President George W. Bush will meet Dennis "Denny" Barnett when he arrives in Kansas City, Missouri, tomorrow. Barnett has dedicated his career to helping nonprofits use volunteers to meet critical community needs. 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 Barnett as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Barnett serves as vice president of the Partnership for Children, a program that provides essential services to children and youth and serves as the host agency for Kansas City's Promise. Barnett has been a tireless advocate for the work Kansas City's Promise does to support the children and youth of Kansas City.

Barnett has previously served in a number of roles with Kansas City, South Dakota, and national nonprofit organizations. In addition to his work with Partnership for Children, he volunteers on the strategic planning committee of his church and on the boards and advisory committees of several Kansas City nonprofits. Barnett also volunteers for the Boy Scouts and helps organize service activities for children and youth through Habitat for Humanity and school youth service clubs.

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.

###