In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in 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 Claussen as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

As a member of his 4-H council for the past eight years, Claussen has worked to encourage other young people to take an active role in community service and leadership through 4-H. He sets an example of service by working on projects such as Rebuilding Together and Toys for Tots. In addition, Claussen has volunteered for Operation Uplink to provide phone cards for U.S. military personnel living overseas. Through his church, Claussen assists with meal programs for the homeless and helps to organize youth activities.

4-H is celebrating its centennial year as one of America's largest youth development organizations. As part of its centennial celebration, 4-H created the "Power of Youth Campaign," offering youth and adults the opportunity to pledge hours of combined community service. More than 205,209 pledges representing 3,894,970 hours of community service have been registered on the 4-H centennial web site at http://www.4hcentennial.org.

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.

###