Nicholas Wan

Nicholas Wan is a sophomore at Seton Catholic Central High School who has invested much of his personal time to help improve the lives of others. During one week in late October, Nicholas missed school work and class time to help the rebuilding efforts in Gulf Port, MS. He exemplified his characteristics of leadership, dedication, and humbleness by paying his own way to spend 7 days sleeping in a tent working from 6am until the job was done, many times not until 8pm. He volunteered at the largest food distribution center in the Gulf Port area, assisting with the distribution of foods and personal products to a community devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He also helped at another local distribution center helping the communities in that area. Some of his most rewarding time was spent passing out free toys to school children and being able to make conversation with the countless people he encountered while working at the distribution centers.

One of the most physically and mentally demanding jobs he did was the clearing debris from the home that had been split in two and severely damaged by the massive storm surge. He helped strip down the house to the basic wood frame in 3 days, so that it could be built up once again. Afterwards the family was so thankful because the work he and his team provided saved them so much time, especially when time is so valuable because these people just want to try and return to their normal way of life that was taken from them. He toured local churches and witnessed the devastation first hand. It is one thing to see a house torn down, but what is more compelling is the affect it has on the family’s involved. These people saw everything they knew as life taken away, and he tried his best to improve it.

He believed that his Faith called him to that area, and the volunteering affected him in ways that cannot be described in words. He left Mississippi with such a great feeling knowing that he directly helped the people most in need. He explained that when he gave of himself for others, he actually benefited from the experience in ways he never expected. It was a feeling of gratitude and happiness knowing that the work he was doing was taking a weight off the people’s shoulders. He witnessed the destruction of Hurricane Katrina first hand and knew what it was going to take in order to help these people as well as organize the distribution center so it was in a position to meet the needs of the community. From the early morning till the late evening cars were lined up for their chance to get food and hygiene products for their families. No one was ever turned away and everyone’s needs were satisfied and at the same time this Christian message was personified through his volunteer work. His Faith was never forced on anyone, but the people saw that it was evident through the work he was doing.

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes has a concern for children and decided to put that care in action. Barnes came to Mrs. Ward’s first grade class each Monday from 8-11am to tutor children. She also made herself available to assist the teacher. Barnes loved to help the children and they loved to see her. She knew they looked forward to their meetings and often brought snacks for the children.

Barnes did not have an innovative approach or use very much creativity. However, she used simple methods. Barnes was consistent; she made herself available and listened to the children. She allowed them to talk and share ideas. They received the attention they needed, and this caused the children’s self-confidence to soar. Mrs. Ward’s class felt special because of their time with Barnes.

The time Barnes spent with the children was definitely not in vain. She showed them different methods that would help them learn and make learning fun. The children also benefited by her structure and positive reinforcement whenever they made small achievements. By tutoring the children, Barnes had a part in helping the child become a productive person in the community.

Annually, Barnes worked with an average of 15 to 20 students in the class. Many of the children were shy and had behavior problems. Some of the children in her group also had learning disabilities. These groups can be challenging, but Barnes worked with them and showed each of the children respect.

In addition to being a great listener, Barnes was also patient with the children. This means a lot as some volunteers or staff members may get frustrated because of the children’s attention span. Barnes was able to give additional help with reading and anything else Mrs. Ward needed.

Barnes is a retiree who stays busy traveling and doing other things wither friends. Her Mondays are full, though. She has a standing appointment for Mrs. Ward’s class at Eastwood Elementary School.

Donna Firpo

Donna Firpo’s volunteerism with the Committee on Church Cooperation (CCC) has been primarily in the Clothing Closet area where on Thursdays and Fridays, she sorts, hangs, and arranges the clothing for clients to pick up on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays, Firpo makes sure that racks are constantly replenished with clothing so that the clients have plenty to choose from. She also volunteers her time to help with the Thrift Sale.

Firpo came to the CCC after her husband passed away. She immediately found her niche working in the Clothing Closet. Her organizational expertise has been instrumental in making the Clothing Closet much more customer friendly. Prior to Firpo coming in, many items would remain on the racks for several months. Now, because she knows basically every item that goes in, she will cull items that are not moving. This has become an indispensable service and she is now training new volunteers.

After Firpo’s husband passed away, she says she spent many days not even wanting to get out of bed. Her daughter encouraged her to become active in a volunteer organization. Firpo had always volunteered wherever she had lived before, so this seemed to be a natural fit. Donna called the CCC on a Thursday, and began volunteering the very next day.

The clothing closet serves over 200 families a month and distributes in excess of 6,000 articles of clothing monthly. Organization is the key to keep an operation such as this functioning. Firpo’s skills have impacted every client that walks through the Clothing Closet doors. She also helps many of the clients on Wednesday find appropriate clothing.

