President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Eloise Hadaway when he arrives at Robins Air Force Base on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. Hadaway is a volunteer with Volunteer Macon and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer, called a USA Freedom Corps Greeter, when he travels throughout the United States. President Bush has met with more than 550 individuals around the country, like Hadaway, since March 2002.

Hadaway is a volunteer with Volunteer Macon and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Every morning she drives to a local supermarket to pick up donated food and delivers it to Macon Outreach, a ministry of the Mulberry Street United Methodist Church, where each week the donated food helps feed more than 150 people. Hadaway has been providing donated food to Macon Outreach for 17 years. In addition, she is a Golden Guide at the Medical Center of Central Georgia where she helps visitors navigate the hospital. She also volunteers at The Villas at College Hill, an assisted-living facility where her 104-year-old mother resides. Hadaway was named Georgia’s 2006 Volunteer of the Year.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to strengthen and expand volunteer service. Americans are responding to the President’s Call to Service. Go to www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity in your area or to find more information about service programs, including national service programs such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Citizen Corps. USA Freedom Corps is also highlighting youth volunteer service. Visit www.volunteerkids.gov for games and ideas designed to show how America's youth are making a difference.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was created at the President’s direction by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. The Award is available to youth ages 14 and under who have completed 50 or more hours of volunteer service; to individuals 15 and older who have completed 100 or more hours; and to families or groups who have completed 200 or more hours. For more information about the Award, please visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

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