Volunteer Center National Network Presents Annual Awards
U.S. Senator, Government Agency Honored for Commitment to Service

(Washington, D.C.) – The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network will present national awards to several Volunteer Centers and a prominent U.S. Senator today at the annual Volunteer Centers Meeting from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center. Renowned painter, Thomas Kinkade, "Painter of Light, will be a guest speaker.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network 2005 Public Policy Award will be given to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) for his advocacy of public policies in support of volunteering and community service. The award was first presented in 2003 to U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), and in 2004 the award was given to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The award is given to public officials who champion legislation that promotes the cause of voluntarism and national service and the public policy goals of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, and who work to increase awareness of the importance of Volunteer Centers as the channel to connect people with opportunities to serve.

The winner of the 2005 Volunteer Center National Network Award of Excellence is the Corporation for National and Community Service for their significant contribution to the development of the national network of Volunteer Centers. The Volunteer Center National Network Council established the Award of Excellence, formerly the Four Star Award, in 1995. The Corporation has contributed to building the infrastructure of the network of Volunteer Centers through local and national partnerships, demonstrated commitment to creativity and innovation and the volunteer community, and been actively involved with Volunteer Centers nationally and locally.

The 2005 George W. Romney Volunteer Center Excellence Award will be presented to Volunteer Baton Rouge! of Baton Rouge, La. for demonstrating excellence in the Volunteer Center core competencies and promoting the partnership between the Volunteer Center National Network and the Points of Light Foundation. The core competencies include: connecting volunteers with the opportunity to serve; promoting volunteerism; building capacity for effective local volunteering; and participating in strategic initiatives that mobilize volunteers to meet local needs.

The George W. Romney Volunteer Center Excellence Award was established in 1996 to honor Governor Romney and his personal commitment to Volunteer Centers and to service at all levels of society. Governor Romney was chairman and CEO of American Motors, three-term governor of Michigan and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He was also founding chairman of the National Volunteer Center and a founding member of the board and executive committee of the Points of Light Foundation.

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The 2005 Volunteer Center Communications Excellence Awards will be conferred upon Volunteer Centers across the country for creating effective and innovative communications tools. The awards are judged in categories based upon the Volunteer Center's budget and type of communications product. The 2005 recipients are:

Annual Reports
Volunteer Center of Rhode Island (Group II)
Providence, RI

Volunteer Center of Lubbock (Group II)
Lubbock, TX

Volunteer Center of Bergen County (Group III)
Hackensack, NJ

Newsletters
Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee (Group II)
Milwaukee, WI

Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin (Group III)

Brochures
Volunteer LEON: Leon County Volunteer Center (Group I)
Tallahassee, FL

Volunteer Center of Lubbock (Group II)
Lubbock, TX

Volunteer Center of Bergen County (Group III)

Audio/Visual Presentations
Volunteer Baton Rouge! (Group II)

Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin (Group III)
San Rafael, CA

Special Events
Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee (Group II)

Volunteer LEON: Leon County Volunteer Center (Group I)

Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin (Group III)

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The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, supports and organizes the vital work of community volunteers who help solve our nation's most serious social problems by bringing people and resources together. The Foundation builds knowledge, skills and programs for volunteer leaders and volunteers to succeed, and provides leadership to mobilize volunteers in thousands of local communities across the country. For more information, call 202-729-8000 or visit www.pointsoflight.org.