President George W. Bush will meet Tom Ryan when he arrives in Moline, Illinois, on Monday, October 25, 2004. Ryan, 60, is an active volunteer with a number of organizations in the community, including as an AmeriCorps member working with homeland security efforts.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created USA Freedom Corpsto help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since March 2002, President Bush has met with more than 350 individuals around the country, like Ryan, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Ryan assisted the Scott County Emergency Management Agency in the creation of the Scott County Citizen Corps Council and he addresses community groups on public safety issues including terrorism and individual emergency preparedness. Ryan also serves on the Iowa Disaster Human Resources Committee, which coordinates volunteer responses to emergencies. He developed a program that distributes donated cellular telephones to senior citizens as a means for them to access 9-1-1 assistance. More than 750 seniors in eastern Iowa and western Illinois have benefited from this program. In addition, Ryan is the volunteer president of the board for Valley Shelter Homes, a temporary shelter for abused and neglected children. He is also a volunteer in the Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption Organization which finds homes for retired greyhound race dogs.

Through 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 at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

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