MENTORING CHILDREN OF PRISONERS (MCOP)

Approximately 7,500 young people in Minnesota have at least one parent who is incarcerated according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. In Hennepin and Ramsey counties, an estimated 3,270 children have a parent in a facility operated by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. These children attend school, play sports and have dreams, just like their peers. However, they are 70 percent more likely to become incarcerated themselves. MCOP, a program offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Greater Twin Cities provides these children with caring adult friends to ensure a positive future.

In 2004, BBBS served more than 140 children in its MCOP program and has surpassed its 2005 match goal of 75, having paired 90 children with a caring adult between January and June. Partnering with Search Institute, the Council on Crime and Justice and the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, BBBS only has a $150,000 3-year grant to use in matching and supporting these children. Bigs receive additional support and training and MCOP matches interact on a regular basis to lean grow and support each other.

MCOP program Bigs do all the things other Big Brothers and Sisters do. They meet their Littles two to four times per month, participate in fun activities and become a source of support and encouragement. In addition, BBBS provides MCOP mentors with special training, support and opportunities to connect with other matches experiencing similar joys and challenges. For children of prisoners, having another responsible, caring adult in their lives is imperative. A trusting relationship with a Big provides stability for the child and reassurance for parents.

BBBS works with children between the ages of 7 and 13. At this young age, children are open and impressionable. A Big can make all the difference when a child is heading into the difficult adolescent years. Bigs and Littles can remain in the program until the Little graduates from high school, however many matches last a lifetime.

Children with a Big Brother or Sister are 52 percent more likely to attend school. They are also 46 percent less likely to use drugs, 27 percent less likely to use alcohol and 30 percent less likely to hit someone—all behaviors that might start a child on the road to incarceration. Through MCOP, BBBS is building a stronger society by breaking the cycles of violence, chemical abuse and school dropout rates. By having contact with a caring adult, children have someone to talk to, ask questions of, listen to them and show them that history need not repeat itself.

UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY ASSOCIATION – PROJECT SUCCESS

Project SUCCESS is a unique service-learning program in which youth with and without disabilities use community service activities to apply academic lessons to the world beyond the classroom. The Project SUCCESS curriculum addresses team building, diversity, effective communication skills, civic leadership, accessing community needs and community service. Through the curriculum, students learn how to assess the needs and problems of their community and work together to create solutions. In many cases, Project SUCCESS leads to a long-term solution because students from the program experience the importance of service learning and continue to give back to their community.

Historically, youth with disabilities are the recipients of service and rarely seen as possible service providers. Because of this viewpoint, many young people have been prevented from accessing the valuable personal and professional opportunities provided from the experience of serving. Project SUCCESS offers all youth a chance to experience the benefits of volunteerism. By building on the skills that each member possesses to overcome societal and personal limitations, the students in Project SUCCESS can create an environment where diversity and individualism are celebrated.

UCPA of San Diego launched Project SUCCESS in December of 1997. Currently, the project is held at eleven school and community sites in the San Diego Area. During the 2004-2005 school year, over 215 students completed 160 service projects and volunteered over 2,500 hours. Nearly half of those students are young people with disabilities. Every year new students are invited to participate in the program. This ongoing enrollment leaves room for more students to learn the importance of service learning. Project SUCCESS is funded through the UCP and is paid for through fundraising events, local and state grants.

Through this project young people are given the opportunity to contribute to their own communities while at the same time learning about the value of inclusion and volunteerism. Past service projects include visiting the Children’s Convalescent Hospital and nursing homes, beach clean-ups, graffiti paint-outs, sponsoring a can food drive for the San Diego food bank, organizing a book drive for a local library, holding fund-raisers to support local charities, making cards and crafts for military and elderly and participating in local events such as Martin Luther King Day festivities with Volunteer San Diego. Through evaluations and feedback from the community, it has been demonstrated that project SUCCESS has made an impact on the youth volunteers and their community.

Project SUCCESS involves innovative and unique ways for youth to give back to their community. The all inclusive model and curriculum help students to choose service projects that will improve their community and impact serious social problems. Project SUCCESS recently started an interactive website, (www.sdprojectsuccess.org) which illustrates various service projects students have been involved in and is helpful for teachers who want to start a Project SUCCESS Site at their school.

AMY HALL

Amy has volunteered many hours to the GC&SU Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is a national fundraiser where dancers (college students) raise money by securing donations and pledges in advance. One hundred percent of those funds will stay local to benefit hospitalized kids in the local community.

