President George W. Bush will meet Betty Pakula when he arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, April 19, 2004. Pakula is an active volunteer with Global Links, a non-profit organization that sends medical materials from the United States to needy communities in over 70 countries around the world.

Earlier this year, the USA Freedom Corps – President Bush’s initiative to engage all Americans in service to their neighbors and their nation by volunteering two years or 4,000 hours – celebrated its second anniversary. Since January 2002, President Bush has met with more than 270 individuals around the country, like Pakula, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

At 80 years old, Pakula is the oldest volunteer at Global Links. Volunteering there once a week for the past three years, she helps the group sort and send medical supplies from local hospitals to communities in need.

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.

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