FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
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The White House - USA Freedom Corps
Contact: Kathleen Mynster
202-456-7381 |
President Bush to Recognize Two Detroit Area Peace Corps Volunteers for Dedication to Volunteer Service |
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President George W. Bush will meet Helen Suchara and Erin Murray Chekal when
he and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski arrive in Rochester, Michigan
tomorrow. Suchara, age 83, and Chekal, age 33, both served as Peace Corps
volunteers in Poland and have continued their commitment to service after
returning to Detroit.
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 he will recognize Suchara and Chekal as examples of the dedication
to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom
Corps.
As a child of Polish immigrants, the opportunity to serve as a Peace Corps
volunteer in Poland had special meaning for Helen Suchara. Since returning from
her service with the Peace Corps, Suchara, a retired educator, has used her
Polish language skills as a reader at St. Florian Church in Hamtramck and has
worked through the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit to help
polish immigrants with relocation. Suchara is also active with the Wayne State
University Retirees Association and the Wayne State Youth Urban Agenda Civic
Literacy Project.
Erin Murray Chekal joined the Peace Corps in 1992 after graduating from
Marquette University. She has also served as a Peace Corps recruiter and has
worked at Peace Corps headquarters. Chekal currently works as a librarian in
Detroit. She continues to serve as a volunteer through her church and she hosts
a monthly mother-daughter book club. Chekal has two children.
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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