President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Lucy Kuminecz when he arrives in South Bend, Indiana, on Friday, March 4, 2005. Kuminecz, 84, is a volunteer with Busy Hands, a component of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (R.S.V.P.) of St. Joseph County.

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 Corpsto 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 Kuminecz, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

In 2004, Kuminecz volunteered more than 4,000 hours, and she has logged more than 9,800 volunteer hours since July 2001. Kuminecz has sewn and embroidered more than 1,000 dolls and 700 bears. These items are given to the police and fire departments to help sooth frightened children during calls. They are also given to children undergoing chemotherapy at the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend and to patients in local nursing homes. The Busy Hands program uses donated materials to make and distribute nearly 70 different items to people in need. In 2004, Busy Hands donated more than 14,500 items such as afghans, mittens, lap blankets, dolls and bears to help over 4,500 local families.

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.

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