George Harbison

George Harbison is retired from the Burlington Northern Railroad and a former deputy Sheriff. Though he is retired, Harbison makes the time to give back to his Missoula community.

Harbison has been volunteering his time at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office since 1994. You can find him working sometimes as much as 3 hours a day, 15 hours a week on various projects for the organization. One special volunteer project he has worked on while donating his time is a history book. He finds newspaper clipping of past and current events and keeps the clippings in a large bound book. This will be important community documentation that can be utilized by generations to come, and to date, he has filled a number of these books.

Harbison also assisted in another special project that is priceless to the office staff. He completed inmate prisoner jackets. This entailed separating and enveloping mug shot images and documenting them accordingly. Harbison is dedicated to the task, no matter how small or how tedious.

Through this and other projects, Harbison has persevered; even though he has been battling a number of serious illnesses. When Harbison has bad days, he continues to work on the scrap book at home, and keeps the department up to date on his other projects. The Missoula, Montana community is proud to call George Harbison one of its own and hopes his dedication to service is an inspiration to many.

325th Maintenance

During the hurricane season, the proud members of the 325th Maintenance Company dedicated their time and lives in support of the hurricane relief during September 2004.

During this challenging time the men and women of this organization ensured that food, medical, water, ice and all other needs to relive the suffering were distributed immediately upon demand. They worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week in this operation that was conducted from Palm Beach. The efforts supported all counties on the East coast from Brevard to Key West.

The accomplishment and response to their achievement ensured that all counties in their area of responsibility were supplied with immediate relief which had a positive and immediate impact to bring the hardest hit areas back to life. Thousands of citizens of Florida lined the streets for help and the 325th Maintenance Company came to their rescue and assistance to bring food, water, ice and smiles in this time of distress.

The dedication and service without hesitation to help people in distress is the moral and courage that the men and women of this organization possess every day. They all shine everyday but showed their true bright and proud colors when they left their homes and families for an extended period of time and fill the needs of the hurricane victims. No other small organization was more willing to volunteer first, be the first on the battlefield to help the cause to assist the Hurricane victims, and still until this day willing to help further to the end.

Robert Mann

Robert Mann served on the Mountain Home Board of Directors for 2 years and recently retired in order to spend more time at his favorite sport, golf. The problem is, Mann is so committed to Mountain Home and the Missoula community, that he continues to volunteer with the organization at least as much as he did as an official Board Member. He is affectionately known as “Bob the Builder” by the staff and girls at Mountain Home and none of them believe that he is seventy years old.

The Mountain Home Board of Directors is fortunate to have a volunteer as dedicated as Mann. It is remarkable how he came to serve with the Home. In 2001, Mann could be found spending his time helping young men from a nearby group home just because he wanted to. Now, Mann does not believe in handouts, he believes in teaching as he helps. On this particular day in the summer of 2001, Mann was helping a young man who happened to be a sibling to one the girls at Mountain Home. To Mann’s unexpected surprise, the young man backed Mann’s truck into Mountain Home while he was helping his sister move into her new apartment. Well, let’s just say, that is where Mann “ran into” Mountain Home. The young man was required to “learn” how to repair the damage to the building’s siding under Mann’s direction. His work to help the youth of the community did not stop there; he found out then that the agency needed so much help, and he has never left.

The following are just some examples of Mann’s volunteer efforts both for fundraising and other assistance he provides to Mountain Home. First, as a volunteer, Mann saved the program a bundle through his new title of “volunteer maintenance man”; in his first year they spent $500 on repairs and maintenance versus the budgeted amount of $5,000. He also has connections in Missoula that he used to call in favors on behalf of Mountain Home. The home has benefited from free oil changes for the girls to a free backhoe, and the free plumbing services from his son. Second, as a board member, Mann continued to provide invaluable service to the organization through maintenance, teaching life skills such as screen repair and care maintenance to the girls, assisting with the annual fundraiser, the Festival of Trees, running the vehicle donation program and helping to oversee the building of Mountain Home’s new addition in 2003.

Finally, as a friend of Mountain Home, Mann continues to help out whenever they need assistance. Just yesterday he helped rescue one of the girls whose car had broken down. Though Mann may not have raised millions of dollars, the time and commitment he has given to Mountain Home feels like it. Mann continues to share his precious time in retirement with Mountain Home, and to that, they say, “Bob, you are the “Mann”.

