President's Volunteer Service Award

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.

Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows Certifying Organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers.

Our Lebanon Optimist Club is proud to be a Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award.  A Certifying Organization is an organization that has been granted authority through an application and review process to give out the PVSA to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA within a 12 month period specified by the Certifying Organization. Only Certifying Organizations can certify volunteers’ eligibility for the PVSA and order awards.  

 Recipients Requirements:

• Must be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., green card holder)
• Must be at least five years old
• Must complete eligible service within a 12-month period (for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards) and over a lifetime (for Lifetime Achievement Awards)

Eligible Service:

• Unpaid acts of volunteer service benefiting others
  • Service through National service programs that provide a stipend (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) may count towards the Lifetime Achievement Award*, but not for the annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards)
  • Travel stipends, transit/parking passes, membership passes, expense reimbursements, and other nominal volunteer support do not impact service eligibility

Eligible Service does not include:

• Donating funds
• Political lobbying (Non-partisan voter registration is an eligible activity)
• Religious instruction
• Conducting worship service
• Proselytizing
• Volunteer service performed as part of court-ordered community service
• Serving only family members

Hours Required to Earn Awards in Each Age Group

Kids (5–10 years old) 

Bronze 26–49 hours

Silver    50–74 hours

Gold     75+ hours

Teens (11–15 years old)

Bronze  50–74 hours

Silver     75–99 hours

Gold      100+ hours

Young Adults (16–25 years old)

Bronze  100–174 hours

Silver     175–249 hours

Gold       250+ hours

Adults (26+ years old)

Bronze   100–249 hours

Silver      250–499 hours

Gold       500+ hours

The Lebanon Optimist Club is honored to award qualified recipients the President's Volunteer Service Award.  To certify an applicant for the award, we will require you to submit documentation of your service hours. 

This documentation must include a log of your service hours containing dates worked, organization(s) served, and description of the service(s) performed. In addition, we require a letter of recommendation from a representative of the organization(s) for which service is performed. Photos of your work if available are appreciated.

Please include a cover letter stating your name, contact information, and the award level for which you are applying. 

Send your application package to the Lebanon Optimist Club by U.S. Mail or email your documentation and cover letter to us. 

Lebanon Optimist Club

Attn: President's Service Award

P.O. Box 778

Lebanon, Ohio  45036

email: lebanonoptimist@gmail.com 

On Thursday, July 23rd, The Lebanon Optimist Club awarded Jacob Webb the President’s Volunteer Service Award. From the period of June 15, 2019 until May 15, 2020, the Optimists certified that Jacob completed 109 hours of service to the Lebanon community. 

Jacob is beginning his senior year at Lebanon High School. He is a member of the National Honor Society and a scout in Lebanon Scouts BSA Troop 57. He is currently completing his Eagle project and should receive his Eagle Scout award in the near future. He also serves as a Den Chief for three Lebanon Cub Scout packs, Packs 618, 528, and 57.  No hours from his Eagle Scout project or his service to Cub Scout packs were included in the 109 community service hours certified. 

For example, each Saturday since the beginning of the pandemic, the Lebanon Optimist Club with help from Lebanon Cub Scout Packs 528, 618, and Troop 57 have worked to provide and serve nutritious meals to needy families in the Lebanon East Ridge Metropolitan Housing Village. Since mid March, Jacob helped prepare and deliver over 2500 meals to families in need. In addition, he helped to build and install a Blessing Box in the community which contains food and personal care items available as needed to the residents. 

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award has continued under each presidential administration since its inception honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.

Led by the Corporation for National and Community Service and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows Certifying Organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers. The Lebanon Optimist Club is proud to be a Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award recognizing the contributions of people like Jacob.