Gamma Sigma Sigma

Gamma Sigma Sigma is traditionally a service organization, but they are more than what you see in an average service organization. By the end of this year, this group will have completed 10,865 hours of service since they were founded at Georgia College & State University in 1997. This group does all types of service for many different agencies in their community as well as being very active on campus.

They have participated in intramural sports and have attended campus activities and diversity programs. Many of them are members of other student organizations and often hold leadership positions in some of them. They have co-sponsored and participated in many programs including Think Pink Week, AIDS Awareness Week, Good Neighbors Clean Up, Make A Difference Day, Collegiate Challenge with Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity, Maranatha Mission Home, St. Stephen’s Food Pantry, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Children Medical Hospital, Blood Drives, Mary Vinson Library Casino Night, Baby sitting with DEFACS, Clothesline Project, Project Impact, Domestic Violence Programs, Empty Bowls, the Potato Drop, and Relay for Life. Many of them have been student coordinators for different programs in the GIVE Center.

This group has received the National Service Merit Award from Gamma Sigma Sigma due to the wonderful things that these students at GC&SU are doing. The volunteers are such a valuable resource in Baldwin County and have been given the opportunity to build the bonds not only with faculty, staff, and university administrators but also with community members. In the Past, the Zeta Omicron Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma at GC&SU had the honor as being named the National Chapter of the Year, and also had one of their members, Ms. Aliceson Burkart a former President was named as the National Sister of the Year. These are two well-deserved honors.

The past 4 years, together with The GIVE Center, this group has sponsored the annual potato drop. They worked to write a grant in the amount of $2,350 fund this program. During this event we had close to 170 volunteers that gave back over 500 service hours to the community and were able to feed over 135,000 people throughout 8 countries. Four years ago this event was also part of the Unity of Spirit Initiative in Conjunction with President Bush and The Points of Light Foundation where you can complete a service project in honor of someone who lost their life during September 11th.

Kyle Freas

Kyle Freas, a junior at Plano West High School, founded a volunteer organization called Plano Youth Together in 2003. His organization works with student councils, STOP Programs, Pal Programs and National Honor Societies to help abuse, homeless and critically ill children as well as homeless animals. Plano Youth Together has benefited area organizations such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Samaritan Inn, Hope’s Door, Plano Presbyterian Hospital and Operation Kindness through their myriad of programs.

Operation Backpack is one of the Plano Youth Together programs that works with the Children’s Advocacy Center to provide abused and neglected children with school supplies and backpacks. Plano Pals is another signature program. Children make holiday bags that include toys and gift cards for the Samaritan Inn, The Children’s Advocacy Center and Hope’s Door. The program is a pen pal program where the children can write each other. Another program is Operation Paws. Through Operation Kindness, a no kill animal shelter, each child sponsors a homeless animal and receives a bio, a picture and a gift bag. Participants are also invited to a party to see their pets and learn about animal shelters. Started by his brother, Kyle has continued this program under Plano Youth Together since 2002.

Children donate movies and board games to the Plano Presbyterian Hospital for sick children for the Kids Flicks and Games program. Kyle and the Plano Youth Together, then distribute the gifts to youth that are in the hospital for treatment. Kids Wish for Kids benefits the Make a Wish Foundation of North Texas. Children are allowed to pick a critically ill child and help make their wish come true by making a donation. In return, they receive a letter about the wish they helped supply, the pictures of the child they helped and other “star” goodies.

Kyle has raised in excess of $60,000 for these organizations through his programs. He contacted all 50 schools in eight North Texas cities regarding his projects and has worked with 45 schools in the area. He designed boards and flyers for each program and helps design and fill gift bags. He also helps deliver donations to area organizations. Kyle has his own group of volunteers who help him with these programs. Through his programs, he has taught thousands of students about community service. His goal was to utilize many children who were not involved in organizations that required community service for hours were not being used. Although the projects are being run in elementary and middle schools, high school students make the gift bags and deliver donations to area organizations.

Staff of the Office of the Public Defender

Tampa, FL boasted of a population of 303,447 in 2000 which grew to 325,989 in 2005. A great percentage of the change in population is children, and many of these children may not have all the tools they need to succeed.

The Staff of the Office of the Public Defender in Tampa understands that Tampa’s children have unmet needs and they have decided to do their part to change this. These public defenders volunteer their lunch hours three times a week in order to drive out to Palm River Elementary Academy to tutor and mentor students in the third grade.

