National Service Volunteers
Recognized for Outstanding Service
(Salt Lake City, Utah) – The Corporation for National and Community Service is honoring 18 citizens
from around the country today who have made outstanding contributions to national and community
service.
The winners, who are gathered here at the 10th annual National Conference on Community Volunteering
and National Service, represent the best of the Corporation's three major national service
programs–AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America.
"These award recipients are an inspiration to us all," said Leslie Lenkowsky, CEO of the
Corporation. "Not only are they helping to improve their neighborhoods and communities–they
are helping make America strong. By serving their neighbors, they are serving their nation."
John Bridgeland, director of the USA Freedom Corps,
will be on hand to present the awards to the winners. Announced by President Bush during his State
of the Union address in January, the USA Freedom Corps is a broad-based effort to foster a culture
of citizenship, service, and responsibility in the nation and to coordinate citizen volunteer efforts
both domestically and abroad. As part of that initiative, President Bush called upon all Americans to
devote the equivalent of two years over the course of their lifetimes to serving their fellow
citizens. He also proposed expanding the number of AmeriCorps members next year from 50,000 to
75,000 and increasing Senior Corps by 100,000 volunteers.
"Americans who are active in our communities are part of a long tradition of service to
others," Bridgeland said. "President Bush has called on all Americans to join this
tradition of service, and has invited them to fight the evils of terrorism with acts of good. The
compassion and kindness that each award recipient has shown through acts of service to their
communities are a part of that tradition and that fight. Their dedication to service is a part of
what makes ours a great and a free nation."
Awards will be presented to nine AmeriCorps members, seven Senior Corps volunteers, and two students
with the Learn and Serve America program. A Chicago high school will also receive an award for its
efforts to link community service with academics. (A complete list of winners follows.)
Convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency, and the nonprofit
Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, the National Conference on
Community Volunteering and National Service is an annual gathering of leaders of the volunteer
and service movement in the United States. First Lady Laura Bush and USA Freedom Corps Director
Bridgeland are scheduled to give keynote addresses to the conference, which is being held June 9-11
at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Created in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service engages more than 2 million
Americans annually in improving their communities through three programs:
AmeriCorps, Senior
Corps and Learn and Serve America. For more
information, visit www.nationalservice.org/about.
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