President George W. Bush presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to John Diaz of Crowley, Colorado in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on October 7, 2005. The ceremony, part of a White House celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, was also attended by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Diaz deployed to Mississippi as a volunteer with the Southern Baptist Convention in conjunction with the Salvation Army. He spent two weeks working in the Disaster Recovery Centers in Gulfport and Biloxi. Diaz became a licensed minister in June 2005 and used his training to provide spiritual comfort, prayer, and encouragement to displaced families. Diaz also helped meet the physical needs of families by working in distribution centers - supplying food, water, and supplies to over 300 families per day.

The President's Volunteer Service Award, an initiative of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, was established by President Bush in January of 2003 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a sustained commitment to volunteer service. To date, more than 11,000 organizations have honored 293,000 individuals and groups with this award. To find out more about the President’s Volunteer Service Award, or how your organization can become a certifying organization, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Americans can learn more about volunteer opportunities in their community or hurricane-related opportunities in the Gulf Coast by visiting www.usafreedomcorps.gov or calling 1-877-USA-CORPS. USA Freedom Corps, an office at the White House, was created by President Bush in 2002 to help Americans serve a cause greater than themselves. USA Freedom Corps helps Americans answer that call as they promote and expand volunteer service by supporting Federal service programs, serving as a resource for non-profits, recognizing volunteers, and helping to connect individuals with volunteer organizations in their communities.

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