This group of volunteers found fulfillment in what they were doing, but they were not satisfied with the impact they were making as tutors alone. They then became involved in the children’s lives by volunteering beyond their lunch hours. Not only have the volunteers given of their time for tutoring, but they have also become responsible for a fundraising event at their office. This event focused upon raising money for a grill for the school to be used for family programming.

In addition to tutoring and raising money, the volunteers have also been active participants for the Strawberry Festival. The group of volunteers has donated their time and money for a booth and prizes.

These Public Defenders have had a profound impact on the students they are mentoring. The emotional support given by this group of professionals has been the biggest factor in facilitating the academic growth observed. The school has seen a positive effect in regard to academic achievement, attitude about learning, and the students’ behavior. The students’ performance has improved, especially in reading. They have also been impacted by having consistent quality time with positive role models who they know care for them.

Jeffrey Butt

Jeffrey Drew Butt has been involved with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay for over 15 years. Without Jeff’s tremendous leadership and dedication, the agency undoubtedly would not be where it is today, and would not serve as many of those in need in the Tampa Bay community as it does. A prominent board certified real estate attorney with Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, LLP, Jeff is a strong believer in giving back to the community through volunteerism and has contributed many thousands of hours of his time to Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

Jeff first became involved with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay in 1990 when he was asked to serve as the agency’s pro bono legal counsel. He is still serving in that capacity today. Two years after becoming the agency’s pro bono legal counsel, Jeff volunteered to give even more of his energy and time to the organization by joining the Board of Directors. He has served on the Board for almost 15 years serving twice each as Chair and Vice Chair prior to his current term as Chair of the Board.

Under Jeff’s leadership, the Crisis Center has expanded or added services agency-wide, increased funding levels from $1.6 million in fiscal year 1992 to $6.8 million in fiscal year 2006, and received several awards and major grants. Jeff was instrumental in the agency’s first venture into social entrepreneurship, by encouraging the transformation of one division of the agency, TransCare, from a Baker Act van service to a full-fledged Basic Life Support ambulance service.

Recognizing the importance of the United Way’s call to nonprofits to pursue social entrepreneurship, he provided the leadership and risk taking attitude required to raise operation capital for TransCare. This action required mortgaging the facility, which was a major break from the traditional attitude of nonprofits, but permitted TransCare’s startup and its successful development into a major funding source of the agency’s program.

The agency’s TransCare division now generates a surplus of over $600,000 per year. This significant level of funding is a direct result of Jeff’s vision and initiative. This surplus has allowed and will continue to allow the organization to continue to expand its services throughout the community.

During his time with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Jeff has donated more than $300,000 in pro bono legal work, secured corporate donations and recruited numerous other board members.

Edward Ameen

“Every child needs a strong mind, a strong body and a safe supportive place to grow; they deserve this.” These are the things that the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) believes and works to provide for children all over the world.

By creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is working to better the lives of children and their families.

Edward Ameen founded the local Ronald McDonald House 26 years ago. As a McDonald’s owner/operator Ameen is committed to giving back to the community. His leadership and funding has never wavered for those 26 years. He spearheaded every capitol campaign, growing with the organization from a small cottage to three houses and 66 bedrooms.

The first 18 years, Ameen donated all the organizational accounting services, groomed leadership, strategically planned expansion and growth. He not only volunteered at the houses but also served as board president, chair of every committee and remains the chairman of the Board.

Ameen has lived and breathed the Ronald McDonald House for 26 years. During the hurricane evacuation, he was at the houses helping with the hands on tasks. Throughout the year, he speaks throughout the area about RMH. Ameen also cooks at the houses for the families. He is the go-to guy for staff and meets the in-kind as well as financial needs.

Planning is now underway for a 20 bedroom Ronald McDonald House inside the hospital. This will be the fourth Ronald McDonald House for Ameen. His hands have touched so many things at the house, whether it’s the coffee and meal preparation, or orchestrating many things at the building of bricks and mortar, or securing funds raised to retire the debt, to making sure elevators are installed to assist parents and handicapped children.

Edward Ameen’s leadership has set the tone for this organization. The organization serves 2,300 families annually. It has served families from every county in Florida, every state in the US and average 18 countries a year.

Whitefield Memorial United Methodist Church

When the Willie V. Whitfield United Methodist Church signed up with the Red Cross to provide shelter services, we anticipated running a shelter for a couple of days at a time—perhaps three days for a big storm. Before the Katrina hurricane, they actually had a couple of shelter activations where they were in operation for three days.

