What is the President's Volunteer Service Award?

The President’s Volunteer Service Award, also referred to as the Presidential Service Award, is an award that was created in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. The award acknowledges and celebrates the role that volunteers play in making America the strong and great country that it is.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is used to honor individuals who positively impact communities around the country through their service and who inspire other people around them to take action as well. Working to solve some of the most difficult problems facing the United States, these upstanding citizens deserve recognition and the gratitude of the entire nation. The President’s Volunteer Service Award comes in different tiers, including Bronze, Silver, and Gold, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.

So, how do you receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award?

In order to receive the award, a Certifying Organization must verify and certify that a volunteer has completed the requirements to receive a President’s Volunteer Service Award within a 12-month period. Certifying Organizations can be nonprofits, businesses, schools, and more. After verifying and certifying that the requirements have been met, the Certifying Organization will then order the award or awards package, which includes options like: 

• A customized certificate
• Choice of a coin, medallion, or pin
• A congratulatory letter from the president

Each tier of the President’s Volunteer Service Award has different eligibility requirements with certain volunteer hours needed in order to receive the award. Here is the breakdown:

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 Lifetime Achievement Award is for all volunteers who have compiled over 4,000+ service hours over the course of their life.

The Elumis Foundation believes that no kid should be left in the dark. Our goal is to bring light to families and children around the world who don’t have access to electricity through solar kits. In order to complete our important work, we rely on help from volunteers to raise awareness about our organization. That’s why we’ve created a virtual volunteer program to help teens earn service hours from home. Earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award is a prestigious honor that shows colleges that the recipient is hardworking and persistent. If you’re a teen looking for service hours, find out how you can volunteer virtually for us and work toward the President’s Volunteer Service Award today!

About the Elumis Foundation

The Elumis Foundation is a certified non-profit organization that was created in 2018 by siblings Eva and Michael Sakellakis (ages 15 and 13), looking to make a difference. Their father, who has his own successful solar business Elumis, helped and inspired them to form the foundation. Together they formed a Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization. This allows all donations to be tax-deductible by the donors. 100% of all donations received will fund the distribution of solar kits to be given to families who do not have electricity in impoverished areas of the world.

Elumis’ goal is to bring light to families and kids without that privilege through solar kits. These solar kits are powered through solar panels and can provide light and electricity for a family for up to 24 continuous hours. The Foundation has already made its first donation of 1000 solar kits in Vietnam and plans to distribute more kits to third-world countries throughout Africa, South East Asia, Central America, and India. Our goal is to distribute at least 100,000 kits to families in need.