South Shore YMCA/Colleen Belcher

Sometimes a seemingly small decision has a big impact. At the South Shore YMCA it all started with the idea for a T-shirt – a shirt that would help others distinguish the volunteers from the staff.

Two years ago the YMCA’s volunteer program was in shambles. It had only 15 volunteers. “We began our endeavor with nothing more than a blessing that we could run with this and nothing more than the determination that this was something that needed to be done,” recalls Colleen Belcher, who was part of the team charged with reinvigorating the YMCA’s volunteer program.

All of the core value colors were being worn by staff at that time so Colleen and her group settled on the color of orange for the volunteers’ shirts. Little did they know how inspiring the orange shirt would become. Since Colleen was the director of the Youth and Family Department they decided to start there to recruit volunteers.

It was simple. As a child graduates from the Playroom/Childwatach area at age seven, they could fill out a volunteer application, attend orientation and then receive their shiny nametag and orange volunteer shirt. A few children enrolled as volunteers. As the number of orange shirts brightening the hallways increased, so did the interest of other children aspiring to claim their status as a YMCA volunteer with the coveted orange shirt.

Word spread and today there are 477 registered program volunteers at the South Shore YMCA at Mill Pond with nearly 200 youth and teen volunteers. Today all three YMCA branches have come together to create the Possibilities Volunteer Program with hope that they can continue to expand the volunteer program incorporating a family component and helping to cultivate a spirit of service in the young volunteers so that they will continue to make a difference in their community into adulthood.

The Women’s Room Jackie Knowles

A Retreat from Homelessness

For the founders of the Women’s Room 1,200 was the magic number. They had to do something for the 1,200 people sleeping on the streets each night in Pasadena, California.

After a survey revealed a gap in available services for homeless women with no drug, alcohol or mental issues, the Women’s Issues Committee (WIC) of All Saints established The Women’s Room, a daytime refuge for women who are alone and homeless.

Jackie Knowles and a group of dedicated women became the force behind the development of The Women’s Room, a day program of Friends in Deed, the social service arm of the Ecumenical Council Pasadena Area Churches. Jackie located donors to repaint and decorate a large storage area, converting it into an inviting room for the women to gather.

The Women’s Room, founded in 2007, is an entirely volunteer-operated day center that provides a retreat where women stressed from living on the street can reclaim their identity as something other than just a homeless person. They come for showers, to do laundry, to use computers and telephones, to take a quiet nap, to have a bowl of freshly made soup and to get their hair styled. They laugh. They talk. They feel like women. They are safe emotionally and physically. The Women’s Room assists them in finding additional services they may need.

Jackie continues to manage the program and aid in developing the vision. Jackie recruits, trains and coordinates the volunteers for the program. Over the past two years the number of clients visiting the Women’s Room has grown from 2 or 3 to 35 per week. The Women’s Room has helped seven homeless women find housing, directed 50 women to services through other organizations and assisted one woman to become regularly employed.

Jackie’s vision for The Women’s Room has proven to be a transformational experience for both the clients and the volunteers. “Surely the impact on our lives makes an impact wherever our steps lead outside the corner of Los Robles and Washington Streets," confirms a volunteer at the Women’s Room.

Dr. Naomi Mangatu

It started as a simple proposal. Dr. Naomi Mangatu’s employer was holding a contest. Employees could submit a proposal for a community service project and the winning entry would be funded. Naomi’s idea “Women and Safe Water” won.

With that, a trickle of hope arrived in the Kathivo Village in Kenya. In collaboration with the Catholic Diocese of Kitui, Naomi was able to start a rain harvesting project in the Kathivo Village of Kitui District in Kenya. The Kitui District is arid and the little rain that does come is poorly distributed throughout the year.

There are short rains in November and long rains from March until May, but there are virtually no storage reservoirs so the rain water just runs off. In 2008 under Naomi’s leadership, 200 needy families each received a 600 liter plastic water tank and 10 schools each received a 10,000 liter tank.

Two years later Naomi’s idea has turned into a wave of opportunity. Girls in the Kathivo Village previously had to trek long distances looking for water. Because of Naomi’s water preservation efforts, the girls have been freed to attend school. The women of Kathivo have started small gardens where they grow vegetables to feed their families and even have excess to sell to neighbors.

