USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network - Find Opportunities Now
Issue 163 - Week of December 11, 2006

Service During the Holidays

Americans of all ages can engage in volunteer service and care for a neighbor in need during the holiday season. Over the years, the President and Mrs. Bush have led by example and made volunteer service a priority. Find out how you too can give back to your community by searching the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network for opportunities in your area.

Find a Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers for Prosperity Supports
the President’s Malaria Initiative

At least one million infants and children under five in sub-Saharan Africa die each year from malaria — one approximately every thirty seconds. The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) is a historic $1.2 billion, five-year initiative to control malaria in Africa. Announced by President Bush on June 30, 2005, it is a collaborative U.S. Government effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the Department of State, the White House, and others.

Learn more about the President's Malaria Initiative
Visit www.fightingmalaria.gov

Many groups fighting malaria depend on the generosity of skilled professionals like doctors and nurses, who volunteer their services far from home. On December 14th, President Bush announced that organizations involved with the Malaria Initiative can receive grants through Volunteers for Prosperity (VfP) for highly skilled volunteers to contribute their efforts to combat malaria in Africa.

Learn more
Visit www.volunteersforprosperity.gov

Volunteering Hits a 30-Year High,
New Federal Report Finds

Volunteering has reached a 30-year high in the United States, as more people pitch in to help their communities, according to a study released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The report, Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends Since 1974, finds that adult volunteering rose sharply between 1989 and 2005, increasing more than 32 percent over the last 16 years. Even with the increase, less than a third of American adults give their time – a finding that has prompted the nation’s volunteer agency ask more Americans to join this trend during the holidays.

Read more
Hurricane Relief Lead National Service Agency’s 2006 Report

Help the Survivors of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes

Americans can learn more about volunteer opportunities in their community or hurricane-related opportunities in the Gulf Coast by visiting the USA Freedom Corps website or calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

President Bush Recognizes Cairo Woman for Dedication to Volunteer Service

President George W. Bush presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Holly Theis upon arrival at the airport in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Sunday, November, 5, 2006. Theis is a volunteer with Grand Island Habitat for Humanity.
Read more

In Other News

President of Benin Visits and Thanks Peace Corps

National Mentoring Month

Peace Corps Turns Hope Into Action On World AIDS Day

National Service Agency Names First Eli Segal Fellow

Newark Boys and Girls Club Volunteers Receive President’s Volunteer Service Award

Coming Attractions

January 2007 -
National Mentoring Month

January 15th, 2007 -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service