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National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia
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Washington, DC – Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today awarded Ilona Gardner, Roger Palmer, and Nancy Vandever, volunteers at the National City Public Library in National City, California, the President's Volunteer Service Award, a national honor offered in recognition of volunteer service. The award was presented following remarks by Chairman Gioia at the Eureka! Leadership Program Institute for library professionals.
Ilona Gardner, Roger Palmer, and Nancy Vandever are all tutors at the National City Public Library, contributing 671 and 734, and 121 lifetime volunteer hours, respectively. "In San Diego County over 20 percent of adults read at or below the 5th grade level. The National City Public Library has an adult literacy program that addresses that challenge," said Monica O'Hara, Literacy Director for the National City Public Library. "Our dedicated volunteer tutors work one-to-one with adult literacy students, helping them improve their basic reading and writing skills, and achieve their learning goals. We are very fortunate to have Roger, Ilona, and Nancy as volunteer tutors in our literacy program. During the past year, they served 357 hours and helped 13 adults achieve their personal literacy goals. All three of them have truly made a difference in the lives of their learners."
Established in 2003, the President's Volunteer Service Award is available on an annual basis to individuals, groups, and families who have met or exceeded requirements for volunteer service and have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering. As one of thousands of Certifying Organizations participating in the President's Volunteer Service Award program, the National Endowment for the Arts confers the award to recognize the outstanding achievements of volunteers at arts organizations.
"According to our NEA report, Arts and Civic Engagement: Involved in Arts, Involved in Life, people who make the arts a part of their lives are demonstrably more active in their communities," said Chairman Gioia. "They are more likely to volunteer and give their time freely to help make their communities better for everyone. Clearly, Ilona Gardner, Roger Palmer, and Nancy Vandever are vibrant illustrations of what it means to be involved in arts, involved in life."
To be eligible to receive the President's Volunteer Service Award, individuals, families, and groups submit a record of their annual volunteer service hours to participating certifying organizations that will verify the service and deliver the award. Eligibility for individuals and groups is based on hour requirements varying by age.
The award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created by President Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making to our Nation.
For more information about volunteering for the National City Public Library, visit http://www.nationalcitylibrary.com/services.html#literacy.
For more information about how to qualify for the President's Volunteer Service Award and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in this area, visit www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, visit the NEA Web site at www.arts.gov.
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National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506
