Vice President Dick Cheney presented the President's Volunteer Service Award, on behalf of President George W. Bush, to Jordan Morrow in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, September 18, 2008.   Morrow has been a volunteer for 10 years with the Palm Beach County 4-H Youth Development Program, a national educational program for youth.  During this time she has logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours with leadership programs and community service projects.  Morrow developed and implemented a reading and literacy program in conjunction with the Palm Beach Health Department and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Clinics in which she recruited youth volunteers to read to children while they wait for appointments.  She also collected books to give to the children so they can improve their reading and language skills at home.  Morrow has also collected cell phones and ink cartridges to send in care packages to troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in conjunction 4-H and the Operation Military Kids project.

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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