Washington, D.C. - Answering President Bush’s call to serve on Martin Luther King Day, thousands of federal workers are expected to spend the holiday volunteering in their communities.

Cabinet members and agency directors planning to serve on MLK Day include Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, who will deliver remarks at the City Year DC service project at Cardozo Senior High School at 9:30 a.m. before serving alongside of local volunteers and AmeriCorps members; Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter and Deputy Director Jody Olsen will volunteer on a Habitat for Humanity House in Washington; and General Services Administrator Lurita Doan, who will be serving meals to homeless people with D.C. Central Kitchen.

Projects sponsored by federal agencies include:

• The Department of Education and Serve DC are co-sponsoring an Access to Education Fair at American University from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., January 15. High school juniors and seniors are invited to speak to local university admissions officers, the United Negro College Fund, and representatives from the Department of Education. The fair includes tutorials on college applications and essay writing.
      
• The Federal Aviation Administration is establishing a Where Dreams Take Flight Aviation Club at Ardmore Elementary School in Springdale, Md. During school assemblies starting at 9:15 a.m., January 17, the school’s 600 students will learn about the history of aviation and interact with people representing famous aviators including Orville and Wilbur Wright and Bessie Coleman, America’s first female African American pilot. Interested elementary students will then be matched with R.O.T.C. students from Patterson High School in Baltimore, who assist them in building an airplane that will be flown in a national competition May 17 at Potomac Airfield during National Transportation Week.
      
• The Department of Justice is planning a food drive that will run for several weeks after the King Holiday. Last year, 3,500 pounds of food were collected during the annual drive; employees hope to increase that amount, which will be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank.

Federal employees inside and outside of Washington D.C. are encouraged to participate projects in their areas. Volunteers can search for projects by visiting http://www.mlkday.gov.

The Day of Service is supported by numerous national organizations, including the American Red Cross, America’s Promise, the Arizona Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, Big Brothers Big Sisters, City Year, Do Something, First Book, Habitat for Humanity International, Hands On Network, HOPE worldwide, National Alliance of Faith and Justice, National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, Service for Peace, United Way of America, Volunteer Match, and Youth Service America. National corporate sponsors include Bank of America, Best Buy, Cargill, Clear Channel Communications, Comcast, and the UPS Foundation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for more than 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. The Corporation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each year by spearheading a national Day of Service for all Americans. For more information, go to http://www.nationalservice.gov.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities and across the globe through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to help Americans answer his Call to Service. Visit www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity and to find more information about volunteer service programs.

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