Angel’s Place

Since 1984, Angel’s Place, Inc. a nonprofit, non-denominational agency, has provided the opportunity for single low-income student parents to complete their education, secure satisfying employment, establish careers and become self-sufficient, responsible citizens.

With three locations in Pittsburgh, Angels’ Place offers services at no cost to their client families. Their services include early childhood education, child care, parenting classes, counseling, tutoring, career exploration, job placement assistance, and assistance with practical needs such as food, clothing and nursery furniture.

Two of the three centers have recently been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAIYC). In addition, Keystone Stars, the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare Child Care Quality Initiative, has awarded both centers the highest rating of Four Stars. It is expected that the third center will reach the same prestigious recognition in 2006.

The need for Angel’s Place and the services they provide cannot be overestimated for at-risk children and their parents. In 2003, the Allegheny County Health Department reported that 4,266 babies were born to unwed mothers. These young people are at an increased risk to have more stressful life events, limited resources, and other demographic disadvantages that accompany single parenthood.

Such circumstances can, of course have a devastating effect on the children that these young parents are trying to raise. However, children living in poverty who had the opportunity to attend high quality, early childhood programs had a significantly higher graduation rate, fewer criminal arrests and higher earnings than non-participants according to the recent High Scope study.

Angels’ Place provides the children of the student parent clients with a high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood program. Such a program can predict academic success, adjustment to school, and reduced behavioral problems for children in elementary school. Angels’ Place also seeks to actively encourage and advance high levels of scholastic achievements of our student parents while fostering a greater understanding of self, family and community.

Each student parent makes an individual commitment to maintain satisfactory progress by earning passing grades and attending classes regularly on a full-time basis, give two hours of volunteer service per week to Angels’ Place and continue to develop parenting skills through participation in center programs and weekly support meetings. In addition, each student parent is given support and direction in his or her efforts to define, clarify and achieve academic, personal, professional and family goals through a comprehensive Family Support Program.

The program serves the community by providing a practical, progressive and compassionate approach to the problems associated with single parenthood, school dropouts and welfare dependency.

Elizabeth Fulton

Elizabeth “Betty” Fulton has been volunteering at the Missoula Public Library since 1990. She co-ordinates a team of over 10 senior volunteers who come on a regular schedule to shelve paperback books.

When there’s a vacancy, she recruits from friends and by word of mouth. Betty arranges the team’s schedule so that there is always one volunteer per day. In addition, she substitutes when other volunteers are unable to come. This important job saves the staff hours and hours of time.

Betty is one of those volunteers who loyally and quietly works behind the scenes. Yet her contribution to the library service is very important. She has had a variety of interesting volunteer positions over the years. She was a member of the first Girl Scout Board and formed the first Girl Scout Troop in Missoula. She’s served in the Medical Auxiliary and directed several March of Dimes Drives.

When she lived in Richland, WA, Betty was volunteer assistant to their library director. Currently, Betty is active in her church organization and PEO Chapter. Betty looks forward to coming to Missoula Public Library, and is still an enthusiastic reader. When asked what she likes about volunteering, Betty replied: “I’ve always had a book in my hands. I enjoy libraries.”

Marie Bergan

Marie Bergan was born in Fort Peck, MT and for the past seventeen years has lived Seeley Lake, MT. The family lives on The Double Arrow Residential where a considerable number are retirees. She is known by most in Seely Lake because of her generosity; she gives freely of her talents, abilities and time.

Bergan has been a member of the Double Arrow Landowners Association for 12 years and has been on the Architectural Control Committee for six years. She has been an active member of The Senior Center for 10 years. Many of those years, she has served as a board member in different positions. These include committee chairman of Fund Raising, Social Director, and at present Nutrition chairman.

Bergan spearheaded a special fundraiser. The Seeley Lake Cook Book had recently been published. Bergan advised every one of the importance of selling your share or purchasing some. Because of her dedication, almost $3,000 was raised to benefit the general fund for needed repairs and maintenance.

One of Bergan’s favorite programs has been helping first graders with their early attempts at reading as well as praising their advancement at the end of the year. She enjoys spending time with the children and being able to nurture them and aid them during the formative stage of their development.

