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National Volunteer Week at the White House
Volunteering and national service were front and center at the White House yesterday, as President Bush welcomed volunteer leaders, national service particpants, and Peace Corps volunteers to the East Room for a celebration of National Volunteer Week.

In his remarks, the President thanked America's 61 million volunteers for the vital role they play in saving lives and strengthening communities, described Administration initiatives to support volunteering including USA Freedom Corps and the PResidnt's Council on Service and Civic Participation, and urged Americans to visit volunteer.gov to find opportunities to serve. Prior to his remarks, he presented President's Volunteer Service Awards to Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini, who has led the company to commit one million hours of volunteer service by its employees for its 40th anniversary, and Deloitte CEO Barry Salzberg, who has led teh compnay to commit to providing pro-bono services worth up to $50 million for the nonprofit sector over the next three years.
In his closing remarks, the President said: "I believe strongly in the admonition, "To whom much is given, much is required." Those of you here today are living up to that noble calling. And you carry on the best traditions of American citizenship. In my first inaugural address, I said it's important to be a citizen, not a spectator. And there's no better way to be a citizen than to be a soldier in the armies of compassion, a foot soldier. And so today we commemorate your work and the work of volunteers all across teh country here at teh White House. I appreciate thelasting legacy that you've helped create in the hearts of our fellow citizens."
Click below for the President's full remarks and other information:
Remarks: President Bush Discusses National Volunteer Week Remarks: President Bush Discusses National Volunteer Week
White House Fact Sheet: National Volunteer Week
Freedom Corps Press Release
Ask the White House with USA Freedom Corps Director Henry Lozano

Volunteering 61 Million Strong; Need and Momentum Grow

New web site gives most detailed information ever on how and where Americans volunteer in over 160 cities; Utah is top volunteer state, Provo and Twin Cities lead metro areas.

The most comprehensive research on U.S. volunteering ever assembled shows volunteering in America is strong and poised for growth, as momentum for service grows across the sectors and the need for volunteers is heightened by the economic downturn.

Nearly 61 million Americans volunteered in their communities in 2007 giving 8.1 billion hours of service worth more than $158 billion to America's communities, according to the Volunteering in America report released today by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Announced today in partnership with USA Freedom Corps at the White House, the report reveals an increase of one million volunteers over five years, as Americans answer President Bush's 2002 national call to service.

The Volunteering in America report contains six years of data on volunteering, rankings of states and cities, and volunteer trends and demographic information for every state and 162 large and mid-sized cities at a new interactive website www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov.