Mrs. Dale Pillow
Alberto Esparza
William Whitman
Katie Whaley
Albert Guevara
“I sense the ability to inspire others and create enthusiasm and excitement…and what better challenge than teaching adults as an amateur teacher? I have this willingness to take risks, especially risks involving dialogue, even if I don’t know where it will take me.”
Albert Guevara, 72, has been a volunteer tutor with Literacy Connection since 2004. He is dedicated to assisting English-speaking, low-literate adults and non-English speaking adults become functional members of our community by teaching them how to read, write and speak English. Because of his own personal experience, Albert understands the value of a good education.
The son of a laborer and seamstress, Albert was born in Dallas, Texas in 1935. He developed his work ethic in childhood when, in 1947, he and his two siblings joined their mother picking crops from farm to farm. Arriving in Chicago in late 1949, the family decided to stay in the city. There, Albert attended vocational school for two years. He left school to help his mother with the family finances and to ensure the education of his two younger brothers. Albert finally earned his GED in the late 1950?s while serving in the U.S. Army. Besides his stint as a soldier, Albert’s varied career has also included stints as an upholsterer, and – for many years – as a builder and welder. Now retired, Albert has applied his considerable energy to tutoring.
Since being matched with his first student in 2004, Albert has tutored a total of 22 students. He donates an average of 45.7 hours each month preparing for and giving tutoring lessons. He presently has nine students whom he tutors on a one-on-one basis and also teaches a two-hour evening intermediate English conversation group of five students for a Family Literacy Program.
Albert is an inspiring example to all who love learning.
Fred and Carol Cardano
Martha Russell
Malcolm A. Meyer
Malcolm A. Meyer volunteers his voice and talent for others.
In his over 500 pro bono hours of legal work and hundreds of hours of community outreach over the last five years, Malcolm has helped to save thousands of homes belonging to some of the poorest citizens in Louisiana.
According to a 2008 story by National Public Radio, as many as 20,000 New Orleanians following Hurricane Katrina could not receive needed federal aid to rebuild their homes, because they could not demonstrate ownership of their property.
Before Katrina, heirship property issues seemed to be largely rural phenomenons. It was common among poor farmers who died without a written will for the children of the deceased to inherit the land. As a result, thousands of people throughout Louisiana live in homes that have been passed down several generations, outside of the legal system.
The lack of property titles hurts many of the world’s poor, blocking them from using their most important asset to build economic power. Without proof of ownership, these people cannot borrow money at low interest rates and invest in new business.
Over the last five years, Malcolm has become one of the most sought after attorneys by Louisiana government representatives and local officials to help resolve these property issues.
Malcolm was also recently asked by Louisiana State Senators to draft new legislation to help people being flooded by the Mississippi River in 2011 to speed access to agencies helping in the repair efforts.
As a result of Malcolm’s work and advocacy, the Louisiana Legislature explored the adverse effects of ownership of heir property Malcolm provided the background, research and recommendations necessary to develop and implement new legislation. New simplifying legislation was passed in Louisiana in 2009.
Brandon Dunman
Personal outreach and demonstrations of support are really important to keeping the spirits of military troops and their families up around the world.
Besides serving as pastor for a church in his community of Eureka, Missouri, Reverend Brandon Dunman wears a number of hats. He is not only a pastor, husband and father, but he is also a H.E.R.O.E.S Care Outpost Coordinator. H.E.R.O.E.S. Care is an affiliation of program partners working together to provide support to military families in the communities where they live.
H.E.R.O.E.S. (Homefront Enabling Relationships, Opportunities, and Empowerment through Support) Care combines the power of national organizations dedicated to providing emergency financial aid, employment opportunities, and mental health care services through a network of specially trained care givers before, during, and after deployment.
Brandon works out of the Missouri Operation Homefront headquarters and is an active liaison between military families and Give an Hour, a nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to U.S. military personnel and their families. As Outpost Coordinator for H.E.R.O.E.S. Care Brandon spends a lot of time on the road traveling around Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan creating program partnerships to support military families in the communities where they live.
After launching in May 2009, H.E.R.O.E.S. now serves 600 military families and has about 400 volunteers. The organization focuses mostly on Reserve and National Guard service members and tries to connect with them before they deploy so they have a known contact to lean on when they return.
Brandon is incredibly dedicated to giving military men and women and their families the help they need at the times they need it most. He demonstrates that heroes really do care.