President George W. Bush will meet Connie Melton when he arrives in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Thursday, August 29, 2002. Melton is founder of the Arkansas Dress for Success affiliate, a not-for-profit organization that provides low-income women trying to enter the work force with suits and clothing appropriate for job interviews. Melton, a graduate of Parkview High School (renamed Parkview Arts & Science Magnet School), will also join President Bush when he delivers remarks on education at the school later that day.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service, and will recognize Melton as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Melton, an Arkansas native, founded the Arkansas Dress for Success affiliate chapter in 2001. Dress for Success provides appropriate business attire and career development skills to more than 30,000 women in over 70 cities each year. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the 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 on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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