Local schools with no taps plumbing facilities are now able to store water enhancing the hygiene of the pupils. The effects of this project continue to extend beyond the water. The recipients formed an advocacy group that meets monthly. At each meeting volunteer speakers address key technical areas and address self-reliance.

The Women and Water project has been promoted as an effective low cost, low maintenance rain water harvesting strategy that has empowered a community. Plans are being made to replicate this program in other arid areas in Kenya.

“Women and Water community service is important to me,” says Naomi “because it has enabled me achieve one of my major objectives for advancing my studies at UoP… to serve as a role model for disadvantaged girls and women in my community.”

Rita Pinard

Every dollar counts and Rita Pinard works to help people in her western Oregon community hang on to as much of their hard-earned income as possible.

“I know taxes can be complicated and frustrating, especially as people get older and rules become increasingly complex,” says Rita Pinard. “We help working people that may be paying taxes that they shouldn’t pay, helping those that might miss opportunities to save money.”

Rita is the regional coordinator for the TaxAide program in Linn and Benton counties. TaxAide helps prepare and e-file federal and state taxes at no cost to the client. In an area that is “severely distressed,” services are in great demand particularly among the elderly, single parents, students and the underemployed.

The TaxAide program was responsible for bringing $1,548,452 of earned income and child, student and elderly tax credits back into the pockets of hard-working people in 2009. As the TaxAide regional coordinator for an area that is physically 50% larger than the entire state of Delaware, Rita’s work extends beyond tax season.

Year round she is busy recruiting volunteers, coordinating training and promoting the program. She supports the volunteers and their efforts at eight separate service locations providing both locational logistics and quality assurance. Under Rita’s leadership TaxAide has added two new service locations and grown the number of volunteers by 50% over the past three years. The program currently has 55 counseling volunteers and 19 client facilitators.

“It’s the rent I pay for taking up space on the earth,” Rita said of her service to the Oregon community. “We’re here to help people… [that] have been hit hard by business closures.”

Christopher Fought

Sometimes heading out of town provides perspective. In January 2007 a team of volunteers from the small community of Ligonier, Indiana, went to the Gulf Coast to assist with the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina.

The problem was — Ligonier needed some help too. For the past 30 years Ligonier had been in decline. Like many small towns Ligonier’s population was dwindling, historic buildings in downtown were crumbling and cultural rifts were dividing the community of 5,000.

“If we can send a whole team of people to Mississippi to help out, what is stopping us from helping out in our own backyard?” wondered Christopher Fought. With that thought, Operation Foundation was born.

Operation Foundation is a weeklong cleanup and revitalization effort focused on restoring Ligonier’s depressed downtown. Projects range from painting, demolition and construction to sweeping and picking up litter.

The efforts are designed to address not only the physical needs of Ligonier, but also the cultural and spiritual needs of the community. With a budget of just under $8,000 Operation Foundation was able to complete $250,000 worth of work in 2009. Under Christopher’s leadership as the President of Operation Foundation, four burned-out homes and storage buildings from an old lumber yard were demolished at no cost to the city or taxpayers.

Homes were painted and crumbling downtown buildings were cleaned, repaired and painted. More than 600 volunteers or 12% of the town’s total population showed up to help. Ligonier gained statewide recognition for its revitalization efforts and was named the first Good Works City in Indiana by the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives.

Noticeable physical improvements abound in Ligonier, but relationships have been mended as well, with the strengthening of cultural bridges among the town’s diverse populations.

“As a lifelong resident of Ligonier with strong family and social ties to the area, I care about its long term well-being,” says Christopher.

Lou Maas

An Inspiring Retirement

For nearly twenty years Lou Mass has been a constant presence at the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Craig Street Clubhouse. Forgoing a retirement of rest and leisure Lou instead gives his time to the children who frequent the Clubhouse. Located in Hamilton Hill, the Clubhouse serves at-risk youth in one of the most impoverished areas of Schenectady County.

As a new retiree, Lou Maas relocated to Schenectady, New York in 1991. He quickly made the Boys & Girls Clubs the focus of his new found free time working directly with the children. He was a regular volunteer in the homework help program.