The Sheppard Center of the church is equipped to handle the handicapped, has a full service kitchen, showers and lots of space. The members of our church are committed to serving the surrounding neighborhood and community. They never anticipated three full weeks of shelter activities with 85 evacuees from the coastal areas with Katrina hit. They are a family oriented church and dedicated to helping those in need, and the Katrina hurricane put those merits to test.

They had to quickly gear up for the extended shelter period, which meant planning for additional food, clothing, laundry, cleaning and so forth. Many of our volunteers worked 10-12 hour days, some even giving up the comfort of their own beds to stay at the shelter overnight and provide security. Of course, many social engagements they missed as personal schedules they altered so the evacuees would get the best care on a 24 hour a day basis. The goal was to provide a warm, stable, friendly and caring atmosphere for these people who had lost everything; cars, homes, businesses, jobs and even relatives. It was our job to ease the trauma of 85 people, including children and seniors and several people with special needs.

All of a sudden they had to plan for the extended stay. They arranged to have volunteer doctors on call and nurses either at the shelter was active, and all evacuees needing special care were seen by the nurses as soon as they arrived at the shelter. They got cell phones so the evacuees would have free service to contact friends and family. They got two television sets donated and cable service installed so our guests could watch the news of the coastal areas and to entertain the children.

People in Montgomery were extremely generous and helpful. They collected enough clothing to set up two clothes closets which was a great help as most people had a limited change of clothes; they also collected funds and bought new underwear and socks for everyone. Special offerings were arranged each Sunday for the evacuees so they would have some personal funds and could purchase needed items, fuel for their cars and so forth. They also collected household items and food which was given to the evacuees when they left the shelter and headed home; they knew they would need cleaning supplies, food, bedding, dishes and utensils.

They thought meals would be a problem, for although they had a great kitchen they were not prepared with people or food to last more than a few days. The Food Bank immediately provided a truckload of food and supplies. Local churches contacted us and arranged to cook supper meals and bring them to the Center. Local businesses began providing breakfast and lunch. While they were still busy coordinating and serving meals, by the fourth day of the shelter activation they were relieved of many of the preparation activities. But they made sure three wholesome meals were provided each day and that snacks were always on hand.

Once the early challenges were taken care of and we had established routines for the many shelters tasks, arranged schedules to insure the people would be present to man the desks and kitchen and assist our guests to doctors and dentists for treatment, to optometrists to replace lost glasses, and to local shops for car repairs. Many businesses provided these services free or at a reduced charge.

But it wasn't all hard work. One couple, who had been headed to their wedding in New Orleans when the hurricane arrived, was married in our Chapel; they got cakes and punch and decorated the center for the reception. One lady delivered her baby just one day after arriving at our shelter. One evening our guests from Louisiana cooked up a Cajun feast for the volunteers. They also had birthday parties and other parties at the center, field trips to the zoo and to the bowling alley and to the park.

While three weeks are not long in the normal scheme of time, the 23 days of maintaining all the facilities of the shelter occasionally seemed interminable and sometimes the multitude and extent of the tasks were daunting. They usually had several crises every day, from cars breaking down, evacuees trying to locate relatives or discovering members of their family had died, lost medication and other property, to the many instances of extreme remorse when confronted with the tragedy of their situation.

Katrina brought us people loaded with many problems that they couldn’t solve, but they tried to help with every resource they had and provided comfort and consolation whenever they could. For many of us working in the shelter it was an emotional overload trying to be cheerful with people whose life had been dramatically changed for the worse. But bonds were made and the healing was begun. Several of the evacuees are still in the Montgomery area. They helped many people finds jobs and apartments here. Some joined our church and others occasionally drop in to see us. It was the type of adventure that they will never forget, that they don't want to have happen again, but that they'd eagerly do over as a very rewarding mission.

Connections: Decatur Students Connecting with the Community

Connections: Decatur Students Connecting With the Community is a student driven volunteer center at Stephen Decatur High School founded through a grant written by former students Joe Chen and Caroline Andes in 2002. Connections serves as a facilitators between students, parents, and the community by increasing communication in a way that allows all participants to fulfill the needs of the community and enables student volunteers to enjoy positive experiences helping others. Connections currently has 60 members who are responsible for conducting meetings, organizing the volunteer center’s activities, and meeting with organizations to survey their needs. Students in this organization work after school, on weekends, and during the summer volunteering where the need arises. Connection students raise funds for all projects. The teacher advisor for Connections, Laurie Chetelat, does not receive a stipend or any other monetary income as an advisor for Connections.