The local food bank is another area where she spends many hours. She distributes food for those who are in need for themselves or/their families. For the past two years she has been co-chair of The American Red Cross blood drive in Seeley Lake. This is a bi-annual project.

Bergan has a good deal of friends who are inspired by her service. She is eager to help them, also, if they are in need. Bergan and her husband have been known to spend many hours at the bedside of friends who are experiencing health difficulties. She could gather a committee in a hurry to arrange for memorial which sometimes included a lunch. This could be for deceased members of our organization, friends and acquaintances. Bergan is a proud member of Seely Lake who is always “on call” to help!

St. Vincent’s Health System

The day after Hurricane Ivan hit, Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola was running on generator power, without running water and suffering structural damage. The number of patients in the hospital continued to grow at a rapid pace. With special needs shelters full and many area people left homeless and injured, the number of patients coming to the hospital was steadily increasing. Many Scared Heart staff members were stranded at the hospital, many had not been home for days, and had no idea of whether there was even a home left to return to. Employees that would normally come in to relieve staff were stranded at home or in shelters. The only chance was help from outside. Late afternoon on Thursday, September 16th, St. Vincent’s Health System’s Chief Executive Officer, John Maher called Sacred Heart Hospital to see if St. Vincent’s could help.

An immediate call went out for volunteers, within two hours more than 100 responded. The biggest hurdle was not in getting volunteers; St. Vincent’s staff is well known for commitment to the community, but in getting them to Pensacola. With airports closed and roads impassable, it was a challenge. John Maher rose to this challenge by working to find air and ground transportation, even personally guaranteeing the cost of a charter plane. Collaboration with Jacksonville’s major corporations resulted in the donation of two additional planes; St. Joe Company and Physician Sales and Services (PSS) World Medical.

By the following morning, 81 staff members left Jacksonville for hurricane-damaged Pensacola. These courageous volunteers came from all areas of the medical center, both clinical and non-clinical, each willing to do whatever was necessary to assist in providing care for the storm ravaged victims. Two days before government assistance arrived, St. Vincent’s volunteers were the first to fly into Pensacola’s airport after the storm, a frightening experience; and the first to respond to a call for help; and the first to arrive on the scene at Sacred Heart Hospital. Many of these volunteers had no experience in providing post-storm care and had no idea what to expect. Scared Heart’s fatigued and overworked staff welcomed St. Vincent’s with open arms. St. Vincent’s nurses, pharmacists, pharmacist technicians, respiratory therapists, plant facility personnel, clinical engineers did whatever was necessary to get things up and running, working 16 hour shifts, treating major and minor injuries such as dehydration, chain saw injuries, and dialysis.

All had left the comfort and security of their homes in Jacksonville without a second thought to venture out into an unknown situation, wrought with destruction and loss…why? It was the right thing to do! St. Vincent’s arrived with enthusiasm and selfless dedication working side by side with our people under the most trying conditions, no water or air conditioning, inadequate sleeping facilities, no way to clean up or shower.” St. Vincent’s initiative to be the first on the scene and to work without hesitation, gave all of us the hope we needed to carry on. Each of these volunteers did not hesitate to give of themselves to help the community of Pensacola recover from the terrible ordeal of Hurricane Ivan. Years from now, after wounds have healed, St. Vincent’s and its staff will be remembered for their selfless dedication and for their mission of providing for all persons with special attention to those who are vulnerable.

Jon Stewart

Perhaps you remember the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In the movie James Stewart played George Baily a banker in the town of Bedford Falls. As a banker George Baily touched many lives—sometimes with even what seemed the smallest of action he had changed the lives of the people in his community. And indeed provided the seeds for growth and development of the community.

Through the journey that takes you back in time, changes the actions of one life, then goes forward to see the outcome, the movie watcher views not only the value of one life and the importance of the contribution of the individual but how one business can have an impact that builds and binds a community.

Johnson County Kansas has its very own George Baily. It is Jon Stewart, President and CEO of Metcalf Bank. For more than 40 years the strong commitment to community has been a tradition at Metcalf Bank. The people at Metcalf Bank believe that it doesn’t just work in the community they work for the community. This commitment to community can be seen in the actions of the bank.

One of the significant ways to measure the community involvement is the time, talents and skills given by the associates of Metcalf Bank. Metcalf Bank has an employee volunteer program that encourages getting active. Between 70% and 75% of the associates participate in this program.