In addition to volunteering at the CCC, Firpo is also active in her church, and is a very busy grandmother. Firpo is the kind of volunteer every agency wants to have. She came to the Committee on Church Cooperation because she was in need of an activity to occupy her time, but the outcome has been that CCC needed her much more than she needed them.

Old Bank Summer Youth Volunteer Team

The Old Bank Summer Youth Volunteer Team is composed of six creative and energetic youth ranging in age from 13-17. During the summer of 2004, each team member worked 5 hours per week at Decatur’s 1833 Old State Bank, a historic site museum offering tours and educational programming related to local and Alabama history.

This past summer, the group’s primary project was to assist in the planning, preparation, and implementation of our Past Times Summer History Camp for children ages 7-11. Each session of camp focused on a specific era in Decatur’s history and allowed the participants to discover the past through entertaining and educational crafts, games, stories, music, dance and special guests. Camp sessions developed by the youth volunteers included “Bright Beginnings: Life on the Frontier,” “Shadows of War,” “the Twin Cities: Progress and Growth” and “The Roaring 20’s.”

In addition to helping design the program for each session, student volunteers served as group leaders during the actual operation of the camp. Youth volunteers helped present each session’s historical story, led games and craft activities, taught the children music of the time period, played the guitar on folk songs and sing-a-longs, and even taught them how to dance the Charleston.

One of the positive benefits of the volunteer team’s work in planning and preparing for the camp was their development of materials that will be included as part of the Old Bank’s supplemental curriculum activities given to local schools who tour the building or are visited in the classroom by Old Bank staff. The Old Bank Summer Youth Volunteer Team forged a special bond that will likely instill a continued interest and love for history in the hearts and minds of the camp participants.

The Old Bank’s 2004 Past Times Summer History Camp was a revival of a program held years ago but implemented with several new twists. Though Old Bank staff put the idea for the program forth, the Summer Youth Volunteer Team helped to decide the specific focus of each session and the activities that would comprise the schedule for each day. Students researched each specific time period to gather information and ideas, and then tested proposed activities to see if they were “do-able” in the format of the planned event. Students created supplemental materials that could be used at time-fillers as children finished one activity and waited to rotate to another.

Volunteers organized supplies and created “kits” for craft activities, which made camp operations run more smoothly. Volunteers had the opportunity to work both as individuals and as team members. On individual projects, they showed creativity and initiative, following a project through to its completion. As team members, they worked well together and respected each other’s interests and abilities. This atmosphere of mutual respect allowed each student to contribute his or her talents to the overall project, which contributed greatly to the success of the camp.

Each camp session was designed to accommodate 20-25 students, and the project generated a tremendous positive response by camp participants and in the community. The camp received positive media coverage in the local newspaper, and helped to promote the development and use of the Old Bank as an educational facility for area residents. The Past Times Summer History Camp challenged the notion of history as being “boring,” and the younger children looked up to their teenage volunteers, as they made history seem cool and fun!

As only one person staffs the Old Bank, this event would not be possible without the support and creative energy of the Summer Youth Volunteer Team. Over the course of the summer, six individuals with diverse skills merged into a true team, and their collective efforts created a dynamic new program where history is experienced firsthand. It is hoped that the continuation of our Past Times Summer History Camp will help a new generation of students better understand who they are, and strengthen their connection to this community. Through the efforts of the Old Bank’s Summer Youth Volunteer Team, the Old Bank became a place where young children could discover and explore the special bonds that define our past, and the common hopes that link our future.

Students of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

The students of St. Paul’s Episcopal School annually, collectively provide over 7,000 hours in community service through a variety of activities and projects during the school day. These projects are linked directly to their classroom learning and feature reflection as an essential component.

St. Paul’s students not only perform community service, but they study why it is important and what bearing their activities have on their community, the environment, and themselves. In eighth grade, they even devise their own community projects as part of a leadership session of their humanities curriculum.

Located in downtown Oakland, St. Paul’s is an urban school. The students reflect the many cultural, socioeconomic, and racial communities in the greater Oakland area. The academic program utilizes the many learning experiences that a large metropolitan area can offer, such as museums, cultural neighborhoods, libraries, parks, performance venues, and even the YMCA. As young people who live in this urban environment, St. Paul’s students are also encouraged to express their citizenship by giving back to the greater community – to their neighbors and to the environs in which they live.

St. Paul’s Service Learning program is integrated into the overall education. All of the projects that the students undertake are connected to academic learning and other disciplines, such as social studies, language arts, art, music, science and math. An important component of this program is reflection, where in writing and in conversation, the students examine the world in which they live, their relationship to it, and the ways they can assist others.

