KENNEBUNKPORT — Former President George H.W. Bush can take heart that his idea of a “thousand points of light” is still going strong.

Bush will travel to Washington to join President Barack Obama on Monday as he honors the 5,000th daily “Point of Light” award winner.

Bush referred to his vision for people helping one another as a “thousand points of light” during his inaugural address in 1989. His administration began naming a daily “Point of Light.”

The Points of Light Foundation was created in response to Bush’s call to volunteerism as an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization to encourage the spirit of service.