Paul Dillon

Paul Dillon has been a volunteer with the Surprise Fire Department Crisis Response (CR) Program for 10 years, providing field training to new CR volunteers. Dillon was the CR maintenance person who oversaw the equipment needs for the CR program. This involved communicating and documenting maintenance needs of the CR van, radios and other pertinent equipment. This role also involved solutions to problems in a timely manner. Dillon addresses needs within the community by assisting in ensuring crisis intervention is provided to people on emergency scenes.

The CR progam functions at a higher level of service because of Dillon’s storage bin design which allows the van to contain items that have been found to be very needed on emergency scenes. His experience on calls helps his fellow team members learn how to handle difficult situations and how to process calls once service is provided.

Robert W. Cradle

Master Barber Robert W. Cradle provides grooming services and products free of charge to homeless children and adults. He installs and operates full-service barber/beauty salons in local homeless shelters, trains foster parents on how to groom children of all races and provides needed grooming supplies to families.

Since March of 2000, local homeless shelters have been reporting to Cradle that 100 percent of the clients that they serve could not afford to attend the local barber or beauty salon. Therefore, they are typically ill-prepared for job interviews, employment and school. Cradle has reduced the problem creating a organization that raises funds to install full-service barber/beauty salons in local homeless shelters. This enables Cradle, volunteer professionals, and the clients themselves to have access to the equipment and products it takes to maintain a neat and clean appearance for their job interviews, employment and school.

Since Cradle created the organization in March of 2000, more than 18,000 grooming services to 6,400 individuals who cannot afford their regular personal care received haircuts, hairstyles and/or grooming products.

Donna Scott

More than twenty thousand students in the Portland Public school district are living in poverty. When they show up to school with empty hands they arrive at empty desks. Teachers spend an average of $1,700 out of pocket every year to get necessary learning supplies to their students. Donna Scott helps teachers that come to the Free Store get these supplies back to their classrooms.

Scott volunteers multiple times a week to greet and assist shoppers at the Free Store for Teachers. She also picks up donated supplies from local organizations, tallies and sorts donations, goes and talks about organization at events and brings candy and treats for the teachers.

Scott has helped hundreds of teachers and thousands of local students. She has joined in the belief that all youth deserve the tools needed to succeed in school regardless of their economic background. With the help of Scott and others like her, more than $15.4 million worth of school supplies have been donated to local classrooms.

All Care Hospice Volunteers

All Care Hospice Volunteers provide companionship to hospice patients and their families at the end of life. They keep patients company, allowing them to talk about their lives, journal, play an instrument, or partake in singing. Pet therapy volunteers also bring joy to animal-loving patients. Volunteers provide respite, which allows caregivers a chance to accomplish everyday goals and gives them a much needed break.

These volunteers have true compassion for the dying. They recognize the importance of a pain free and therapeutic end of life experience. This is truly a bonding experience between one human being and another. The volunteers also serve as a wonderful community resource for hospice education.

Hospice is a a way to affirm life and not focus on death. Volunteers make the commitment to a six week training in which they learn about hospice, the team and their role as part of that team. They then commit to being with one, and some have as many as three, patients for the duration of their time on hospice. They have incredible stories and their heart and dedication is astounding.

Sylvia Bundy

More than twenty thousand students in the Portland Public school district are living in poverty. When they show up to school with empty hands they arrive at empty desks. Teachers spend an average of $1,700 out of pocket every year to get necessary learning supplies to their students. Sylvia Bundy helps make sure teachers have the best experience as possible when they are here and can find the supplies that they need.

Bundy volunteers several hours every week in the Free Store for Teachers. She has taken on the difficult task of managing the Teacher Resource section which includes, science and math manipulatives, text and reference books, educational games, puzzles and more. She also sorts and tallies donated supplies, works on organizing projects, stocks other Free Store Shelves, works with staff on process improvements, helps manage supply drive events and much more.

Bundy has helped hundreds of teachers and thousands of local students. She believes all youth deserve the tools needed to succeed in school regardless of their economic background. With the help of Bundy and others like her, more than $15.4 million worth of school supplies have been distributed to local classrooms.

