FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 19, 2007
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The White House - USA Freedom Corps
Contact: Press Office Phone: 202-456-7381 |
President Bush to Recognize Chattanooga Woman for Dedication to Volunteer Service |
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President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Debbie Chadwick when he arrives at the airport in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Wednesday, February 21, 2007. Chadwick is a volunteer at the Life Care Center of Missionary Ridge, a nursing and rehabilitation facility. 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 550 individuals around the country, like Chadwick, since March 2002.
Chadwick, who was born with Down Syndrome, has been a volunteer at Life Care Center of Missionary Ridge for ten years and has logged more than 4,300 hours of service. Two days per week, Chadwick assists the residents by pushing wheelchairs, singing and talking to residents, and distributing trays during meal times. Chadwick started the Silent, Sightless Angel Program in which she recruits volunteers from the Orange Grove Center, a program for adults and children with intellectual disabilities, to bring Braille books to assist the blind residents. Chadwick and other volunteers use sign language to communicate with the hearing-impaired residents. Chadwick also started the Hugs And Touches Program to encourage more affectionate contact with the residents. Chadwick was named the Tennessee Health Care Association's Individual Volunteer of the Year in 2005, and the American Health Care Association's National Individual Volunteer of the Year in 2006.
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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