In addition to their own volunteer work, Connections has strived to form partnerships between Stephen Decatur and the community. In 2003, Connections hosted a successful community breakfast with over 40 organizations in attendance. Students presented a program to the community organizations highlighting the benefits of using our youth to meet their needs and the services available through Connections. From the breakfast a service manual of community organizations was developed that is used by students for volunteer opportunities and by the teachers of service learning at Stephen Decatur. Connection members have formed partnerships with organizations such as the Surfrider Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Believe in Tomorrow, Atlantic General Hospital, March of Dimes, Relay for Life, Project Outreach, Agape, Worcester County Commission for Women, Worcester County GOLD, and local recreation departments to name a few. Connection students are involved in all aspects of the community including the environment, the elderly, those in poverty, health care, and in various educational fields.

Connection students continue to develop their leadership skills and gain new ideas by attending state and national conventions, and other meetings ad dressing community issues. From one of these experiences, Connections initiated a service project last year known as “Surfing with Connections” where Connection students teach senior citizens how to use the computer, search the web, and set up e-mail. A computer manual of basic skills and website favored by seniors was developed by the students for all senior participants to take home. This project has been an overwhelming success and a student committee for this project has been organized to further their services to our community. An additional on-going service project has been the “adoption” of families in need through Worcester County GOLD. Connection members have collected school supplies, holiday gifts, and spring baskets filled with household items, toiletries, toys, clothing and educational items the past three years.

Southeast Missouri Chapter American Red Cross Disaster Action Volunteer Team

The Southeast Missouri Chapter American Red Cross Disaster Action Volunteer Team has had a tremendous year. This group of committed individuals began the year with a record number of responses to single family fires, disaster relief and catering to a group home fire and business fire. When Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma devastated much of our countries coastal communities these volunteers readily responded again. Forty DSHR volunteers were deployed on national disaster assignment for three weeks in Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and Texas. Once they arrived at these locations, their duties include Mass Care, Sheltering, Bulk Distribution, Disaster Welfare Inquiry, Logistics and Damage Assessment. Eight of those volunteers took on second shifts of an additional three weeks to go back to the affected areas. Locally two shelters were opened and volunteers spent their days setting up costs, providing three hot meals a day, assisting with finding loved ones and providing emotional support to 289 hurricane victims who, for seven weeks, called these shelters.

In Southeast Missouri, the group remained committed to training, preparedness and mitigation as they worked to expand their knowledge and capabilities, to prepare their community for disaster and expand their response capacity. In March when tornadoes and severe weather affected Southeast Missouri, the Disaster Action Team Volunteers again answered the call for help. Arriving at the scene of a deadly tornado in Perry County one hour after the incident, the Disaster Action Team offered supplies and resources to Emergency Personnel and Families at the scene. Working into the night, the crew reassembled the next morning and immediately began doing some Damage Assessment to assist county emergency management in getting Federal Assistance through declaration. Over 40 families were assisted t through the Southeast Missouri area, volunteers worked 10-days to ensure that all of the clients immediate disaster-caused needs were met. The people affected by these storms were very appreciative of the compassion, concern and kindness of the volunteers and the over 2,800 hot meals that were prepared and served to them.

Through the dedication, training and experience of the American Red Cross Action Volunteer Team, Southeast Missouri can rest easy knowing there are people willing and committed to assisting those in need during times of disaster. They have combined, helped tens of thousands of disaster victims on a national level and thousands in their locale. Words cannot express what an impact this team has made on the area. These volunteers are the core of this organization and through them the Red Cross is able to fulfill its mission. They are appreciated for their efforts and expect nothing in return for their involvement with the organization. The entire Southeast Missouri community is impacted by the work of the Disaster Action Team Volunteers. This group displays a tireless commitment, allegiance to service and commitment to excellence.

Pendelton Woods

Pendleton Woods, 82 years of age, is a combat veteran of World War II and was a prisoner of war in Germany after being captured on a reconnaissance patrol behind enemy lines during the German build-up for the Battle of the Bulge. He remained in the Army National Guard following the war, and served with the 45th Infantry Division in Korea during the Korean War. He has a long record of public service, including The Tree Bank Foundation, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Oklahoma City Beautiful, and other organizations, and last year he was honored by the American Ex-Prisoners of War as the nation’s Outstanding Ex-POW for the year 2005, based upon patriotic and public service.

