President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to United States Air Force Second Lieutenant Melissa Rosa when he arrives at the airport in Macon, Georgia, on Tuesday, October 10, 2006.  Rosa, 24, is a volunteer with Hands On Macon. 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 Rosa, since March 2002.

Rosa, a second year medical student at Mercer University School of Medicine, was crowned Miss Macon in January 2006.  During the past year she has promoted her pageant platform, A Call to Service: Encouraging Youth Volunteerism, as the spokeswoman for Hands on Macon.  Hands On Macon is an affiliate of Hands On Georgia, a statewide network which encourages Georgians to make a difference in their communities through volunteer service and engaged citizenship.  Rosa promotes youth volunteer service through speaking engagements at schools and community events.  Throughout high school and college Rosa has been an active volunteer with many community organizations including the Athens American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.  She implemented a Girl Scout program in two middle schools in Athens, Georgia, and volunteered for one year at the Houston County Volunteer Clinic in Warner Robins, Georgia.

In his January 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called on all Americans to make a difference in their communities and across the globe through volunteer service. He created USA Freedom Corps, an Office of the White House, to help Americans answer his Call to Service. Visit www.volunteer.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS to find an existing volunteer service opportunity and to find more information about volunteer service programs.

###