President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Jeanne Kilduff when he arrives in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, January 30, 2008.  Kilduff is a volunteer at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. 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.  He has met with more than 600 volunteers, like Kilduff, since March 2002.

Fourteen years ago Kilduff founded the Outreach Program at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Las Vegas and she is currently a full-time volunteer. This program provides assistance to social service agencies in the Las Vegas area including Catholic Charities.  The Outreach Program supports food drives, a daily sandwich program for those in need, backpacks for school children, socks and underwear drives for the homeless and an Angel Tree program that benefits nearly 4,000 men, women and children annually.  In addition, Kilduff is on the board of directors of Children's Heart Foundation and for five years she has helped organize the annual Walk with the Heart of a Child.  Proceeds from this event fund a camp for children suffering from heart problems.

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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