Her passion to want to give back to the community as well as specifically help sick children has helped her coordinate the first annual GC&SU Dance Marathon Fundraising event as well as to develop the GC&SU Dance Marathon Registered Student Organization on campus. She worked so hard to meet with the correct people to help make this event happen. She met with the Student Government Association to become an official Registered Student Organization on campus. She met with the Children’s Medical Hospital staff in Macon and GC&SU staff members to assist her in making this even happen. She did have some trying times in the beginning and during the process of planning our first GC&SU Dance Marathon.

Through all of Amy’s determination, commitment and hard work this past February her dream came true and the first Dance Marathon was held on campus. The event attracted 30 participants, raised over $300, and had four Miracle children and their families to attend the event. A miracle child is a child who has been to the Children’s Medical Hospital. Amy had an executive committee of between 6-10 students that helped assist her to plan this event.

Amy attends monthly meetings and represents her program well. She also attends leadership workshops and meetings so that she can become the best student coordinator she can be and to make herself a better leader. Her program has received the Student Coordinated program of the month from The GIVE Center as well as received the student coordinator of the month and for the semester. She has also been named the Individual for the semester from the GIVE Center. This April during volunteer appreciation month one day will be in honor of her and Dance Marathon.

AETNA EMPLOYEES REACHING OUT (AERO) HIGH POINT

Community spirit and civic leadership make Aetna’s High Point, NC office a rewarding workplace. Through events organized by its active Aetna Volunteer Council, it has brought hope and help to battered women, senior citizens, cancer patients and countless others. In recent years, employees have biked, donated cell phones, made beautiful blankets, and performed countless other caring acts. In 2004, they organized a weeklong program honoring Dr. Charles R. Drew, an African American physician who broke new ground in blood collection and plasma processing. Besides galvanizing the office and bringing community attention to blood donation, especially in the African American community, the program generated 162 pints of blood from community drives.

High Point employees donated an impressive 1,700 hours to group employee events in 2004. The office represents three percent of Aetna employees, yet it accounts for 13 percent of Aetna’s group volunteer hours. High Point employees also donated more than 200 pints of blood, or five times more blood per capita than the average American.

“Once you volunteer, you’re hooked,” says Kathy Matthews, a member of the volunteer council. “It puts a positive face on Aetna in the community, but also I think it gives employees a sense of pride and accomplishment, something to remember in their work with our customers and fellow employees.” In recent years, community groups have recognized the office’s contributions. In April 2005, Project Linus – a nonprofit that makes handmade blankets and quilts and distributes them to children in need – presented the High Point office with an award for corporate citizenship. Thanks to the Council’s impressive volunteer record and the Aetna Foundation’s Community Grants Program, Aetna also has been recognized by the Corporate Volunteer Connection of Greensboro as the number one company in the area for its employee volunteerism commitment

In 2003, the American Cancer Society named the office a local “Team of the Year” for its fundraising, creativity and enthusiasm in the annual Relay for Life. It was selected from more than 5,500 teams in the region. Organizers involved the entire workplace, raising $36,790 with management challenges, “dress down” days, giveaways, walker sponsor donations and a walker autograph signing party. “Every day we help customers whose lives have been touched by cancer, and it’s a privilege to do whatever we can do to help battle this disease,” said Donna Murray, who chaired survivor activities.

Many employees also volunteer on the cancer society’s event planning committees and chair some events, including an Easter care basket project for patients at a local cancer center. Our goal was to provide baskets to the patients confined at the center,” said Murray. “We had such an outpouring of generosity that we were able to supply baskets to all confined patients and deliver an additional 28 baskets for outpatients.”

The desire to help others can be explained simply, according to Angela Wall, who co-chairs the local Aetna Volunteer Council: “I love to serve. I love to help someone else.”

LISA BASSICK

For the past five years, Lisa has facilitated PCAVT’s Nurturing Parents Program, a free 15-week educational program for at-risk families with young children. During that period, her volunteerism has impacted dozens of families.

Some of the parents in the Nurturing Parents program attend at the direction of the court system while others attend voluntarily to improve their communication and parenting skills. The program’s goal is to prevent – or break – the cycle of abusive behavior in families and to give parents the tools they need to raise strong, healthy, happy children. Publicized in local newspapers, in pediatrician’s offices, and in other places where families get together, the Nurturing Parents Program is held one night a week, often in both the spring and the fall. The weekly sessions include a simple dinner and supervised activities for the children while the parents are in the program.

During the program, Lisa helps parents learn from discussion, activities, presentations, videotapes, and home practice. Some topics of discussion are what children think and feel, what to expect from children at different ages, how to deal with little frustrations before they become big ones, how to recognize and deal with children’s feelings and needs, and how to recognize and attend to their own feelings and needs.

Lisa’s time, talent and passion to help local families by supporting the overall organizational goals of PCAVT as well by providing, developing and advancing child abuse prevention and treatment programs. She informs Vermonters about child abuse prevention and promotes their participation in prevention. She also assists in the development of improved child abuse prevention treatment policies.

