Apollo Poetry
At 26 years old, Apollo Poetry has combined hip hop, poetry and education to reach the young and the young at heart. His rare combination of art and education has garnered the attention of major media outlets and the public. Such innovation has shown a new way of teaching and learning.
Apollo Poetry is living proof of what it means to defy the odds. From a very young age, he showed great promise. When he was 11, he competed in the National Spelling Bee; 13, he became the youngest magician in an underground society of New York Magicians. But such success didn’t come without tragedy. At 16, he became homeless. However, he still remained an auspicious individual. At 17, he performed on Showtime at the Apollo.
Even though he suffers from anxiety attacks, chronic headaches, and constant stomach issues, Apollo Poetry has devoted his life to reaching the young through the Traveling Poet project. Through the Traveling Poet Projects, Apollo has put poetry programs into action in school systems. He also conducts workshops with teenagers discovering their creative ambitions, specifically inner-city teens. His dedication is insurmountable. In 2009, he lived out of his van traveling state to state performing and giving out CD’s for free.
Apollo Poetry’s dedication has been a proven success. He’s performances has sparked the interest of MTV, the Billboard Awards and others, which includes being named an official Poetry Ambassador (2008) and a Peace Ambassador (2009). But most of all, he was sparked the interest of teenagers and the like. Letters are constantly written praising Apollo Poetry proven efforts in cultivating the minds of America’s future.
TONYA DRIVER
Surprise Fire Department Crisis Response Program
The Surprise Fire Department Crisis Response volunteers provide immediate crisis intervention on calls dispatched by the Phoenix, Ariz. alarm room. They provide valuable support, information and referrals to people during crisis so the citizens of the community are not left alone to determine what to do after the immediate emergency services are provided.
Volunteers are dispatched on emergency related calls including fires, domestic violence, car collisions, and much more. The volunteers stay with the individual or family to provide services after the fire fighters and police officers leave, allowing first responders to be available to respond to the next emergency. It also provides a greater amount of customer service to the citizen.
The department also stays connected to the community by attending events at the school district, retirement communities, Chamber of Commerce, etc. to educate citizens about the program. For their dedication to their local communities, the Surprise Fire Department Crisis Response Volunteers are Daily Points of Light.
NITA MOSBY-HENRY
Nita Mosby-Henry founded The Kaleidoscope Project in Denver, Co. in 2007 to address two major needs in her community. First, to recude tobacco use in the African American community. Second, to engage members in her community who may feel disconnected through service. Nita has blended civic engagement and health in a way that no one else has done.
"My organization fills many needs. Our model increases the number of volunteers in our community. We have volunteered in all types of settings (women and childrens’ shelters, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, etc.) These types of volunteer projects increase reach within communities, while engaging segments of our population who sometimes feel as if they are not a part of the greater community. Secondly, our programs create a more intentional focus on tobacco and obesity reduction in the communities that are most disproportionately impacted. We have managed to blend volunteerism and health in a way that makes science and medicine easier for communities to understand and participate in," says Nita.
Nita’s goal is to end health disparities in communities of color. She uses volunteerism as the nucleus for her work – speaking to the community about the dangers of tobacco use and obesity, while engaging them in service work. She finds that participants almost always find greater capacity to think about their personal health after they have had an opportunity to help others.
Nita created an organization out of pure passion after listening to the needs of her community.
She teaches those around her that no matter the adversity they face, they still have the gift of helping others, ultimately helping themselves. Nita is a true Daily Point of Light.