Joan Mueller

Dr. Joan Mueller serves as the volunteer Executive Director of Project Welcome Sudanese Refugee Community—an organization that she founded in 2002. Developed to respond to desperate needs of children in the Sudanese community. Project Welcome now funds a full time Social Services Director, as summer school, summer math and vocabulary camps, in-home tutoring, at-school tutoring, and an after-school homework club. Benchmarks measuring the program’s success are overwhelmingly impressive:

The Project has raised more than $70,000 to pay for airline tickets—Sudanese refugees have to sign promissory notes paying back their airline fare to come to America. This debt is between $4,000-$5,000 for a family of six and affects credit, the ability to find housing, transportation, etc. Numerous “runner” cars have been purchased for families who need transportation for work.

Health and human services forms are processed for housing, food stamps, energy assistance, and Medicaid. Five Project Welcome families now own their own homes. Four more families are eligible for and have applied for a Habitat for Humanity home or rent-to-own programs.

Dr. Mueller designs individualized educational programming for each child. Project Welcome children participate in the Project Welcome Summer school, math camps and vocabulary camps keeping these children reading and off the streets during the summer months. Dr. Mueller coordinates a network of hundreds of volunteers to fund and staff this program. Dr. Mueller does not have an operating budget or a corporate sponsor for this program. She operates entirely through donations and through small grants.

When asked how she manages all this and her full-time professorship at Creighton University, Sr. Joan simply says: “Without Project Welcome, these children would be at grave risk. We cannot lose this first generation of Sudanese children to poverty and violence.”

The Heymann Family

The Heymann family has been involved with the American Red Cross. Their sustained commitment began three years ago upon Stephen’s return from a Red Cross Youth Leader’s Conference in Atlanta. He joined with Bill Sullivan to start a youth program at the Southwest Florida Chapter. Stephen was privileged to become a founding member and officer of the Youth Corps and Chairman of the Youth Council. He recruited his Mom, Diana, who through many hours of volunteer service became Director of the Youth Council and eventually Director of Youth Services. His brother, Andrew, became involved as a Youth Advisor and worked as a Summer Intern for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Department. His Dad, Bill helped in the post hurricane recovery efforts. Andrew and Diana also became certified CPR and First Aid Instructors to teach safety to the youth and to the community.

The Red Cross volunteer activities have been very meaningful to the Heymann family. They have taken classes in Disaster Services, Damage Assessment, Logistics, Shelter Operations, Mass Care, Family Services, First Aid, CPR, and AED Defibrillation. The Heymanns have always expressed gratitude for their training in disaster preparedness and response. They have always demonstrated a profound respect for the workers and volunteers who are on call 24/7 to help with disasters and with other agencies that are first responders.

Their training was utilized during several emergencies. During the summer of 2003, there was severe flooding in eastern Sarasota County. They were involved with loading, serving and transporting meals to residents forced to vacate their flood-ravaged homes. This last summer, after having received additional certifications, they were involved with other areas of emergency response for victims of four hurricanes. They were able to set up and work in shelters, prepare and distribute food, and help with logistics and damage assessment. The magnitude of the disaster affected all of them. They talked about how hard it was to see the mass destruction of homes and businesses and to see the vacant stares of children who had lost everything. They worked hard with the Youth Corps in a very difficult situation. They were humbled by the appreciation of the families that they helped. They were appreciative of the training they received and they realized how much they were needed.

The Heymann family talked about the close connection they felt towards the people in the shelters who had lost everything. They knew that feeling well. Twelve years ago on Miami, they lost their home and Hurricane Andrew destroyed their neighborhood. Stephen and Andrew remember the loss of their favorite climbing tree. Bill and Diana remember the frustration and stress of trying to rebuild and loss of possessions. They also remember how much the Red Cross helped. They have been a great encouragement to those who suffered a similar loss. The Heymann family has expressed a renewed sense of purpose and an appreciation for being able to help as they were once helped. Through the leadership of the Heymann family, the Youth Corps has grown from 5 members to over 100 who are being trained to respond to emergencies.

