WASHINGTON, D.C. - March 20, 2007 "“ Former President George H.W. Bush will be the featured speaker at the 2007 National Conference on Volunteering & Service, scheduled for July 16-18, 2007 in Philadelphia. Also speaking will be Alma Powell, who founded America's Promise "“ The Alliance for Youth, along with her husband, General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), in 1997.

The conference, which will be held at the Philadelphia Convention Center, is the premiere training and education event in volunteer management, community volunteering and national service leadership for nonprofit organizations, business, government agencies and Volunteer Centers. Registration information will be available at www.nationalservice.org by the end of March.

It was President Bush's vision of "a thousand points of light" describing America's spirit of volunteering that helped initiate the movement leading to the creation of the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, which are co-sponsors of the annual conference.

"We are thrilled that President Bush and Mrs. Powell will join us in Philadelphia," says Robert Goodwin, President & CEO of the Foundation. "Their vision will inspire us to find greater ways to engage more volunteers more effectively to address America’s serious social problems."

The theme of the 2007 conference is "The Power of We," which was developed with input from volunteer and community leaders from Philadelphia and surrounding areas. "'The Power of We' emphasizes the power of collective action to solve our problems," says David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service." This has been a hallmark of America's character since our founding that is more important today than ever before.

"By evoking the profound opening words of the U.S. Constitution "“ 'We the People' "“ this theme also both connects us to Philadelphia's history and the world-changing democratic ideas of our founders while also calling us to action in the present day "“ our never-ending work of building a more perfect union," he added.

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service is the nation's largest gathering on volunteering, where more than 2,500 leaders, thinkers and doers come together for three days of education, discussion and professional networking. Joined by leading federal and state officials, and executives from the business community, the attendees at this conference set the tone and agenda for community service in America and around the world.

The conference brings together volunteer program managers, policy makers and participants from businesses; Volunteer Centers; Federal, state and local governments; national, local and international nonprofits; faith-based service programs; and service programs from top colleges and universities. The 2007 conference offers more than 130 workshops and seminars focusing on a variety of topics from corporate volunteering to recruiting youth and seniors into community service.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network supports the vital work of millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities nationwide. For more information about local volunteer opportunities, call 1-800-VOLUNTEER or visit www.1-800-VOLUNTEER.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service strives to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering by providing opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country. The Corporation administers the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

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