Richard Sheridan

Dr. Richard Sheridan joined the Healthy Start Coalition in 2002. Since then, he has helped the statewide program meet its goals to reduce infant mortality. He has served as a board member of the Hillsborough County Association of Retarded Citizens for five years and as treasurer for three years.

As a neonatal specialist at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa, he cares for babies who weigh only a pound or less. He calls parents of babies in critical care situations after hours. “He goes above and beyond to comfort them,” says Ellen Schaefer, Outcome Coordinator of the NICU at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, “He offers a clear vision for finding the right care for those who need it most, and he has high adrenalin to keep him focused and positive. After many hours of hospital rounds, office and volunteer work, he packs a lot into a day—often with little sleep.”

With Dr. Sheridan’s guidance, the Healthy Start Coalition formed a partnership with women who are in the infirmary at the Falkenberg Road Jail. These women are a high risk group who need intensive intervention services, because they may be addicted to alcohol or addictive drugs.

Dr. Sheridan has served for four years on the Hillsborough County Fetal Infant Mortality Review Committee. He has the very difficult job of reviewing fetal and infant deaths to determine what may have been contributing causes. He also helped launch the Beds 4 Babies campaign in response to the numbers of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and suffocation deaths due to a baby sleeping with an adult. The co-sleeping was often due to socioeconomic issues, because the parent wanted to sleep with the baby. The campaign has funded a portable crib for more than 100 families within the Healthy Start and Healthy Families system of care.

Charles Wilson

Charlie Wilson has faithfully served the Cape Giaradeau Conservation Nature Center since he began as a volunteer one and a half years ago. During this past year, Charlie has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has exhibited a positive, infectious attitude toward conservation.

He has assisted with various general public programs and special events, such as Creatures of the Night, Migratory bird Day, Hummingbird Celebration, Connecting People with the Land, and Dutch Oven cooking. He puts his many years of Boy Scouts experience leading stations at the Scoutin’ Around events for scout groups, and assisting with Racers, the conservation teen club.

In addition to programming, he is always available to do whatever needs to be done, whether it is preparing activity materials, covering the front desk while a staff member is at lunch, or meeting with visitors to discuss whatever interest they have.

Charlie brings some special talents and gifts to the nature center.

William Carter, Jr.

The William Carter, Jr. Basketball Camp meets a real community need with great concern about education, sportsmanship and good citizenship. It is an organization that has met community needs from Columbus, GA, where it originated, to Charleston, SC, where it is today.

William Carter, Jr. is the President of the National Baptist Deacons Convention of America, Inc. and its auxiliaries. The above camp is named in his honor for being a mentor for fifty years. As a mentor he has been a friend coach and an advocate for many. His motivational speeches through the years have given much hope and inspiration to children and youth.

The William Carter, Jr. Basketball Camp is in its third year and this camp gives great concern to parents and children about the importance of education, sportsmanship and good citizenship. Free pamphlets on these topics are given to parents and children.

Examples of materials in the field of education to help parents are: helping your child with homework, helping your child succeed in school, helping your child with math, helping your child with history, helping your child with science, and helping your child become a reader. There is a table displayed with information about colleges and funding.

In addition to educational material, the 2007 William Carter, Jr. Basketball will show great concern about health issues. A Health Awareness presentation will be held on June 16, 2007 at the camp. Two local physicians will give this presentation. The first presentation is about Cardiovascular Disease with free brochures from food vendors on healthy diet. The second presentation is about sports injury prevention. This sports medicine presentation will be given by the Director of MUSC Sports Medicine. Both of the above physicians are excellent in their field.

Three nurses will give free blood pressure checks. Two of these nurses are former students of Mr. Carter. He inspired them with his motivational speeches through the year to reach their goals.

Mr. William Carter, Jr. is an ordinary person who reaches out to help give many hope and a helping hand.

Joseph Kelly

The Alzheimer’s Resource Center of Connecticut (ARCC) is a 120-bed facility dedicated to the care of people with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. Education, counseling, research and care are provided. Adult day care and assisted living are offered.

Joe has been a volunteer at ARCC since 1993. He devotes 4 out of 7 days to the residents here ARCC. He provides companionship to many of the residents as well as guidance in their time of need and comfort in their time of uncertainty.

Joe volunteers during the morning hours and then is off to his full-time employment at the Salvation Army, where he continues to provide individuals with support and guidance.

Joe is also at ARCC on weekends, holidays, and whatever the weather. His generosity, kindness, and selflessness are seen in everything he does. He never hesitates when asked to do something, and no questions are asked. He just does it, and does it with passion and of course always a smile.

Sook-hee Hong

Sook-hee Hong is serving exceptionally well as the United States Army Garrison Yongsan Korea Army Community Service (ACS) Volunteer Program Manager (VPM). Sook-hee began volunteering as the VPM in August 2005 and continues her dedication to this community program. While volunteering as the ACS VPM, Sook-hee is responsible for overseeing all of the volunteer functions within the Yongsan and Area II Support Activity for organizations and agencies utilizing volunteers to include Army Community Service, Aged Services, Family Readiness Groups, and other local programs. As a result of her tireless dedication and volunteer leadership, volunteer reportable hours increased by twenty percent in ACS program; a remarkable achievement.

During her tenure, Sook-hee also recruited volunteers to help plan, coordinate, and support several volunteer recognition programs, community fairs, and leadership seminars with little guidance but with a strong can-do attitude. As the VPM, Sook-hee led a team of volunteers in the development, testing and implementation of an integral part in streamlining the volunteer management system and increasing volunteer awareness within the community. During her tenure, the attributes she lent coupled with creative and innovative marketing initiative directly resulted in increasing the number of registered volunteers from 900 to over 1,200 active volunteers in the community.

Sook-hee also dedicated her volunteer efforts to serve on the annual 2006 Holiday Community of Sharing Project; a project which each year raises money and toys for needing families within the Yongsan Community. Her efforts with the Holiday Community of Sharing helped to raise over $32,000. As an Army Family Team Building (AFTB) Instructor, she worked to create AFTB materials in both English and Hangul. Her ability to provide AFTB instruction in both English and Hangul to Korean borne spouses led to and increased awareness and participation in the program. As a result of these efforts, the AFTB program was able to expand and directly resulted in an increased number of qualified AFTB instructors. Sook-hee has shown herself as a dedicated, passionate, enthusiastic, and cheerful team player. Her efforts in support of community activities support the overall wellness of soldiers and their families. She inspires others by example.

Sook-hee Hong is commended for her exceptional abilities and selfless service while volunteering as the Army Community Service Volunteer Program Manager. She personally oversaw all aspects of the installation volunteer program with leadership and insight to the needs of the community. Her initiative and esprit de corps contributed greatly to soldier and family readiness. Her untiring efforts contributed significantly to support the United States Army.

Meghan Muncher

Meghan is a 20-year old Dance/Theatre Major at the University of Alabama. Meghan is a talented and accomplished ballerina who received her training at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. She has performed in over 100 ballet productions and has worked with some of the finest dance instructors in the U.S.

If you had the fortune to have a conversation with Meghan she would speak to you about the positive impact the Fine Arts have had in her life. However at a very young age, Meghan realized that many children would not have the same opportunities that were afforded to her through the arts. It is with this insight that at the age of eighteen Meghan established a program called “MY A.R.T.S. Kids”, an in-school and after-school fine arts program that provides free classroom teaching of the fine arts to children ages K5 through 5th grades.

In this short time, My A.R.T.S. Kids has become a recognized 501(c) (3) organization which has raised over $15,000 for charitable distribution. It has expanded its programs to 17 schools and worked with other fine arts programs in Alabama. This past February My A.R.T.S. Kids was instrumental in establishing a Fine Arts Awareness Week in two public school systems and was selected as the fine arts program for the Walker County Schools. This was a HUGE SUCCESS and this alone introduced various fine arts activities to over 5000 students.

My A.R.T.S. Kids also has held two summer camps which have allowed students to continue their training through the non-school months. In addition, Meghan’s program also provides opportunities for private fine arts training by granting scholarship awards to deserving students who for personal or financial reasons would otherwise not receive such training. In 2007, My A.R.T.S. Kids has awarded 40 scholarships and plans to continue this program.

Meghan has personally taught the in-school, after-school, and summer programs, but also solicits the help of local high school seniors who volunteer their time to continue the programs that she has started at each school. When visiting the classrooms Meghan always shares LIZZY’S STORY, a tale of a young ballerina girl who finds that the attributes she learns in her fine arts classes also helps her in her other academic courses and even beyond so that one day she too will realize all of her dreams. This is the first of three storyline coloring books written and illustrated by Meghan to help share her story. The other two character books feature Marcus, an African-American boy who becomes an Academic All-American with the help of the Fine Arts, and Maria, a young Hispanic girl who conquers the English language through song and art which leads her to realizing her dream of performing on Broadway. Both characters are trying to find their way in school when they discover that their fine arts education can help them achieve their goals.

The purpose of MY A.R.T.S. Kids is not to find the next Mozart or Prima Ballerina, but to broaden our children’s imagination, dreams, and horizons. The program promotes confidence, discipline, and self-esteem in children which carries over into the classroom and their everyday lives.

These are just a few highlights of this wonderful program. There are no words to describe the impact My A.R.T.S. Kids has made in these Alabama communities. Meghan is a true inspiration to her students and is a future leader of tomorrow.

Mark Ott

Abused and neglected children in foster care often spend years waiting for the juvenile justice system to decide their futures. Determined to make a difference, retired hospital administrator Mark Ott has spent the last six years actively involved in the lives of three of these children as a volunteer with the Capital Area CASA Association. Working within a system that is overburdened and under-resourced, Ott has ensured that his CASA children are given every opportunity at a successful future. Fourteen-year old Larry has had numerous educational and behavioral struggles, which Ott has strived to help him resolve since meeting him six years ago. He has helped to ensure Larry received tutoring, advocated to ensure he was placed at a school more appropriate to his needs, and continues to guide Larry through his teen years.

Ott was also originally assigned as a volunteer to Larry’s older brother, Chad, who was quickly returned to his mother and is no longer in foster care. Ott soon realized, however, that his involvement was critical to the family’s wellbeing although he was no longer officially involved as Chad’s CASA volunteer. He has taken it upon himself for six years not to maintain frequent contact with Chad and his mother, who is severely limited by mental health issues. Ott checks on the short-term worries of whether there are groceries in the house, and stays involved for the long term, making sure the children are prepared for the future. Ott continues to bring Chad grocery shopping each month to teach him about budgeting and has encouraged him to apply for vocational training.

Ott has been an amazingly positive force for change in Larry and Chad’s lives, persistently fighting for their best interests. He refuses to give up on these children, who have been let down so many times in their lives. His results are clear: Larry is a well-adjusted young man who is performing well in school and is happily involved in extracurricular activities. Chad was floundering in school before Ott became involved but Ott worked with school officials to create a more appropriate curriculum for Chad. Once in danger of being a high school dropout, Chad graduated from high school in the summer of 2006 and was named “most improved student.” Amazingly, Ott’s story is not finished. While continuing to advocate and encourage Larry and Chad, Ott took the rare step of taking an additional second CASA case in 2005. He is now advocating for another young man, John, who faces many of the same challenges dealt with by Larry and Chad.

Mark Ott has found a way to make things happen for these children, and has never for one moment let the frustrations of the process or foster care system inhibit his dedication and perseverance. His 2,050 volunteer hours, including countless visits with the children, their foster and biological families, their teachers, their tutors, and their caseworkers have culminated in a crowning achievement: a better life for the children with whom he has worked.

Elsa Borman

During the 1980s, waves of Soviet Jews came to America because of persecution in their homeland. The Jewish Family Service Resettlement program has been active for over 15 years, responding to the unique cultural and economic needs of over 370 Jewish refugees. These “New Americans” were welcomed, housed, fed and guided through the socialization an acculturation needs of the Russian senior adults. Many of the New Americans are now volunteers helping with the acculturation process.

Since 1989, Elsa has been teaching groups of refugees two and three times a week to read, write and speak English in preparation for their American citizenship exam. With the help of workbooks, Elsa teaches grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. She reads and discusses appropriate articles from the local newspaper about events in America, Israel and Russia. She plays Bingo to teach her students about numbers. She also discusses Jewish holidays and traditions and has had students over to her house to celebrate these holidays.

In the early days of teaching Elsa acquainted her students with their neighborhood by taking them to nearby hospitals, fast food restaurants, local dinner restaurants and the Botanical Gardens.

Elsa has interviewed her students about their lives in Russia and hopes to put these memoirs in a book.

Elsa understands and is very much aware of difficulties of being in America, sometimes living alone, and being unable to communicate. In Elsa’s classes, students do more than studying. They socialize and make friendships. Although Elsa feels that her students are grateful for her help, she knows that she has received more form her students than she has given them.

Senior Adults for Greater Education, Inc.

Senior Adults for Greater Education was founded in 1999 by Beryl Katz, a Bucks County resident, parent, volunteer and former high school English teacher.

She saw an opportunity to unite generations. Parents wanted smaller class sizes, updated school buildings, and enhanced, expanded curriculum. Older residents, who had already educated their children and were struggling with ever increasing school taxes, didn’t feel any connection to the schools.

Beryl reasoned if older residents could get an insider’s view of the schools and participate by sharing their knowledge, expertise, time and talent, they would understand the system and its financial limitations and they would see the need. These individuals would benefit from continued engagement in the life of the community – of which schools are often the heart. Students would benefit by learning from and interacting with older people. The educational staff would benefit by having extra help.