She receives volunteer training from Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and is responsible for pre- and post- program planning under the direction of the organization’s staff. In addition, Lisa volunteers her time for PCAVT to campaign Vermont legislators to include adequate state funding for programs to benefit children and families, and she raises funds and awareness through the organization’s annual walk-a-thon.

Ms. Bassick’s employer, C&S Wholesale Grocers, selected her as the company’s first annual Volunteer of the Year recipient, during National Volunteer Week 2005. She is a great example of “Inspiring By Example!”

EDSON O. PARKER

Since 1988, Dr. Parker has volunteered his time on a regular basis to the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Program. This local chapter of the Salvation Army has been active in the community providing an addiction treatment program to more than 600 individuals annually who are, for the most part, addicted to drugs and alcohol, homeless, unemployed, destitute, malnourished, and in general poor health.

Dr. Parker has volunteered his time on almost every Sunday morning for the last 16 years, providing medical services to new arrivals and continuing care (sick call) to program residents. These pro-bono services are much needed as new arrivals need to be screened for illnesses requiring treatment, diseases that may be contagious, and other maladies for which prescriptions need to be written. These people are normally homeless, without medical coverage, and would flood local emergency facilities were it not for the services of Dr. Parker. He provides referrals when specialized medical care is indicated, recommends and sponsors emergency dental care to relieve pain and expedites services need for dual diagnosis clients from Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health. He ensures a continuing supply of necessary medications for individuals arriving from Clark County Detention Center without their sustaining prescribed medications. Lastly, Dr. Parker leaves a sizeable personal check on a regular basis to pay for the prescriptions he writes and dental care he endorses.

His personal efforts have provided a valuable service to the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Program, and have allowed persons to alleviate pain and suffering, as well as provided necessary medical attention to some of the most devastated residents of this community. His unending dedication and tireless efforts have been a tremendous help in overcoming obstacles to program entry imposed by health issues and concerns. He has been a constant advocate of “stop smoking cigarettes” initiatives and a nicotine cessation program. He has championed everything the program does to improve the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health of every Clark County resident touched by the Adult Rehabilitation Program. He is truly a vital member of the team, a responsible citizen of this community, and a very caring person.

THE JEWISH HOME & CARE CENTER GIFT SHOP VOLUNTEERS

The Jewish Home and Care Center volunteers in the Gift Shop are few in number but the scope of this group of caring volunteers is vast. For the Jewish Home’s Gift Shop is more than a place to buy a card, a gift of candy bar. The Gift Shop is a place to visit, to share and to be assured of a smile and a friendly greeting. Open six days a week, the shop serves the residents of the Home, residents of the Chai Point Retirement Center, the staff teams of those facilities, family members and visitors.

The Home’s Gift Shop is unique in its 100 percent volunteer staff. Volunteers coordinate the buying and stocking of shelves, do the bookkeeping and go to the bank, mark items and create displays and even dust the shelves when necessary. The Gift Shop Volunteers are deeply committed to using every penny of the profits of the shop to provide services to the residents, and many work multiple days a week to make this possible. The Gift Shop profits are added to the funds of Hand in Hand (the Women’s Service Auxiliary of the Home) to support programs such as the monthly birthday parties, flowers for new residents, the Home’s ceramics program, holiday programming, the aviary in the Home’s lobby and other programs as needed. The Gift Shop volunteers like to say that they have “the little shop that makes a difference,” and this difference can be seen on the faces of residents both as they visit the shop and enjoy programs partly made possible from the shop profits.

With this important mission, one would think that sales are of primary importance in the gift shop. However, many customers don’t buy anything. Instead, they visit to find a friendly smile, a listening ear, and a hug and pat on the back when needed. Volunteers also “go the extra mile” for our residents, often acting as personal shoppers to find a special candy bar or package of cookies (all kosher, of course). Buyer and Gift Shop Chair Della Bornstein has developed a large children’s section of items of all price ranges so that grandchildren and great grandchildren can receive gifts when they visit.

The shop and its team of 15-20 volunteers (at any one time) have served residents for more than 25 years. All profits from the Shop go to the Hand in Hand account in the Jewish Home and Care Center Foundation to support resident programming. Profits from the Shop are not used for paid staff. The Jewish Home and Care Center Gift Shop donates between $5,000 and $8,000 each year to the Hand in Hand fund.

LARRY SIEVERS

There is a man who read in the newspaper about a unique school in Indianapolis. The next day he came down to the school and asked how he could help out. And that’s how it started…

Since then Larry Sievers, retired CFO, has been a steadfast volunteer of The Oaks Academy. This small Christ-centered school provides a rich, classical education to children of diverse cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Our goal is to prepare and launch them into a rigorous secondary educational program and to demonstrate spiritual, social and emotional maturity.

