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 By Robert Goodrich
As President George W. Bush stepped off Air Force One at Scott Air Force Base on Wednesday, he paused in the rain to present the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Connie Bergmann of Fairview Heights.
Bergmann, 59, has been a full-time Red Cross volunteer for the past two years. She heads a Disaster Action Team for its Metro East Service Center.
“The first thing he said was, ‘Thanks for the weather,’” Bergmann said. “The second thing he did was take my umbrella and hold it over both our heads because he didn’t have one. Then we just chatted.”
Bergmann and her husband were ushered into one of the 20 vehicles in Bush’s motorcade and whisked to Collinsville for the president’s speech.
There, he praised her work and that of the Red Cross, which he said “is doing heroic work” to help victims of the recent tsunamis in Asia.
Bush said that everywhere he stops he likes to herald someone like Bergmann “who has taken time out of his or her life to volunteer to make the country a greater place.”
In her Red Cross job, Bergmann responds to fires, crashes or other disasters in the area. Her team tries to make sure victims have food, clothing and shelter.
Bush said the strength of America lies in “people who are willing to love a neighbor just like they’d like to be loved themselves.” He added, “Connie Bergmann is such a person.”
Once a month, Bergmann works a weeklong stint as supervisor on call, mobilizing other volunteers as needed for emergencies.
She also trains Red Cross volunteers, conducts safety classes at local schools and handles administrative duties. In addition, Bergmann is a nursery supervisor at Faith Family Church in Shiloh.
Bergmann is a former office manager for a construction company. She and her husband have a married daughter and two granddaughters, who also live in Fairview Heights.
She said someone from the White House called last week to say she was being considered for an award. “They called me late Sunday night and told me they had chosen me,” she said. “I was shocked.”
She said she will probably wear the presidential pin on her uniform when she responds to fires or other disasters.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award is given to people who have demonstrated dedication to volunteer service. It was established by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
In the past three years, Bush has met with nearly 400 such volunteers around the country to honor them for their service.
Bush has called on all Americans to give two years – or about 4,000 hours – of volunteer service over their lifetime.
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