For over a decade, St. Paul’s third graders have been taking the only census of migratory birds in the Lake Merritt estuary. For over five years, St. Paul’s students have provided services to an Alameda county shelter system and cleaned Lake Merritt. They visit seniors, speak Spanish as tutors to preschoolers, clean storm drains, tutor public elementary school students, collect and donate books for young people in the Philippines, and many other activities.

When an emergency need arises, the students immediately create support projects. In response to the hurricanes, for example, students conducted a bake sale, a jar collection project (with a matching gift from the Episcopal Diocese), and an all-school Empty-Your-Pockets day. For the second year, St. Paul’s students planted daffodil bulbs with the Keep Oakland Beautiful Campaign. St. Paul’s students also invited the parishioners of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to join them in several projects. St. Paul’s students never cease to impress and amaze me with their generosity and their diligence to do good things in the world. They are tireless advocates of the community and the world.

First Day Project Student School Supply Drive

First Day Project Student School Supply Drive, formerly Supply Our Schools is a community initiative that began last year as a joint effort between the Bettendorf Community School District, the Bettendorf Post Office, the National Association of Letter Carriers Union, Girl Scouts, the Bettendorf Police Department, parents, students, local businesses and community volunteers. Its goal was to collect and distribute school supplies to children whose parents are in financial need.

Last year’s drive was a very successful collaboration. The dedication of the many volunteers resulted in more than 1,300 items collected for Bettendorf area public and parochial school students.

This year, the same partnership is working to make this a bi-state initiative, which would impact the Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, and Davenport school districts in Iowa, and several additional school districts in Illinois. Local post offices are working to coordinate collection by letter carriers on August 5, 2006. The partnership hopes to make this an annual drive, which would serve students in need in the entire Quad Cities and surrounding area

LWT Communications

The Philosophy of LWT Communications is to effectively promote their clients’ image, service or product through strategic marketing and media delivered on time and on budget. This dedication, combined with creativity, energy and excellent client service consistently produces measurable results. The company offers counseling and planning, marketing strategy development, creative direction and production management, media and other services.

In addition to excelling in the for profit arena, LWT Communications and their staff are making a tremendous impact in the River Region as highly competent and generous volunteers. For the last four years, each of their 25 staff members has actively been involved in service. They have used their knowledge, skills and abilities to serve their community at large.

Each of their employees has donated 24 consecutive hours of creative time, energy and expertise to River Region area nonprofits in LWT’s annual Create-A-Thon. Owner partners, Jim Leonard and David Allred, along with their entire staff believe it is worth the lost sleep to provide their services to area organizations that normally could not afford them. Recipients of Create-A-Thon services are selected based on the mission of the organization, the type of work requested and how LWT’s expertise would best benefit the needs of each applicant. What is unique about this volunteer effort is that it is not just one or two individuals from the company, but rather all employees are involved.

In 2003, Envision’s Tourism Task Force was the recipient of Create-A-Thon services in production of an extensive map of River Region tourist attractions. In fact, this very complex project far surpassed the usual 24-hour time period and resulted in LWT donating a total of 96 hours of creative time to Envision! The map has been distributed in the five-county area to thousands of residents and tourists.

Additionally, the map itself has served another important function in bringing together tourism officials and staffs in the region to collaborate for the long-term. Tourism is a major industry in Alabama, bringing in over $7 billion annually, and LWT’s support of the Envision process, with this single project alone, will have a tremendous and lasting economic impact.

In total, nine nonprofits, out of the forty-eight who applied, benefited from LWT’s Create-A-Thon services. The organizations selected were: Old Alabama Town, the Alabama Art Trail, Eastern Seals of Central Alabama, Humane Society of Elmore County, We Are Women in Recovery, The ARC of Alabama, Alabama Postpartum Support and Education Association, Hospice of Montgomery and Group Homes for Children. Projects ranged from Web development to logo design to strategic marketing planning to brochure development.

Robert Fout

Through his extraordinary travels, Robert “Bob” Fout demonstrates his compassion for other people. Shortly after the 2004 tsunami ravaged Indonesia, Bob responded as part of the effort to reconstruct and rehabilitate the devastated country. Most people are not able to jump on a plane or boat to go help when help is needed; Fout was able to and did just that.

He spent nine days building a model community shelter and a greenhouse. He prepared and planted fields to reestablish agricultural and delivered food and supplies to three villages. His volunteer contributions in a huge relief effort truly did a world of good to the hope starved people of Indonesia.

Shortly after Fout returned to the United States, Hurricane Katrina took its toll on the states along the Gulf coast. The country and at times, even the world looked on as water seemed to pour through many communities along the coast.

Without hesitation, he responded again to help another community in massive relief effort. Just as he did in Indonesia, Fout was able to offer invaluable assistance to the people of Mississippi, helping rebuild and offering assistance at a time a community needed it most.

