National Volunteering Conference to Focus on Disaster Relief and Recruiting
Annual Event Slated for June 18-20 in Seattle; ABC’s Robin Roberts to Keynote

WASHINGTON, DC (June 6, 2006) The number of Americans who volunteer is significantly increasing, and in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, the need for volunteers has never been greater. Those issues will be the major focus of a conference sponsored by the The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service, scheduled for June 18 through 20 in Seattle.

More than 2,500 people are expected to attend “Climbing Mountains, Lifting Lives: The National Conference on Volunteering and Service.” The annual conference is the premier event for those in volunteer management and the national service fields.

Increased volunteer recruitment will be a major theme of the conference, in keeping with the Corporation's goal of adding 10 million people to the rosters of the nation's volunteers by 2010.

Conference participants will leave a lasting impact on the host city by undertaking a service project to assemble disaster preparedness kits that will be distributed to low-income residents of Seattle's public housing projects .

Robin Roberts of ABC's “Good Morning America” will be among the speakers at the conference. Roberts, who hails from Pass Christian, Miss., has been active in helping her hometown recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Other speakers include Sally Jewell, president and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), the Seattle-based, national, retail cooperative, providing specialty outdoor gear and clothing, and Eric Liu, author of “Guiding Lights: The People Who Lead Us Toward Our Purpose in Life.” The Points of Light Foundation will present Andrew Young , former ambassador to the United Nations, with the 2006 Lenore & George W. Romney Citizen Volunteer Award and also will name recipients of the Daily Points of Light Awards, the Family Volunteer Award, and the Awards for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs. The Corporation will honor outstanding national service participants with the Spirit of Service Awards. Among the entertainers who will be performing is Sister Sledge .

“Volunteers help our country address our most difficult problems—disaster relief, homelessness, illiteracy and a host of others,” said Robert Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation and author of the forthcoming book, “Points of Light: A Celebration of the American Spirit of Giving.” “This conference is geared to helping organizations recruit and train volunteers, build on their successes, and develop partnerships with the private sector that can increase the effectiveness of their programs.”

David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, added: “Great things happen when people volunteer. Our agency is committed to increasing the number of volunteers nationwide, and particularly to focusing on such issues as mentoring youth and engaging baby boomers in volunteering as they approach their retirement years.”

For more information and to register for the conference, go to www.volunteeringandservice.org.

The many sponsors of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service e include lead sponsor Washington Mutual, United Parcel Service Foundation, The Walt Disney Company, The Schwan Food Company, Target Corporation, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Wells Fargo, The Home Depot, Starbucks Coffee Company, The Boeing Company, General Electric, KPMG LLP, Northrop Grumman, Safeco Insurance, The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Casey Family Programs and others.

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 http://www.nationalservice.gov.

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