The associates who volunteer outside of work hours earn “Met Bucks” they can use as currency at the “Met Mall” to purchase t-shirts, hats and other gifts. Each year the Metcalf bank associates spend over 5,000 hours helping the community not-for-profit, educational, civic and social organizations.

In addition to getting associates busy in the community Metcalf Bank supports many community events and initiatives. This is how we at the Volunteer Center of Johnson County have come to know and appreciate their community support. Metcalf Bank has been a supporter of our event The Volunteer of the Year for many years. When Metcalf Bank supports your event you know that they mean it.

There is one initiative of Metcalf Bank that demonstrates their commitment to education – “Saving with Mandy and Andy.” This program partners with local grade schools to upgrade financial literacy. By providing this program to local schools Metcalf Bank agrees to pay the expenses of all printed materials to be used. The materials include Teacher’s Guide and student Workbooks, Metcalf Bank will offer to do a classroom visit with a speaker and do bank tours at a location convenient to the school.

Metcalf Bank is also a strong supporter of Chambers of Commerce, civic clubs, the arts and many community events. They truly are the neighborhood bank. While it is difficult to articulate the many gifts of Metcalf Bank it is not difficult to find people from every walk of life who can tell you a story about how Metcalf Bank changed their lives. It is often this neighborhood bank that makes school loans to folks who believe that they would not have otherwise been able to go to college. It is often the wise decisions of Metcalf Bank that make loans for homes and for business ventures possible when others would not. This wisdom and willingness to support this community is what most resembles that savings and loan in Bedford Falls depicted in the movie. A neighborhood bank supporting the community one family at a time – moving the family, the neighborhoods and the community forward. Metcalf Bank offers us this basic truth of life that we all would like to believe—that each of us, no matter how apparently insignificant, has the power to make a difference, and that the measure of our humanity has nothing to do with fame or money, but with how we live our life and conduct business on a day to day basis. This community is what it is today because of the gifts of Metcalf Bank.

Maryann King

Many people lost everything after the hurricanes this year. Maryann King lives in Saddlebag Lake Resort in Lake Wales, FL in a park of 800 homes or trailers. The three hurricanes completely demolished 150 homes and damaged all the others. She and her husband, Bill, had to flee the hurricanes, but they returned each time to help others who lost their homes or had a lot of damage.

King was in danger of losing everything just like others in the community, but she came back to help others. She and her husband worked diligently to help clean up as well as doing other things needed to help them through the restoration process. King was available to assist with reports of damages and also to help others take it a step further.

King hired workmen to clean up the debris, trees, branches and paid for it until she could be reimbursed. She also called churches and companies to volunteer to come to the park to work along with her husband. She made Sloppy Joes, Bar-b-queue pork sandwiches and other food for up to 30 people at a time. She paid for the food herself. She sends pictures of the places to those residents who cannot readily go home to their homes. King has even let people stay in her motor home while their places were being repaired.

It is amazing that King and her husband are so selfless and giving even in the midst of their own difficulties; however, it is most remarkable that King is 80 years old. Though she is a mature adult, King works to provide assistance and peace of mind to many out of state families, and food and assistance to many workers at the time of the emergency.

Grace United Methodist Church

The Faith Weaver (FW) Friends group at Grace United Methodist Church (GUMC) in Hastings is beginning their third year of service to schoolchildren in the community.

A group of volunteers let by Christian Education Coordinator Lori Christy implemented a school year program that provides a safe and nurturing environment after school every Wednesday.

The church’s location within a mile of three of Hastings’ elementary schools contributes to the program’s success. Each week a group of caring volunteers, led by Mrs. Christy and Pastors James Miller and Lee Wigert, provide after school homework assistance. The volunteers also cook and serve supper, and lead practices for activities including voice and bell choirs.

The innovative project combined the needs of children who may not otherwise have adult supervision after school with the gifts of retired teachers and other dedicated volunteers who are willing to share their time to make a difference in the lives of children. The outreach of this church to children is nothing new for Grace as the facility has also served as home to Pooh Corner West daycare in a partnership with the Adams County Child Development Council for more than 20 years.

The pocket dictionary defines grace as “seemingly effortless beauty, ease, and charm of movement or form” and the staff and volunteers of GUMC put that definition into action through their FW Friends program for not just members of the church but any child in the community