FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          Contact:          Alyssa McClenning

June 19, 2007                                                                                                 202-494-5436                                                             

PRESIDENT BUSH TO RECOGNIZE MOBILE WOMAN FOR DEDICATION TO
VOLUNTEER SERVICE

President George W. Bush will present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Dr. Debbie Gardner when he arrives in Mobile, Alabama, on Thursday, June 21, 2007.  Gardner, a pediatric physician, is a volunteer with a variety of community organizations including the Medical Society of Mobile County, the Medical Reserve Corps and Camp Rap-A-Hope.  To thank them for making a difference in the lives of others, President Bush honors a local volunteer when he travels throughout the United States.  President Bush has met with more than 575 individuals around the country, like Gardner, since March 2002.

Gardner is a volunteer with Southwest Alabama Medical Preparedness, a program of the Medical Reserve Corps that trains physicians to respond to local disasters or emergencies. Gardner is president of the Medical Society of Mobile County and is a mentor for medical students at USA College of Medicine, the USA Christian Medical Society, as well as local elementary, middle, and high school students who have a desire to attend medical school. In addition, Gardner is a volunteer and board member for Camp Rap-A-Hope, a one-week camp for children who are battling cancer. Each summer she assists with program activities and serves as the camp physician.

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.

Volunteer Mobile, Inc                                                              

1050 Government St., Suite 201

Mobile, AL 36604

Phone: (251) 433-4456 / Fax: (251) 433-4460

Website:  www.volunteermobile.org

________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release:                                               media Contact:

Diana Brinson,

March 2, 2007                                                                           Communications Director                

(251) 433-4456              

AmeriCorp Emergency Response Team deployed in tornado’s aftermath.

Members of the newly formed AmeriCorp Emergency Response Team (ERT) were dispatched to assess the needs and assist local officials in the aftermath of the tornadoes that ripped through Southeast Alabama.  They worked with local Emergency management officials to coordinate volunteers and assisted with other types of disaster management activities including setting up a volunteer reception center.