[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 52 (Monday, December 29, 2003)]
[Pages 1837-1838]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

December 20, 2003

    Good morning. Every year during the holidays, families across 
America gather to celebrate our blessings, and we unite to share those 
blessings with others. Particularly in this time of giving, our thoughts 
turn to fellow citizens who face hardship or illness or loneliness. 
Their burden often seems even greater at Christmastime, yet the hope of 
this season was meant for them as well.
    The American people see these needs, and they are responding, as 
always, with great generosity. Just this week, a Government report found 
that more than 63 million Americans volunteered over the past year, 
about 4 million more than in the year before. On average, volunteers 
gave 52 hours--more than a full week of work--of their year in service 
to others. This increase in volunteering is evidence of the new culture 
of service we are building in America, especially among young people.
    Nearly 2 years ago, I created the USA Freedom Corps to continue the 
momentum generated by the countless acts of kindness we saw after the 
attacks of September the 11th, 2001. I asked every person in America to 
commit 4,000 hours over a lifetime--or about 100 hours a year--to 
serving neighbors in need. The response was immediate and enthusiastic 
and has remained strong. Over 75,000 service organizations now work with 
USA Freedom Corps, and a growing percentage of Americans have answered 
the call to service.
    Americans are volunteering in every region of the country and in 
nearly every part of the world. Many communities have formed Citizen 
Corps Councils to train neighborhoods in emergency response. About 
50,000 people are enrolled in AmeriCorps, which carries out vital work 
in education, the environment, and homeland security. And the Peace 
Corps expanded to over 7,500 volunteers in 2003, the highest level of 
participation in almost 3 decades.
    Every time I travel in America, I have the honor to meet some of our 
country's most dedicated volunteers. They include people like Phuong 
Nguyen, a high school student in Denver who gives hours of her free time 
to lead service projects for the American Red Cross, and Ana Cooper of 
Miami, who helps senior citizens with daily needs like grocery shopping, 
and Bill Sellers, an 83-year-old man from Houston who has dedicated 
almost half his life to feeding the hungry. Some of the men and women I 
have met are members of the Armed Forces who volunteer time in their 
communities on top of their service to the Nation. And next week, I look 
forward to helping a generous group from Virginia distribute Angel Tree 
gifts to children whose parents are in prison.
    America's 63 million volunteers are setting a fine example for our 
Nation. They are meeting essential needs in their communities, and they 
know the fulfillment that only comes from serving a cause greater than 
self. And many volunteers got started in the same way, because someone 
asked them.
    This holiday season, I ask every American to look for a challenge in 
your own community and step forward to lend a hand. You can learn about 
thousands of service opportunities by visiting the USA Freedom Corps web 
site, usafreedomcorps.gov. Many Americans volunteer with their families, 
allowing them to spend time together while improving the lives of 
others. And if you find a need that no one else is meeting, you might 
want to start a group of your own.
    The high level of voluntarism in our country is encouraging, though 
not surprising.

[[Page 1838]]

America is a compassionate and generous land. With their good works, 
volunteers are living out the spirit of this season, and year-round they 
are showing the heart and soul of our people, which is the greatest 
strength of our Nation.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 11:26 a.m. on December 19 in the 
Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 
20. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on December 19 but was embargoed for release until the 
broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.