October 17, 1985
The President today announced the fifth annual President's Volunteer Action Awards to honor outstanding volunteer achievement by individual citizens and organizations. The President will present the awards at a White House ceremony in April. Award categories include arts and humanities, education, the environment, health, human services, international volunteering, mobilization of volunteer, public safety, youth, and the workplace.
In a unique cooperative effort between the private sector and government, VOLUNTEER: The National Center, a private nonprofit volunteer support organization, and ACTION, the Federal agency for volunteering, are cosponsoring the program for the fifth year. Funding for the program is provided by private sector corporate and foundation sponsors. In announcing the program, the President said: ``Citizens from every walk of life volunteer their time, energy, and resources to help those less fortunate than themselves. We can never fully measure the positive effects that each kind word or deed has upon this great and wonderful land of ours.''
VOLUNTEER is the primary national organization supporting greater citizen involvement in community problem-solving, providing technical assistance to volunteer-involving organizations, public agencies, unions, and corporations. It works closely with a network of over 225 associated Volunteer Action Centers and more than 1,000 other local, State, and national organizations. ACTION serves to stimulate voluntarism and to demonstrate the effectiveness of volunteers in addressing social problems. Its major programs include the Foster Grandparent, Retired Senior Volunteer, and Senior Companion programs for the elderly and a variety of programs for youth. ACTION also promotes private sector initiatives by providing short-term grants to innovative volunteer projects in such areas as literacy and drug abuse.
Among the corporations and foundations providing support for the 1986 program are Aid Association for Lutherans, Avon Products, Inc., Keyes Martin and Co., Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, the Mayflower Hotel, the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Co., Rexnord, Inc., and Tenneco, Inc. President Reagan presented the fourth annual awards to 15 individuals and groups, 1 labor union, and 2 corporations at a White House luncheon on April 22, 1985.
Nomination forms can be obtained by writing: The President's Volunteer Action Awards, P.O. Box 37488, Washington, DC 20013. The deadline for submission for nominations for the 1986 awards is January 25, 1986.