Southeast K-9 Search and Rescue

Southeast K-9 Search and Rescue is a nonprofit organization that provides trained search and rescue personnel, k-9s, and equipment to missing persons cases and emergency situations all over the southeastern United States. All members are volunteers and they receive no government funding for what they do

Southeast addresses the need of families whose lives have been changed due to having missing loved ones. Before Southeast K-9, there was no search team that devoted time to working cold case missing persons files. They also help fire departments with mutual aid when needed. They have an active Fire Corps and CERT team to keep the general public informed and to utilize them as a resource in the event of an emergency.

Thanks to their efforts lives are changed for the better. One such story is that of the family of Terri (Davis) Litton of Dickson, Tenn. Litton was missing for months and the Sheriff's Department didn't have the resources to continue to look for her because no foul play was found. Senator Jim Summerville asked them to look into the case and to provide a team with K-9 for a search. As a result the team was able to electronically locate Litton alive and well in Florida and put her family to rest on what had to be the worst days of their life.

Jacqlene McAllister

Girls Inc. is an organizations that provides programs and services to girls in Schenectady and Albany, NY. Seventy percent of girl members come from families with incomes of $25,000 or less. Through Jacqlene McAllister’s efforts of raising funds for Girls Inc. she is able to help fund operating costs that provide girls with skills and opportunities that they otherwise would not have access to which helps them become successful women.

McAllister is Chair of the Cornerstone Group which is a group of volunteers that work to help Girls Inc. with their visibility marketing and fundraising. She leads a group of about 24 young professionals to meet the goals and objectives of the group. She is actively involved in various fundraising events for the organization and creates and designs materials to continue wiht Girls Inc.'s branding.

Since McAllister has taken over as Chair of the Cornerstone Group she has been able to grow the group by an additional 5-7 active members which not only helps Girls Inc. raise money for their programs but also reduces expenses by not having to contact out services like design and print work.

Garey Alimia

Garey Alimia is the owner of a local appliance store chain and president of the hospital foundation board in addition to spending countless hours donating his time to this community. Alimia’s leadership and the foundation operate a care house where loved ones of patients in the critical care unit can stay free of charge.

In a little less than two years, nearly 1,000 nights of free lodging have been provided to families who dearly appreciate the service. He's helped spearhead efforts to raise funds and awareness for the wonderful community project.

Even after recent heart surgery, this individual came to the hospital to take part in a public event bringing goodwill and positive attention to the good works of the foundation. He shared his personal story to help others. He's donated appliances and televisions to the care house and stayed personally involved in making it a tremendous success for those in need.

Janette Thomas

Janette Thomas is the founder of the Pups and Wards (PAW) program, which teaches vocational and life skills to juvenile probationers 14 to 18 years of age and simultaneously improves the lives of at-risk youth and shelter dogs. The program contributes to the successful transition of juvenile probationers from incarceration to community reentry and benefits abandoned dogs through training and socializing that increases the likelihood of their permanent adoption by a loving family.

Thomas assists the Orange County Probation Department in providing rehabilitative and job skills to incarcerated minors. While working with the youth, she instills in them a sense of purpose and empowers them to make changes in their lives. She taps into her knowledge and expertise to educate the minors in the fundamentals of dog obedience training, and upon completion of the program’s requirements, minors are awarded certificates recognizing their accomplishments. Thomas has also assisted minors in obtaining volunteer positions at local animal shelters upon their release so that they can continue to broaden their work experience. On several occasions, she has written recommendation letters to employers and community organizations, encouraging them to support the minors in furthering their education and exploring career options.

OC Animal Care also benefits from Thomas’ volunteer involvement. Shelter dogs that undergo the training and socialization provided by the PAW program are more likely to find permanent, adoptive homes with loving families, which reduces the likelihood that the animals will be euthanized.

Through her work with the PAW program, Thomas volunteers approximately 40 hours per month with OC Animal Care, and since signing up to volunteer with the Probation Department in 2009, she has dedicated more than 6,000 hours of service, working directly with incarcerated juveniles. Her commitment provides important therapeutic benefits to at-risk youth so that they can lead more productive lives and also helps socialize shelter dogs, which increases their chances for future adoption. Her volunteer efforts have had an enormous impact on the 30 minors who served in the PAW program, on the Juvenile Hall staff who work closely with the teens, and on the shelter dogs who have successfully completed training.