He volunteers in many areas; however, he gives of himself to those with problems of health and aging, including volunteer service to the Veterans Hospital, the Epilepsy Association, the Senior Nutrition Program, and the Variety Health Center.

The Veteran’s Administration’s goal is to provide excellence in patient care, veterans’ benefits and customer satisfaction. Over a 25 year period, Woods has given more than 6,000 volunteer hours to patients at the VA hospital. He can be seen coming to the hospital every Sunday morning, setting up equipment for sending chapel service to rooms, visiting and helping patients, often wheel-chairing patients to chapel, and filming services for the hospital’s closed circuit channel.

The Epilepsy Association of Oklahoma’s mission is to provide support, information, for persons who are afflicted with epilepsy/seizure disorder, their friends, family, loved ones in the state of Oklahoma. Woods was one of the organizers, past president and a 25 plus year board member of the Epilepsy Association of Oklahoma. Each year he is a volunteer worker and counselor at the camp in Guthrie for epileptics and handicapped. The hours he has donated to this organization has impacted hundreds of persons directly as well as their families.

Woods has been a board member ten years and an officer five years in the Oklahoma County Senior Nutrition Program Development Foundation, serving the aging. He often gives programs at Senior Centers throughout the County. Woods is also a 52 year board member, past president and one of only two lifetime board members of the Variety Health Center, a United Way agency providing free or low cost medical assistance to impoverished or low-income expectant mothers and children.

Though he is no longer a Scoutmaster, some years ago, as a Scoutmaster, he brought boys from his troop to the Crippled Children’s Hospital in Bethany to entertain bed-ridden children. His troop was recognized by Freedoms Foundation for this service. Woods giving knows no limits and he wants to serve even to death. More than 50 years ago, Woods willed his body upon his death to the University of Oklahoma Medical School for research to help others continue to live.

Mr. & Mrs. Steve Gilbert

Steve Gilbert is a Retention Officer, and he takes his job seriously. In addition, he is the treasurer for an organization newly formed by his family, Support Our Families and Troops (SOFT). The primary focus of the organization is children impacted by the military, and the Gilbert family donates many hours of time to help make life in and around the military as great as it can be.

The Gilbert family has a legacy of service that began with Barbara Davis, the grandmother. She is an FRG Leaser and has been one while she watched the last 3 generations of her family grow. Steve, Kathy, Amanda, April and Barbara are all volunteers for SOFT, and they all work with Barbara to make the Family Readiness Group for HSC , 961st EN BN the best it can be.

The Gilbert family has worked with many organizations through SOFT. They have worked with schools to help make them and the children’s peers more aware of how living a “military life” can impact children. The Gilberts have worked with individual teachers and counselors to create an atmosphere of giving, sharing and volunteerism. April’s peers are three classes of third graders. This group worked together and held a penny drive to benefit the FRG that the Gilbert’s work with. This drive resulted in a donation of $600 in pennies during the drive!

Amanda initiated a toy drive at her community school. Not only did they involve their community school, they also challenged another community school to “stuff a bus”! They managed to collect several hundred new toys—most of which were given to “Toys for Tots”, the balance were used for the children in the 961st Engineer Battalion.

Whenever there is a need stated or perceived by any of them, they all respond without questions. This family has worked with the FRGs in the 961st EN BN as a volunteer for a few years now. They have been with us when we did a table at the State Fair’s Veteran’s Day for dissemination of information. His entire family (including his mom, brother and 2 older children) showed up to help there. They brought a tent for shade, drinks for all the volunteers and much knowledge for sharing with people who stopped for information.

Kathy has begun to do fundraisers for SOFT—the organization wants to be able to send some of the Military Children from our area to DC in August. We hope to have enough money available so that families’ budgets are not strained, and we hope to be able to send children who might otherwise not ever be able to dream of such a trip. It is our hope that this trip will help the kids to better understand what their Heroes fight for. We hope to make it an annual event.

Steve and his entire family worked with us at a car wash and sandwich sale to raise funds for mailing to deployed troops. All three generations have worked toward, and will receive, the Presidential Award for Volunteerism. You can look far and wide, and not find an entire family who will give so quickly and completely.