President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Hannah Locke, 22, when he arrives at the airport in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, April, 4, 2007. Locke is a volunteer Corps member with Jumpstart. To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States. President Bush has met with more than 575 individuals around the country, like Locke, since March 2002.

Locke, a senior at Pitzer College, is a volunteer with Jumpstart, a national program that pairs college students with at-risk preschool children to help them develop literacy, language, and social skills. During her first two years with Jumpstart, Locke worked one-to-one with an at-risk child in a classroom setting. This year as the Jumpstart Volunteer Coordinator, she helps identify community needs and recruits volunteers to participate in service projects. Locke also coordinates Jumpstart’s weekly Family Literacy Nights at the Claremont Public Library. Through this program Jumpstart Corps members engage children and their families in reading and literacy-related activities.

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. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 61 million Americans volunteered in 2006. 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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