Frank Sanchez

Frank Sanchez is extremely active in his Tampa, Florida community. From a local standpoint his service is diverse reaching all facets of the community and widespread throughout Hillsborough County. Sanchez is a Board Member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, The Foundation of St. Joseph’s Hospitals, The Community Development Corporation of Tampa and The ChairScholars Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Crisis Center, Habitat For Humanity, Heartbeat International, Wheels for Success, Community Tampa Bay and the Earth Charter. He has also served as a mentor for the Hillsborough Education Association.

Sanchez is the chief negotiator for the Community Development Corporation (CDC) of Tampa. The East Tampa neighborhood has, for years, been a poverty striken, crime-ridden neglected part of town. Through the work of dedicated leaders like Sanchez, the CDC is committed to revitalizing this area bringing businesses, jobs and affordable housing for residents. The economic boost that thriving businesses provide will reduce crime and bring this community back to the proud neighborhood it once was.

Recently, Mr. Sanchez was elected President of the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding. It is perhaps because of his professional work in more than thirty countries around the world and his commitment to serve others, regardless of race, ethnicity or religious background, that he works on health, education and cultural initiatives in the U.S., India and countries in Africa through the Patel Foundation.

His love of children is what drives him to volunteer countless hours to Tampa’s youth. Sanchez is an active Board Member of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. This organization has been committed to provide a safe place for youth to learn and grow, and has had Sanchez’s heart, money and time for many years. Mr. Sanchez recently completed three years as a mentor at his alma mater, Hillsborough High School, on behalf of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. In 2003, he became involved with the quest for a bone marrow donor for a young Hispanic leukemia victim. Frank donated his time to this effort by making pleas in the local Hispanic media to encourage Hispanics to become part of the donor bank.

Jim Bannerman

Dr. Jim Bannerman is a retired engineer and math professor. His career was spent educating and building; however, he has chosen to do similar for the youth in Daytona Beach with his new career as a volunteer. Dr. Bannerman has dedicated his energy to tutoring students in a variety of studies through Daytona Beach Community College, The Volusia Literacy Council and Reality House.

Reality House is a 110-bed adult male residential substance abuse treatment program. Reality House provides a foundation for change for individuals who want to live a productive life without the use of drugs and alcohol. The facility relies heavily on volunteers to provide the level of care and services necessary to meet client needs.

Dr. Bannerman volunteers his knowledge, abilities, and expertise to help the clients of Reality House. And through Dr. Bannerman’s service, lives are being changed. He is helping the clients to build a new foundation for a better life while educating them on making better choices so they can be productive members of society.

No one can describe the significance and effect of Dr. Bannerman’s service better than one who has benefited from it. One of his students said, “Dr. Bannerman’s impact on the quality of life in the community is tremendous. Besides tutoring me in an area no other tutor would go – Calculus – he also helped me to determine a career. He had an impact on my emotions as well. Being an inmate of the State of Florida Department of Corrections, society looks down on you and you tend to feel less human. But Dr. Bannerman treated me with respect and dignity. He gave me direction and hope as well as knowledge.”

Dr. Bannerman continues to change lives and make Florida a better state through his service at Reality House. He doe not volunteer for accolades, but many of the staff continuously thank him and encourage him to continue because he is making a difference, one life at a time.

Linda Brown

Reaching out to the homeless has been the focus of Linda Brown. The Agape Clubhouse is the only program for the homeless in West Volusia County, Florida. Brown directs and runs this day program for the homeless and the chronically physically and mentally disabled.

The Agape Clubhouse is a haven for those in the community who are “down on their luck.” There, the homeless are able to shower, wash clothes, and have a good breakfast and lunch five days a week. Brown is responsible for directing these efforts and also helps individuals obtain healthcare services. In addition, Brown writes grants and solicits funds to keep the Agape Clubhouse in operation.

In addition to her work at the Agape Clubhouse, Brown is also a board member of the Volusia County Coalition for the Homeless. She is very active in advocating for the homeless and uses her position to make changes. Brown also coordinates the coalition’s West Side Task Force and she assists with Interfaith’s Kitchen and Cold Weather Shelter.

Brown is an outstanding volunteer and has touched the hundreds of homeless in the DeLand, Florida community. Her work has enabled many to have a safe place to sleep, obtain emergency services and to get much needed meals. As a result of her commitment to the homeless in her community, Brown was chosen as Volusia County’s winner for the Volunteer of the Year in the Outstanding Individual Adult Category.

