President George W. Bush will meet Stan Braxton, a retiree and active volunteer, on his arrival in Philadelphia tomorrow. He will recognize Braxton as an example of the lifetime commitment to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans. In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing men and women from around the country who are answering the call to service as part of his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

After retiring from IBM in 1998, Braxton dedicated his retirement to volunteer service. Over the past four years, he has been active with Philadelphia's Promise, overseeing development of their web site. He also helps to provide computer equipment and technical assistance to Philadelphia area nonprofits through IBMs Teaming for Technology program. Braxton also spends six hours each week as a Philly Reads volunteer at the Calvary Episcopal Church of Germantown.

Braxton is active in organizing the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania's Martin Luther King Day of Service and is involved with the annual Philadelphia Cares about Philadelphia Schools and the Philadelphia Cares about Fairmount Park school and park clean-up projects.

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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