President George W. Bush will meet Richard McCloskey when he arrives in South Bend, Indiana on Thursday, October 31. McCloskey, a businessman, has been a volunteer with the Center for the Homeless for the past 12 years.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years over their lifetime to service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service and will recognize McCloskey as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

For the past 12 years, McCloskey has volunteered over 3,000 hours with the Center for the Homeless in South Bend, which offers food, shelter, medical care, counseling, and job training to over 200 people each day. Each Thursday, McCloskey works at the front desk at the center, greeting its clients with compassion and dignity. Over the past year, McCloskey and his family have also worked to set up a scholarship fund at the St. Joseph County Community Foundation in the memory his daughter, Katie, who lost her life in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

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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