Wayne Murray

Wayne Murray started volunteering for Mid-Florida Housing Partnership Palmetto House in 1995. The Majority of his 50 hours a month of volunteer time is donated to helping the homeless at Palmetto House, a transitional housing shelter.

Murray is fortunate and does not have to worry about where his next meal will come from or where he will sleep at night. Because he knows he is very fortunate to have the necessities and some of his wants in life, Murray dedicates much of his volunteer service to the homeless.

He knows the importance of a hot meal, and Murray helps in feeding the guests that live at Palmetto House. Murray bys supplies and regularly brings bread to the house at least twice a week. Because of his determination and hard work, an evening feeding program at Palmetto House was established. Murray coordinates this endeavor and organizes the work of volunteers from area churches to offer this seven-day a week evening meal to those in need.

The very scope of Murray’s community involvement is overwhelming, as he devotes all his energy to helping the homeless. He has such a genuine concern for the homeless that Murray was instrumental in establishing the coalition for the Homeless. He volunteers for Halifax Urban ministries, responding to emergency needs of hungry, homeless, and low income individuals and families. He also volunteers at Serenity House, which provides a program for the rehabilitation of substance abusers through their return to society as productive citizens.

Kim Hallmark

In 2002 Kim Hallmark, as a member of the Junior League of Morgan County, began a 4 year placement serving on the Board of Directors of PACT (Parents and Children Together). The first year she served on the board, the second year as the Vice-President and the third year as President and this year (2005-2006) serves as the Ex Officio Board member. JLMC requires its active members to volunteer a minimum of 30 hours per year. Hallmark consistently goes above and beyond her required 30 hours of service per year. While serving as a PACT Board member she has worked tirelessly to promote Child Abuse Prevention in her community.

In addition to her commitment to Junior League, Hallmark also volunteers in the community through several other organizations. She is involved with the Decatur Jaycees, Decatur Assembly and serves as a Decatur/Morgan County Chamber of Commerce Commodore. Through Jaycees, Hallmark was instrumental in the planning and organization of the annual Christmas parade for 8 years. And, as a Jaycee has been a driving force since the inception of RIVERFEST, overseeing its growth over the past 12 years to one of the largest community festivals in the Southeast. As a Decatur Assembly member since 2003, Hallmark has worked on preparations for the PACT Ball, an annual fund-raiser for child abuse prevention in Morgan County. As a Chamber Commodore since 2005, Hallmark serves as a liaison between the Chamber and the business community.

Hallmark takes action and initiative with every project she takes on. She is constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas to make things run more smoothly. She is constantly thinking outside the box to come up with different ways to tackle tasks and to breathe life into old projects and fundraisers.

Through her volunteerism with PACT, there were countless individuals impacted by Hallmark’s commitment to the community. She constantly gave the Junior League updates on PACT’s community involvement during all of the general membership meetings. Hallmark was actually serving as a JLMC Golden Active member which meant she only had to attend two general membership meetings per year; however, she was always there to keep the membership current on the happenings at PACT as well as the other organizations she is involved with.

She faced some challenges last year at PACT with the ever decreasing availability of funding. During this time, she assisted in streamlining their office but not decreasing service to the community. The desired results of still promoting Child Abuse Prevention to all of Morgan County have continued despite funding cuts. Her service was critical to the board during this time.

Hallmark always tackles every job she is given with 100%. She is always coming up with new and innovative ideas to raise more revenue for whatever charity she is working on. Whenever Hallmark is in charge, you can breathe easier knowing she will get the job done and it will be done correctly. Her community is a better place because of all the hard work and dedication Hallmark gives year after year.

Karl Flagg

Karl N. Flagg is the Mayor for the city of Palatka, the pastor of Mount Tabor First Baptist Church and the owner & director of the Serenity Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. With a schedule as his, you would wonder how he finds the time to render volunteer acts of kindness or service.

Rev. Flagg is always taking the time to encourage our youth to strive for excellence. He is a mentor for the middle school students in Putnam County and is a constant visitor to the sick at the local hospital. Rev. Flagg does not know how to say “NO”. He is the epitome of a godly man that lets his light shine so that others will see the goodness and want to follow him. The senior citizens all marvel over his ability to communicate and understand their needs. He is a counselor and a conflict mediator. He volunteers on the ministerial task force to go out in the neighborhoods to help deter acts of crimes. He helps set policy that will enable the citizens of Putnam County to have a better way and more productive life.