The Oaks started with little money, only 52 students (now 240) and a great deal of hope that our students would prevail and restore the community by the resources of the community.

For the past three years Larry has provided indispensable service to the school. He managed the school’s first-ever independent audit, developed our first-ever staff handbook, advises school leadership on all financial matters, consistently offers new ideas, contacts and insight to better our school’s management. On average, Larry is with us from 20-30 hours a week with each time driving about 15 miles to and from the urban school.

Larry’s work ethic is exceptional, his attitude is great, his demeanor is quiet and confident and his presence is friendly. He’s a kind man with such an incredible host of gifts to share with the school. Students and staff are so thankful for his continued, unwavering dedication to be part of this special school.

CHARLOTTE BUCHANAN

A high school honors student, Charlotte single-handedly created and launched an innovative program called SeniorConnect, which utilizes mainstream computer technology to improve the lives of senior citizens. SeniorConnect has now been up and running for seven months and has proven to be so successful that it has been adopted by a local charitable agency as a formal, funded program. Charlotte’s initiative, simple in concept and initially small in scale, demonstrates how one high school student can make a substantial difference in the loves of others.

As a 4-year volunteer at a local assisted living facility, Charlotte developed a first hand understanding of the needs of senior citizens living apart from family and friends. Charlotte’s innovative program addresses a vitally important quality of life issue for the senior population: communication. Staying connected through regular communication prevents feelings of isolation and increases a sense of belonging. Charlotte’s SeniorConnect program helps seniors remain in touch with friends and family using current, low-cost technology. It offers flexibility in terms of location, creating a comfortable situation in which seniors can communicate at their own pace and on their own terms.

SeniorConnect involves volunteers helping seniors stay connected through the Internet. Charlotte spends time with seniors at regular intervals, composing and sending their messages to friends and loved ones using laptop technology. SeniorConnect benefits both physically disabled seniors as well as those that are technology-wary. Neither group is required to touch the computer. Instead they dictate their messages to Charlotte or another trained volunteer, who transcribes their words into a message composed on a laptop. Laptop Technology allows volunteers to go from room to room, working with residents who are not mobile or do not wish to leave their rooms. From the laptop, received messages from loved ones are shared and, depending on the format, can be printed on the spot, allowing seniors to save cherished correspondence.

SeniorConnect is inclusive and adaptable, allowing all residents to participate. Residents benefit from the regular communication with friends and family; moreover, they enjoy the interactions with volunteers and the personal, meaningful relationships that develop.

Launched in September 2004, SeniorConnect has proven to be extremely successful in the months that it has been in operation. This past January, hoping to expand the program’s reach, Charlotte approached several charitable agencies about working together to launch the program at other assisted living facilities. Realizing the program’s potential for making a real difference in the loves of the elderly, the Greater Manchester NH chapter of the Red Cross formally adopted the program as one of its offerings. Together, Charlotte and the Red Cross are working to obtain additional funding, train volunteers, and introduce SeniorConnect to other assisted living facilities in the area.

AMERICA WEST AIRLINES DO CREW

The Do Crew, America West’s employee volunteer corps, began in Phoenix in 1997 with just a handful of people who wanted to give back to the community and have fun at the same time. That simple purpose stood the test of time and by July 2001, the Do Crew had expanded to the airline’s hub in Las Vegas.

The Do Crew gives America West employees and their family members an opportunity to get involved in the community. Members can volunteer with nonprofit organizations in the arts and culture, health and human services, education and civic sectors. Do Crew members are proud to say they “do” get involved, “do” have a lot of fun and “do” make new friends at America West and in the community.

Over the years, the Do Crew has participated in a variety of community events, such as Relay for Life, Boys Hope Girls Hope, Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Susan G. Komen Race for Cure, Lied Animal Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, quarterly blood drives with United Blood Services and the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village. With the goal to improve the quality of life in the markets served by the airline, America West believes volunteering is the key to making our community a better place to live and work. The company is extremely proud of the Do Crew’s efforts and continues to seek new opportunities to enhance employee volunteerism.

The Do Crew is fulfilling a need in the community by donating time and resources to a variety of non-profit organizations. Today, more than 1,780 employees are Do Crew members and the group contributes over 2,229 hours annually to non-profit organizations in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Reno.

Not only does America West believe in giving back to the community through employee volunteerism, the airline is also committed to providing financial resources to nonprofit organizations in its hub markets. On behalf of the airline’s corporate giving programs and foundations, $2.5 million is donated annually to organizations in the arts and culture, health and human services, and education and environment sectors.