President Bush Discusses National Volunteer Week
THE PRESIDENT: Be seated. (Laughter.) Welcome. What a great day for the White House. I am pleased to welcome volunteers from around the United States who have given of their time to help those who need help, and we're sure glad you're here. Those of you today who perform acts of
kindness do so out of love, and you do so out of a desire not to be recognized -- but anyway, you're going to be recognized. We have the opportunity today to thank you, and the opportunity today to celebrate the difference that volunteers have made all across America.
I want to thank Jean Case, who's the Chairman of the
President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
And I want to thank the members of the Council who
are here. (Applause.)
And I thank David Eisner, the CEO of the Corporation
for National and Community Service; Jack Hawkins,
the Director of Volunteers for Prosperity, USAID; Ron
Tschetter, Director of the Peace Corps; and other Peace
Corps volunteers who are here -- about which I'm going to say something a little later. (Laughter.) This tends to be an enthusiastic bunch, and so I would ask you to -- (laughter) -- keep your
enthusiasm in check for just a minute. (Laughter.)
The spirit of charity that is celebrated here has been a part of our character, our nation's
character, ever since before we were an independent nation. In 1736, for example, Benjamin
Franklin organized the citizens of Philadelphia to form a volunteer fire company. Isn't that
interesting? A lot of our -- a lot has changed since then, but the principle that inspired Benjamin Franklin is still true today, all throughout the communities in America.
Those of you who are here today understand the lesson, how you can gain by giving. You can