President Bush Discusses Gulf Coast Rebuilding Effort and Progress

This week, President Bush visited New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast to discuss the major improvements taking place in the region over the past three years.  Following the storms, volunteers responded to the President's call for aid by volunteering at historic levels and donating more than $3.5 billion to help the recovery and rebuilding effort.  More than 105,000 participants in national service programs have given more than 5.4 million hours of service in response to the devastation inflicted by Katrina.

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President Visits Mississippi, Meets with Community Leaders
Fact Sheet: Rebuilding the Gulf Coast

AmeriCorps Awards $2.2 Million to Support Disaster Response and Help Children and Families

The Corporation for National and Community Service recently announced results of its final 2008 grants competition, with more than $2.2 million being awarded to eight organizations funding 230 new AmeriCorps members to help communities provide healthy and educational environments for children, as well as support Midwest disaster response and recovery.

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Visit www.AmeriCorps.gov

Citizen Corps Convenes National Leadership Forum in Oklahoma City

This week in Oklahoma City, Citizen Corps convened a national leadership forum of State and Territory Citizen Corps program managers, national program partners and affiliates, government partners and other leaders to focus on providing information, tools and resources to strengthen collaboration and further the mission of community preparedness and resilience. Citizen Corps was officially launched in 2002 during President Bush's State of the Union Address to empower all citizens to be actively involved in emergency preparedness, mitigation, and response through planning, public education, training and exercises, and volunteer service.

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Volunteer Spotlight: Dayton Octogenarian Joins the Peace Corps in Ghana

Ralph H. Bernstein, 84, of Dayton, Ohio, has been accepted into the Peace Corps, making him the oldest currently serving Peace Corps Volunteer in the world. The octogenarian is joining the ranks along with hundreds of older Americans who are putting their considerable life skills and experience to good use around the world through service in the Peace Corps.

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