PVSA

The Corporation for National & Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in results-driven service each year via 70,000 community and faith-based organizations. Through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund, United We Serve, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance and other programs, CNCS taps the power of citizens to improve lives, solve problems, strengthen communities and build the capacity of the nonprofit sector.

The Life In The Arena Foundation is an official certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). The PVSA is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and is administered by Points of Light. Through a shared mission of inspiring more to answer the call to service, the President's Volunteer Service Award celebrates the impact we can all make in bettering our communities and our world.

Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages more than four million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year, putting people at the center of change.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award works with Certifying Organizations to recognize America’s most committed volunteers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the value of volunteer time to be $23.56 per hour, and through their service, Americans invest billions in their local communities—to say nothing of the immeasurable impact volunteers have on others and the character of their communities.

To thank the volunteers making the biggest impact, PVSA partners with organizations like the Life In The Arena Foundation to provide Presidential honors for deeply invested volunteers. These are the Americans who find time in their busy lives to make giving back a priority and for whom a very special thanks is in order.

Per the program rules, we can only recognize volunteers meeting certain criteria with a President’s Volunteer Service Award. Read more about participation criteria below.

Criteria

Awards are issued by an approved Certifying Organization like Life In The Arena. If you're not sure whether the organization that receives or facilitates your volunteer service is a Certifying Organization, please speak with your volunteer coordinator. If you or your group is seeking for a Certifying Organization, please contact us using the contact information on this site.
Recipients must be a United States citizen or a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States.
Awards are issued for service hours served within a 12-month time period (bronze, silver, or gold) or over the course of a lifetime (Lifetime Achievement).
Awards are issued for volunteer service only. The Award may not be used to recognize other contributions (e.g., charitable donations).
Court-ordered community service does not qualify for the Award.
Service must be with a Certifying Organization like the Life In The Arena Foundation that is legally established in the United States and its territories, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or on overseas military bases.

2017 AWARDS:

It was our great honor to be able to present four American heroes with Presidential Volunteer Service Awards over the Christmas Holiday. Robin Goodlick, Jason Roy, Edward Weiss and Jonathon Weiss received these medals for their time, dedication and efforts during the recent 2017 hurricane season. These four were submitted by the Life In The Arena Foundation to receive these medals and were presented with the awards on behalf of President Trump on Friday December 23 (Goodlick, Weiss & Weiss) and on December 24 (Roy). Many thanks to those that assisted us in surprising these heroes including the Roy family, IA Representatives Fisher and Deyoe, Matt Kane and the Eldora, Iowa American Legion.