By John Bridgeland

In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush asked every American to commit at least two years over the course of their lives, or 4,000 hours, to the service of others.

To honor those who serve, and encourage greater participation, any American adult who performs at least 100 hours of service in one year, or any person 14 or younger with more than 50 hours of volunteer service, is eligible for the President's Volunteer Service Award.

Earlier this month, more than 70 business leaders in Cincinnati stepped forward to answer the President's call to service. They are joining their peers from more than 600 businesses with four million employees nationwide who have committed to making long-term changes in their corporate policies and practices to support a culture of service.

Business Strengthening America is a self-directed effort to engage thousands of America's business leaders - from Fortune 500 corporations to small locally owned businesses - in a campaign to strengthen American society.

Among other institutional changes, Business Strengthening America-affiliated businesses are giving administrative leave to employees who read to children in public schools, matching employee contributions to nonprofits where employees volunteer, and providing a percentage of employee hours and profits to service organizations.

These companies share a core belief: an increased commitment to volunteering and civic responsibility not only builds stronger communities, it also helps businesses to "do well by doing good."

One member of Business Strengthening America in Cincinnati encourages employees to volunteer with a variety of organizations, including the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, whose mission is to increase the percentage of students who complete high school to help them succeed not only in the classroom but also in life. The company also uses its consumer web site to disseminate information about how to find local volunteer opportunities, develop effective volunteer programs, make informed decisions about charitable contributions, and research specific programs and activities.

Another leader in Business Strengthening America has adopted a national employee volunteer initiative called "Partners in Time," which had more than 60,000 participants in 2002. The company maximizes associate participation by integrating more on-site volunteer service initiatives and family volunteer opportunities that strike a balance between professional and family objectives. For instance, here in Cincinnati, students travel to the corporate office for tutoring.

The outstanding work of Business Strengthening America is supporting the volunteer outreach efforts of the USA Freedom Corps, a White House Coordinating Council chaired by President Bush. The USA Freedom Corps works to strengthen our culture of service and helps find opportunities for every American to volunteer.

USA Freedom Corps leads the efforts of more than 40 programs and initiatives that enable more Americans to serve those in need close to home and in countries around the world. Among these programs and initiatives are the Citizen Corps, Senior Corps, the Peace Corps and Volunteers for Prosperity.

Citizen Corps, a vital component of USA Freedom Corps, was created in the aftermath of 9/11 to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to emergencies of all kinds. Hamilton County has been an early leader in the Citizen Corps movement, and is one of 800 communities across America that have Citizen Corps Councils.

Nationwide, as components of Citizen Corps, Neighborhood Watch programs have nearly doubled, programs providing volunteers to police departments have increased 900 percent, and doctors and nurses in more than 160 communities will soon be part of a new Medical Reserve Corps.

Senior Corps is deploying more than half a million Americans with lifetime experience to be foster grandparents to needy children, bring hot meals to home-bound seniors, and help meet other community needs.

The Peace Corps has more than 7,600 Americans serving in 71 countries, and is working toward the president's goal of doubling its number of volunteers over five years. A new "Volunteers for Prosperity" initiative is deploying American professionals for short-term assignments to work on HIV/AIDS, provide clean water for the poor, and open new markets for small businesses in countries around the world.

Through the good work and dedication of Americans from every sector of society - business, nonprofits, government, and education - we are building a culture of service that is enhancing lives and strengthening our country.

John Bridgeland, a native of Cincinnati, is Assistant to the President and Director of USA Freedom Corps. For more information on Business Strengthening America and other opportunities to volunteer, visit www.USAFreedomCorps.gov.