The President's Call to Service Award is awarded by the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

to people who have completed more than 4,000 hours of

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

. It is the highest level of the

President's Volunteer Service Award The President's Volunteer Service Award is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States. Established by executive order by George W. Bush, the award was established to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping ...

Background

The

President's Council on Service and Civic Participation The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation was created by U.S. President George W. Bush in January 2003 by executive order. Its mission is to encourage volunteerism and to recognize the contributions Americans make through servic ...

, which administers the award, was established within the

Corporation for National and Community Service AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work prog ...

through a 2003

executive order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of th ...

by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. The President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) encourages citizens to live a life of service. The award is offered in four categories depending on amount of service, including Bronze, Silver, Gold and the "President's Call to Service Award" (referred to as the "President's Lifetime Achievement Award"). Depending on the level of service, awardees may receive a personalized certificate, an official pin, medallion, and/or a congratulatory letter from the President. Recipients must have contributed their volunteer hours under the auspices of a Certifying Organization/ Leadership Organization. That organization must submit an application on behalf of the intended recipient, a record of the volunteer's hours, and a payment to the PVSA. The Organization must be based in the United States or Puerto Rico. The award is not competitive, and there are no other requirements.

Notable recipients

While numerous Americans have been awarded some degree of the President's Volunteer Service Award, comparatively few have been awarded the highest honor - the President's Call to Service Award (also referred to as the President's Lifetime Achievement Award). Past recipients of the award include: *2004:

Frank Shankwitz Frank Earle Shankwitz (March 8, 1943 – January 22, 2021) was an American philanthropist who was the creator and a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He has received the President's Call to Service Award, the Making a Difference in the W ...

, Founder of Make A Wish Foundation *2005:

Zach Bonner Zachary "Zach" L. Bonner (born November 17, 1997) is an American philanthropy, philanthropist and founder of the non-profit organization, non-profit charitable organization, charity Little Red Wagon Foundation. Bonner received the Presidential Ser ...

*200
Lina Gilliland
Founder of NACAM Firm Inc *2008:

S. Truett Cathy Samuel Truett Cathy (March 14, 1921 September 8, 2014) was an American businessman, investor, author, and philanthropist. He founded the fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A in 1946. Early life Cathy was born on March 14, 1921, in Eatonto ...

*2014: Betsy Thies, 47-year volunteer at the

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a , containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. It is located in Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara, California, United States. The purpose of the Garden is to display California native plants in ...

*2017: Dee Dawkins-Haigler, former member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

References

Humanitarian and service awards Civil awards and decorations of the United States American awards {{award-stub