President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Andrell Reid when he arrives at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, on Friday, March 28, 2008. Reid is a volunteer with Army Family Team Building, Army Family Action Plan, the Army Volunteer Corps and Fort Dix Elementary School. 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 Reid, since March 2002.

Reid, an Army spouse for 15 years, is a certifiedvolunteer instructor for Army Family Team Building, an intensive program thatteaches Soldiers, family members and Department of Defense civilians about military life. Reid has taught all levels of the course and certifies students to become instructors at their home units. She also volunteers with the Army Family Action Plan, a program that allows volunteers to identify and document concerns of Soldiers and military family members and make recommendations to affect quality of life improvements. Reid organized the first Father and Daughter Dance for military troops and their children through the Fort Dix Child and Youth Services and she assists at the Army Community Service monthly newcomer’s orientation, an outreach program for military families who have transferred to Fort Dix. Additionally, as president of the Fort Dix Family Association at Fort Dix Elementary School, she volunteers each week as a tutor and mentor.

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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