Selflessly dedicating his time, Fout’s remarkable efforts to help those around the world in times when help was needed most is an inspiration to those who know him or hear his story. It is that story which inspired his fellow colleagues to nominate him for the 2006 Aetna Voice of Conscience Award, in which he was a runner-up.

Christina Garcia

Cristina Garcia, was born in Tampa, FL to two parents, who instilled in her the importance of volunteering from the beginning. Cristina is a 18 year old, freshman at the University of South Florida, who is pursuing a degree in Pediatrics Physical Therapy. She graduated from King High School with honors in May 2006. Cristina’s older brother, Joey has Cerebral Palsy.

Cristina is dedicated to Sibshops, a program at Achieve Tampa Bay. Sibshops is a Sibling Support Project that is the only national effort dedicated to the interests of over six million brothers and sisters of people with special health, mental health, and developmental needs. This program is offered through Achieve Tampa Bay, an organization that is an affiliate of United Cerebral Palsy. Achieve Tampa Bay is dedicated to turning disabilities into capabilities. It has been in the Tampa area for 53 years and is where Cristina attended preschool. She grew up to become their top volunteer through the years. Though she is a youth, Christina is very active in this support group for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities.

Cristina has been with Sibshops since she was nine years old. She is one of the original members of the Tampa chapter and now serves as the Assistant Director. Once a month, faithfully, on Saturday, Cristina lends her expertise and knowledge to the siblings. Because she is living this, many of those that come to Sibshops for direction can easily relate to her. They know her care and concern is genuine and heart felt. She is helpful to the siblings with her experience and knowledge as well as to the parents about what not to do and how to handle situations that may arise. She also speaks to the community about siblings of children with disabilities.

In addition, Cristina is a great role model by being a straight “A” student who is very involved with kids with special needs. For the past 4 years, she has worked for “ALL PEOPLES” an after school program through Hillsborough County for children with disabilities and non-disabled children.

Cristina supports the siblings by calling attention to their role as a sibling of a child with disabilities. She celebrates their strength and ensures they understand the important role, they, as siblings play in the family. Christina’s dedication to Sibshops, Achieve Tampa Bay and her family is a great example of a servant leader.

Michael Thornton

Michael Thornton is a senior at LAMP, president of National Honor Society and co-president of Key Club. Though only 18 years old, he has made service to others a way of life. It is also his care goal for the future, probably structured around the field of education. His explanation for volunteering has always been simple: “It’s the thing that makes me most happy.”

Michael hasn’t started any soup kitchens or set up any new programs. He serves multiple programs already in place, individuals who come to him or are referred to him for help, people who just pop up on his radar. When he read a news story about our troops needing personal items in Iraq, he rallied his church teens to collect and mail packages overseas. When Katrina hit, he organized LAMP students to collect and deliver boxes of clothes and household goods directly to families in need in the Gulf. He also rolled up his sleeves to serve food and entertain children at shelters in Montgomery. When the organizers of the Discovery Village project at Old Alabama Town requested help for the weekend build, Michael gathered LAMP students to participate. He not only puts himself on the line, but he consistently leads others to step up as well.

Michael has done so much; it was hard for him to narrow down his service on his college applications. In addition to his work with the National Honor Society and the Key Club, he has done so many one-on-one things for individuals just as a matter of course in daily life. There have been many nights when he was making cards, wrapping items, or racing to stores for hours to purchase gifts or balloons or clothes for some family or project one of his clubs has “adopted” in spite of the long hours of homework facing him. On most of those nights he’d get to bed well after 1:00 am and then head back out my 6:40am the next morning to get things in place before school classes began. He has managed to maintain a 4.5 GPA.

Michael has spent many hours of his summers and school breaks at service projects as well, mostly through Heart Work Camp and the “Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club” at St. Bede Parish. The Club meets for early Mass and breakfast, then heads out to do service at soup kitchens, Catholic Charities, senior citizen homes, the battered women’s center, etc. Heart Work Camp requires teens to raise the funds to purchase all of the supplies needed and to travel to another city to execute projects for people who need assistance. For a week each summer, they sleep on a gym or classroom floor and spend their days painting, building, and cleaning, etc. in the homes, schools, or service agencies of needy areas. Michael has served in Mobile and Atlanta and will travel to Florida to work this summer.

It seems Michael is always on call for teachers, youth group advisors, and coaches who see someone or something in need. He has helped at the Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, AUM, several public elementary schools, LAMP, St. Bede Church, nursing homes, Father Walter Purcell’s Children’s Center, the YMCA, UNICEF, the Humane Society, the American Institute for Cancer Research, MACOA, the Riverfront Artfests, Jubilee Kidfests, the Sunshine Center, and St. Bede Vacation Bible School.