Highlighting the President’s Volunteer Service Award

Richard Salo, right, winner of the President’s Lifetime of Service Award

More than 100 million people in this country annually volunteer their time, talent and energy to help others, solve social problems and build strong communities. The recognition programs of the Points of Light Foundation celebrate the successes of these volunteers and spotlight the impact they have made in their communities.

In the month of President’s Day, To the Point features the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). A recognition program administered by the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, PVSA as an initiative of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, in conjunction with the Corporation for National and Community Service and the USA Freedom Corps.

With 18,500 hours of service to his credit, Richard Salo of Beverly, Mass., has won the President’s Lifetime of Service Award, the highest level of the PVSA. Salo has volunteered at the Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, Mass., for more than a decade. Known by his colleagues as a dedicated and caring individual, Salo credits his love for his community as his motivation.

The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program in 2002 as a way to thank and honor citizens who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours served over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.

To date, the President’s Council has partnered with more than 71 Leadership Organizations and more than 14,000 Certifying Organizations to bestow 522,293 awards on the nation’s deserving volunteers.

Award recipients receive:

• An official President’s Volunteer Service Award pin.
• A personalized certificate of achievement.
• A note of congratulations from the President of the United States.
• A letter from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.