Beryl took her idea to the President of the Council Rock School Board. Together they approached the Superintendent and Senior Adults for Greater Education was born.

Senior Adults for Greater Education has been a 501© (3) since 2003. Previously under the umbrella of its founding district, the desire to offer this valuable program to other districts created the need to incorporate as a non-profit. Ms. Katz has been the volunteer Executive Director since 1999.

Senior Adults for Greater Education has been in operation for seven years in Council Rock. In 2006 pilot programs were begun in 6 schools in the Neshaminy School District, and at one elementary school in the Bensalem School District. These programs were extremely successful and the Bensalem program in expanding in 2007.

Senior Adults for greater Education believes that intergenerational programs help seniors and students to relate to one another, dispelling existing stereotypes. Many seniors only see the negative side of students and do not have the opportunity to interact with students in their community. Therefore, large scale intergenerational programs are offered such as a spelling bee, choir, Thanksgiving feast, oral history project, and bingo games.

Senior Adults for Greater Education offers episodic volunteering events such as being interviewed by students and speaking on various topics such as first hand experiences with anorexia, the experience of growing up in Cuba and more. Our volunteers lead Career Fairs at the Middle School and participated as judges at Science Fairs.

For weekly volunteers there are many opportunities such as: helping a child read, reviewing math facts, editing writing assignments, assisting students who are below grade level to achieve proficiency on state mandated tests and helping English as Second Language students.

Senior Adults for Greater Education fosters lifelong learning and helps to educate its members. Teachers volunteer to instruct computer classes after school to members who want to learn how to use the computer. Students volunteer to mentor the senior “students”.

The Senior Adults for Greater Education model is strong as it was designed with a carefully integrated dual focus on youth and older adults, brining generations together in the pursuit of educational excellence

Damaris Delgado-Vega

Damaris Delgado-Vega is dedicated to serving youth and improving young people’s educational experiences. She has been Coordinator of Interact Club Caribe since 2005. Damaris has helped teenage Interactors get involved in community service for the first time. Damaris has supported Interactors in serving the elderly, youth, orphans and the environment in projects where they learn by being exposed to other people’s economic, social or cultural reality. Besides local service, Interactors have also done service internationally. They have impacted education by sending books to Botswana and Belize, and raising money to build a classroom in Port-Au-Pax Haiti. Interactors also contributed to the Ashley Kaimowitz fund, to help child rape victims in South Africa. These experiences introduced Interactors to people that otherwise they would have never known.

Under Damaris’ advice Interact members have received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Youth Service America Bulletin’s Everyday Hero and membership in the National Society of High School Scholars. The Club was recognized with the Rotary’s International World Interact Week Celebration Award and by the Nicodemus Ecologist’s Initiative for their environmental work cleaning up beaches.

All Interactors that finished high school were admitted to college. Damaris was actively involved helping them prepare well-rounded applications. She has helped them secure scholarships to colleges in the continental U. S. and Puerto Rico. One Interactor won the AXA scholarship for Puerto Rico. Damaris has shown Interactors that regardless of financial need, if you work hard, you can go to college.

Besides Interact, Damaris works with elementary school kids, Damaris obtained a Rotary Grant to fund an after-school program for “Amalia H. Mangual”, a rural elementary school. The grant provided sports equipment. Damaris arranged for donations of computers from the local U. S. District Court which enabled the school to get the local Department of Education to install a computer lab, since the school had demonstrated its ability to generate matching resources. Damaris also arranged a schedule for Rotarians and Interactors to volunteer at the school.

Damaris created “Classroom in the Garden.” This program was implemented with Mangual’s third grade science class. The children grew vegetable and flower gardens in the school. The gardening process is used to teach tem Arithmetic, Science, nutrition, and values. When the students harvested their vegetables they shared vegetables with parents and teachers. The program has been such a success that it will expand to fourth and fifth graders for next school year.

Damaris is best remembered by Rotarians for helping a young Costa Rican boy – Romario Rojas, to get prosthetic legs. Benny Garcia, a member of our Rotary Club learned about Romario during a Costa Rican trip. Benny brought the ideas and Damaris seized it and coordinated Romario’s trip to Puerto Rico, arranged with Garcia to provide therapy, fitting services and prosthetic legs, while the San Jose Rotary Club paid for the boy’s plane tickets. Damaris hosted Romario while he received his prosthetic legs from Garcia. For her long-term commitment to help youngsters Damaris will always be recognized as a role model.