwide charitable fundraising effort to encourage private donations to the tsunami relief effort. Americans are asked to donate money to the organizations listed at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

###