While Lou has been an advocate for the Clubhouse and has been able to recruit others to volunteer and contribute to the Clubs, his greatest legacy will be the outdoor recreation facility he has been working on for the past three years.

Playgrounds located near Hamilton Hill often turn into late night hangouts and fall victim to vandalism. Lou envisioned a different kind of playground. He imagined an outdoor recreation center that was a safe place for the children of Schenectady to play.

Over the past several years Lou raised more than $80,000 by reaching out to numerous foundations and community organizations. He obtained in-kind services to reduce construction costs. The work is nearing completion and soon the sounds of dribbling balls and squeals of delight will be heard. The site has been repaved and the basketball court is striped and the hoops are in place. The area is secured with fencing, security cameras and proper lighting. When completed this spring, there will be a children's playground, picnic and gaming tables and a garden that will be tended to by the youth of the community with adult supervision.

Lou’s vision for a safe and nurturing recreational center for the children of Schenectady is about to become a reality.

Charlie Conklin

A Green Passion

Charlie Conklin has been “green” for decades.

Anyone involved with environmental protection efforts in Baltimore County knows Charlie. Charlie joined the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC) in 1989 working on stream preservation. His passion for the protection of the Chesapeake Bay and the Gunpowder watershed are witnessed in his on-going efforts to leave a positive environmental legacy for future generations.

Increasing population growth and development have led to deforestation, loss of wildlife habitat, excess storm water runoff, pollution, flooding, and erosion. All of these problems impair the ecosystems of the Gunpowder watershed and directly affect the quality of the Baltimore area’s drinking water and the Chesapeake Bay.

But, Charlie’s continuous efforts to help environmental organizations solve these problems and inspire others to take action have had a major impact on the county’s ability to maintain the watershed.

Charlie led efforts to expand the GVC’s land preservation program by 1,300 acres and continues to play an instrumental role in ensuring the lands are properly managed. He oversaw tree plantings in the Gunpowder watershed for 15 years planting more than 17,000 trees on 80 acres of land. Charlie has personally planted and maintained over 5,000 trees.

Despite his monumental efforts, Charlie realizes he cannot do the job alone. Charlie is skilled at making connections and mobilizing people for collaborative projects. He works with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore County Soil Conservation District, Towson Presbyterian Church serving on the Earth Corps committee and the Care of Creation Task Force encouraging Maryland churches’ adoption of environmental stewardship. By educating, motivating and inspiring other people to take action he is able to multiply his efforts.

Charlie’s activities have encompassed all aspects of the GVC’s mission. He works both hands-on and in an administrative capacity having served as the Vice President and the President of the Board. He organizes volunteer groups, obtains materials and funding and motivates volunteers.

He brings a holistic approach to tackling problems integrating scientific, legal, economic and spiritual perspectives. Charlie’s boundless enthusiasm, energy and creativity ensure there will be an environmental legacy to leave to the next generation.

Troy & Wanda Brown

A Trail of Love

Wanda and Troy Brown love each other, love the outdoors and love for others to enjoy experiencing the Chattahoochee National Forest.

“We can make a difference in other people's lives through our relationships,” says Wanda. “The most precious gift we can give is love for others and from that love grows the desire to volunteer our time and resources more than ever."

Since 1991 Wanda and Troy Brown volunteer hundreds of hours each year maintaining more than 300 miles of public trails in Georgia’s Conasauga Ranger District of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Brown's work allows thousands of people to experience this natural environment safely each year by providing clear access to the forest. A decline in federal funding for trail maintenance resulted in a backlog of trail maintenance needs and a significant reduction in the quality and safety of the trail system. Together the couple spent nearly 800 hours in 2009 working on trails in the rugged terrain of the North Georgia Mountains. Thanks to their efforts, the district's trail system is now recognized as one of the best maintained in the Southeast.

Their volunteer activities involve not only the physical work of maintaining trails, but they also provide leadership for the trail volunteer program. They lead volunteer crews, provide training, recruit new volunteers and maintain a volunteer database. They were instrumental in bringing the volunteer group together to form a non-profit organization, Conasauga District Trail Volunteers (CDTV), Inc. in 2009. They have both served as board members and officers in the organization since then.

