President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Greg Ybarra when he arrives at the airport in Flint, Michigan, on Friday, September 8, 2006.  Ybarra is a volunteer with the Genesee County Amateur Radio Emergency Services.  To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer, called a USA Freedom Corps Greeter, when he travels throughout the United States.  President Bush has met with more than 500 individuals around the country, like Ybarra, since March 2002.

Ybarra has been a ham radio operator and volunteer with the Genesee County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (GCARES) for 20 years.  Volunteers with GCARES are on call 24 hours a day to provide supplemental communication for first-responder agencies including hospitals, 911 Centers, Emergency Management Offices and Fire Departments.  Volunteers are also utilized during search and rescue operations and large community events.  As the Emergency Coordinator, Ybarra is in charge of training programs for more than 100 volunteers.  He also teaches ham radio classes free of charge to children and adults. In addition, Ybarra is an active volunteer at St. Agnes Catholic Church where he serves on the Spiritual Development Committee.

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. 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.

###