President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Eric Greitens when he arrives in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday, October 3, 2008.  Greitens, a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve and a senior fellow at the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs, is the founder of the Center for Citizen Leadership.  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 650 volunteers, like Greitens, since March 2002.

Greitens, a United States Navy SEAL, served on active duty until May 2007 and deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Southeast Asia.  After returning to the United States from Iraq in April 2007, Greitens used his combat pay to help start the Center for Citizen Leadership.  The program helps wounded soldiers pursue careers in public service through a fellowship program called The Mission Continues. Grants are awarded to veterans to fund full-time service opportunities within their communities. The Center for Citizen Leadership has underwritten ten fellowships that have enabled veterans to begin serving as leaders in areas such as peer counseling for veterans, working with children with disabilities, and youth mentoring.  In addition, the center has enabled more than 80 veterans with service opportunities within their local communities. When he greets the President, Greitens will be accompanied by Michael Boyd and Tim Smith, Army veterans who were injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Boyd and Smith each received a Fellowship from the The Center for Citizen Leadership.

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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