Through Troy and Wanda's dedication and leadership, the trail volunteer program on the Conasauga Ranger District has grown from a small number of volunteers in 1991 to what is today a national award-winning program with 200-300 volunteers contributing some 8,000 hours annually to the protection of the public's trails. Under the Brown’s tutelage many fledgling volunteers have continued on to become trail maintenance veterans, teachers and crew leaders. The program continues to grow thanks to the inspiration and dedication of Troy and Wanda.

“Volunteering is just another way to show appreciation for all the gifts God has given us,” says Wanda. “We can make a difference in our environment.”

Scott Doniger

High-Tech Volunteerism

Since 2005 Scott Doniger has volunteered nearly 4,300 hours of service for The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago (TVC).

“Service is critical because it provides me with the unique opportunity to utilize my professional skills to help others less fortunate,” says Scott, an executive at a Chicago area IT architecture and design firm.

TVC matches and places volunteers at a wide range of area partner schools and nonprofits. TVC plays a critical networking role for non-profits and TVC relies on Scott to ensure their networks are working optimally.

Scott’s tech savvy and leadership helped TVC to create a new technology infrastructure, which included standardizing all computers and implementing a new computer server environment. He trained a staff of 20 at TVC in new technology and recruited other expert volunteers to assist with TVC’s information technology. Scott’s assistance helped to increase the capacity of TVC and that of its 170 partner agencies, helping TVC to match 10,871 volunteers from 2008 – 2009.

Scott’s work continues as he helps to launch the HandsOn Connect software, an interactive volunteer matching database called 1-800-volunteer.org. This software enables nonprofits to post their volunteer opportunities online and allows potential volunteers to search for opportunities based on location, availability, skills, organization, and issue area. Scott worked with the Points of Light Institute to make the 1-800-volunteer.org database more user-friendly for nonprofits and volunteers alike. Scott assisted in developing a new feature called Group-Signup that has enabled groups of volunteers to sign-up for volunteer opportunities together.

With demand for services increasing and constrained resources to meet client needs, there is a critical need to train nonprofit staff in the effective use of technology in order to build their capacity. Scott has also independently designed and developed the “Ask Bob Program” for TVC’s member nonprofit agencies. Ask Bob provides nonprofits with technology assistance and training.

“I have strengthened the capacity of nonprofits across the nation by improving their volunteer recruitment through technology,” says Scott. “Better equipping them to expand their volunteer recruitment efforts and manage volunteers more effectively, is proven to enhance service delivery.”

Carol Moroco

Mentoring One, Impacts Many

Carol Moroco was ahead of her time. When she began her banking career she was the only woman in her management training class. This experience combined with wisdom from her grandmother has inspired the South Florida resident to devote herself to the mentoring of others.

“A woman has strength and is the heart, the core and the nurturer of their children, families and communities,” taught Carol’s maternal grandmother.

Continually “paying forward” the lessons from her grandmother, Carol believes in making her community a better place through the power of lifting one person at a time.

Carol is recognized for her dedication to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County where the one-to-one youth mentoring program resonated with her. In her three years with the organization, she has been the driving force behind many initiatives.

Serving on the executive committee and the board of directors she established Six Degrees, a professional networking group. In two years the group has more than 60 members including both aspiring and established professionals.

Through Six Degrees, Carol also established a forum called Bigwigs, in which community leaders share their personal journeys, inspiring young professionals, which parallels Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mentoring service. This value-added event series has brought in new donors and an increase in volunteerism among the Six Degrees members.

Carol successfully advocates for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She has recruited individuals, solicited new donations and established new corporate partnerships, including with her own company, Bank of Florida.

Carol has helped raise more than $25,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. At an average cost of $1,000 per child per year, Carol has changed the lives of 25 children in Broward County. Because those 25 children have a mentor, their outlook on their own lives has improved, 25 parents have happier homes and 25 volunteers learned what impact caring can have on the life of a child. The ripple effect from those 75 life-changing encounters is endless.

Carol is a true example of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission by proving that the power of one individual can make a significant difference in the countless lives she touches.