The benefits of these efforts could be measured in the number of students that attend Mount Tabor First Baptist Church that passed the FCAT test with significant gains. Another benefit would be the decrease in the number of crimes reported in Putnam County. Another benefit would be that Palatka is listed on the historical registry and under the leadership of Rev. Flagg, the citizens all have a high regard for this young man and respect his opinions. He encourages others to work hard, dream big and never take your eyes off of your goal.

Rev. Flagg is a visionary leader and he sets high expectations for himself. He encourages others to think out of the box. He is unusual in that he never complains and is a master at juggling all the things that he does and still find the time to help his fellow man.

Dorothy Murphy

Dorothy Murphy is a model citizen as well as an exemplary volunteer. She dedicates her life to helping people, and she is involved with Foster Care and Development Services. Foster Care and Development Services provides residents of Daytona Beach necessary services for groups that are sometimes overlooked.

Most people who are residents of Daytona Beach and are a part of the nonprofit sector are familiar with Murphy. On a daily basis, she does a variety of things to help her family and friends as well as anyone else in need. She takes the time to aid people in the community who have transportation issues. On any given day, you may see Murphy taking someone to the grocery store or to much needed doctor appointments. Murphy has a genuine concern for people in general. She is like family to many who do not have a great support network and visits people in the hospital almost daily. Murphy provides companionship and conversation while also making sure they eat.

Murphy takes the time to serve in Daytona Beach, while also raising her granddaughters and supplying them with the love and attention she needs. Her life not only touches people in the community, but her granddaughters are watching every move she makes. Seeing her making the time to volunteer shows that it is important to her, and she hopes to pass on community service to them also.

Many of the business owners in the Daytona Beach area appreciate Murphy and the time she gives to the community. She is concerned with her others and does not just talk about it. Murphy is a woman of action and has community members she regularly checks up on at their homes to make sure they are in good health and doing the things they need to. If she finds something that may be a little more for her to handle, Murphy finds the appropriate service agency and directs her neighbors to the same.

Jana Busby

Jana Busby has been a volunteer with the Decatur Police Department for the past 4 years, and she has worked hard to change the lives of Decatur youth. The Police Department sponsors the Special Olympics and the ACES program. Both programs help disadvantaged youth.

The Alternative Choices Education Systems (ACES) Program is a summer program, which is designed to give children in Decatur’s low-income areas a choice to avoid becoming involved with drugs and violence. This program builds self-esteem, teaches teamwork, and teaches financial management. Children earn ACES dollars for completing projects, being on time, and working as a team. Children from several neighborhoods (Boys and Girls Clubs, Alta Vista, East Acres, McCartney Park, and Sunset) participate in the program.

Busby volunteered approximately 124 hours for the 2003-04 year. Seventy-five percent of those hours were with the ACES program. The remaining twenty-five percent of those hours were spent volunteering for children with mental and physical challenges. She volunteered with these students at both Austin and Decatur High School during the school year.

Busby’s job with the ACES program was to be a tutor and mentor. Each day of the week was assigned a different activity. The children traveled everywhere everyday by bus. Busby took roll and did head counts every time they rode the bus (which was several times a day). She supervised the group when they toured businesses, stored, cleaned, and set-up equipment, baited the hooks of all of the fishing poles, helped with arts and crafts, spent several hours every Friday riding down waterslides with kids who needed attention or who didn’t have a friend to ride with.

The children served by ACES are the most vulnerable kids who are in need of time and attention the most. Busby taught them about honesty, fairness, and consistency. She was there every day every summer. She watched them grow from elementary school to middle school. Busby had to earn the trust and respect of the clients. They were a diverse group and looked at her as an outsider who was getting paid to entertain them. However, they found out she was there because she wanted to be and was a volunteer.

Busby had to learn how to have empathy. She had to work very hard to win them over. She worked with about 5-10 police officers and probably over 500 children each summer. The impact of the program was to let the kids know that someone was there for them. People who have more (economically) still care about those who may not be in their same situation.

Busby is a senior at Decatur High School. She has received the Gold Pin from the Volunteer Center for achieving over 100 hours of community service while also participating in NHS, gymnastics, Cross Country team, Karate, and cheerleading.