outreach

Tax season brings apprehension and anxiety to many people. Filling your taxes can be a daunting and time consuming experience. For hard working lower income families, having help to file your taxes is often out of reach – tax preparation cost money, and on a tight budget it may not be a possibility. Enter Gerard Inguagiato. A CPA by trade, Gerard volunteers for the Center for Economic Progress, an organization that offers free tax preparation for hard-working, low-income families at free tax sites in all across the state.

Although he’s still in school to become a doctor, Grant Reed didn’t wait for a diploma to begin helping his community to heal. As a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Grant created the Illini Medical Screening Society (IMSS). IMSS is a student-run mobile health clinic that provides free medical screening service to the underserved and uninsured residents of Champaign County.

One of the greatest gifts a volunteer can give is not just a dollar, a lesson, or a bit of their time, but a new feeling or confidence in the person they are helping. Gloria Owczarski’s Day of Beauty does this by beauty treatments to kids with special needs. Using her own experience with the special needs population as inspiration, she has inspired others to do the same. Growing up with a sister with Down Syndrome, Gloria has always had an interest in the welfare of the special needs population. Already a swim couch for the Special Olympics, Gloria decided she could do more.

The debate about healthcare is on everyone’s tongue these days. However, Jack McConnell, decided to give me than lip service, and took a hands on approach to help his fellow Americans without health insurance, and gave a new sense of purpose to his fellow retired medical professionals. After retiring, Dr. McConnell moved to Hilton Head, SC to relax and enjoy a couple rounds of golf. He would often offer rides to “locals” walking to and from work as landscapers, construction workers, and restaurant servers.

Since starting the Tres Islas Orphanage Fund 23 years ago, Donelle has been gainfully employed full-time, working every after-hour waking minute serving the children of orphanages in Mazatlan, Mexico. She spends her evenings, weekends and vacation time tirelessly emailing, writing newspaper articles, budgeting, fund raising and visiting the orphaned children in Mazatlan, Mexico. She is an ardent advocate for all the children in the orphanages, always seeking ways to improve their quality of life.