U.S. Department of the Interior

Uncle Sam Wants You -- to Volunteer at Federal Sites Nationwide

President Bush unveils a new volunteer web page that offers one-stop access to citizens seeking volunteer opportunities

(WASHINGTON) - At a White House ceremony today, President Bush announced a new way for American citizens to search for volunteer opportunities by location and personal interest.

During the celebration of the six-month anniversary of the USA Freedom Corps, the President unveiled the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network and redesigned http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov. He announced that the Department of the Interior would be a leading member of the network through its http://www.Volunteer.Gov/Gov site, which allows federal, state and local government agencies to post government-supported volunteer opportunities online.

The Department of the Interior initiative supports the President's call encouraging all citizens to perform as least 4,000 hours of volunteer service over a lifetime. The intent is to promote civic ties and to foster a lifelong ethic of good citizenship and service among Americans of all ages.

"More than 200,000 volunteers work on lands managed by the Department of the Interior and outnumber Interior employees three-to-one," said Secretary Norton, who participated in the White House event. "We could not manage our lands or welcome our visitors as effectively without them. The more people we have volunteering, the more we can do. I hope that millions of Americans will answer the President's call."

The http://www.Volunteer.Gov/Gov web site enables government agencies to post volunteer opportunities that can be searched by geographic location, type of work, date of opportunity, and/or sponsoring partner on usafreedomcorps.gov. Citizens interested in jobs in parks and forests or other positions related to the environment can search "natural resources opportunities." The site consolidates volunteer opportunities available in the public sector, initially including: the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the State of New York Division of Veterans Affairs. .

"The USA Freedom Corps is my effort to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility," President Bush said in launching the initiative six months ago. "It will strengthen and expand service opportunities to protect our homeland, to support our communities, and to extend American compassion around the world."

For additional information on the Freedom Corps, refer to http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov. For more information on today's event, see http://www.whitehouse.gov.
-DOI-

U.S. Department of the Interior

Office of the Secretary