Laurie Hood
Laurie Hood, founder of Alaqua Animal Refuge, received the Daily Point of Light Award from President George H. W. Bush. President Bush created the Daily Point of Light Award in 1989 to recognize ordinary Americans from all walks of life taking direct and consequential voluntary action in their communities to solve serious social problems.
Hood says she feels deeply honored to be chosen as a Daily Point of Light honoree. She has spent the last seven years creating a safe haven for animals in need, and goes above and beyond to rescue abused, neglected, and homeless animals and has saved almost 10,000 animals since 2007.
Bush devotes attention to voluntary service as a means of solving some of America’s most serious social problems. In The Points of Light Movement: The President’s Report to the Nation, Bush wrote, “Points of Light are the soul of America. They are ordinary people who reach beyond themselves to touch the lives of those in need, bringing hope and opportunity, care and friendship. By giving so generously of themselves, these remarkable individuals show us not only what is best in our heritage, but what all of us are called to become.”