GEORGE L. BRAMBLE

George began volunteering at this hospital in 1980. Using skills developed in his career, George has been the answer to multiple needs in our hospital community.

Most recently, George demonstrated innovation in his capacity as Treasurer of the volunteer-managed gift shop. Our chairperson fell ill,and we have no replacement. George’s knowledge and ability to creatively work with others has kept us afloat and kept the doors open.

As the Timekeeper for volunteer service hours, George is in tune with the 160-member volunteer staff. Our records are always in order, complete and on time. One thing that particularly impresses me is his willingness to update to computerized spreadsheets. He is still on this educational course, building computer skills and adding to our efficiency.

As Volunteer Board Historian, George works with his wife Verla, to compile an annual historical record of the Auxiliary and its members. He photographs volunteer activities, sharing them with others and creating beautiful history books that are a treasure to those dedicated volunteers whose life and service have been captured within the pages.

In addition, George demonstrates remarkable service as a leader by performing beyond his job descriptions. Recently, George served on a task force. George represented our male volunteer staff, and proved instrumental in successfully implementing a uniform change in January 2004. His example and presence in this traditionally female organization has contributed to other quality gentlemen joining our auxiliary, and assuming leadership roles.

The title “gentleman” perfectly describes the tenderness, concern and exemplary service given by this man over the years. I doubt there is any service that could be asked of him that he would refuse. Perhaps the most important aspect of George’s commendable service is that very special connection with his chaming wife, Verla. Referring back to his now yellowed 23-year old application, George specified, “I will be happy to accept any volunteer assignment available where I may serve with my wife.” they have been married for 62 years. Both have continually served at this facility since that time, and today, they still arrive and depart together.

George is the hospital treasure. He is a deeply spiritual, humble gentleman who seeks no recognition for himself, but gladly gives it to others. He is the type of genuine person who reflects the saying, “good people beget good people.” he has influenced all of us to be better. When asked what feeds his volunteer spirit, George Explained, “It is important to seek God’s Kingdom in our everyday lives. Volunteering may require some sacrifice, but it feeds the soul.”

STEPHANIE ELIZABETH WOMACK

Stephanie enjoys competitive sports. They are exciting and challenging to her. Pole vaulting, jumping hurdles, and playing basketball are some of her favorites. Sports, academics and volunteer activities for church and school help her stay focused. She likes to show other students that drugs, alcohol and tobacco are not the recipe for fun. The formula for success is participation in school, church and community programs to help others.

University of North Texas offers the perfect program for her because she would like to earn a Bachelor’s degree and become a teacher of health and a coach for basketball or track. She looks forward to becoming a teacher and coach so that she can encourage and teach students. There is an obesity epidemic in the United States and she believes that every person needs to help America get fit. Many students don’t know that nutrition and regular exercise can keep them healthy.

She have participated and volunteered to help her school, church and neighborhood. Two of her favorite activities occurred on Super Bowl Sunday. The day included a youth led church service and watching the football game. Being an officer of the youth group, she participate in Habitat for Humanity, mission trips, food and clothing collections and other events. She was the lead coordinator for the youth led worship service that morning. The program included a praise band, youth choir, speakers, video presentations and a sermon. It was a very successful event with fifty-nine students participating. Also, the congregation responded with over $600 for charity. Every student did a wonderful job.

FED EX CORPORATION

Throughout our 65-year history, the March of Dimes has relied on the generosity of the American public to help us pursue our mission of saving babies’ lives. In the past decade, the willingness of corporate America to involve their employees in community service and fund-raising activities that support our cause has enhanced our ability to fund the research, health education and advocacy efforts that help families have healthy babies. FedEx Corporation stands apart as one of our most valued corporate partners. It is with great pleasure that the March of Dimes nominates FedEx Corporation for the Points of Light Award.

As with many of our corporate supporters, FedEx’s involvement with the March of Dimes began at a grassroots level. Since the 1980’s FedEx employees at their Memphis headquarters have banded together each spring to participate in WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes largest annual fund-raising event. As the corporation grew, so did their employee support, and in 2001, FedEx coordinated a national effort to reach out to employees from all operating companies across the country to join the FedEx WalkAmerica team. Assisted by the leadership of dozens of FedEx managers, the FedEx team has grown to over 5,000 members and raised an impressive $1.1 million in 2004.

Personal stories of how our mission has touched their lives are shared by FedEx employees to inspire and motive team members. But these stories also help to spread March of Dimes health education messages to those who might otherwise not hear. FedEx’s dedication to helping us educate the population about the threats posed by premature birth spurred them to become an inaugural national sponsor of our Prematurity Campaign launched in 2003. And this year, FedEx Corporation recognized and rewarded the efforts of thousands of FedEx WalkAmerica team members by becoming a national sponsor of WalkAmerica for the next three years.

Today, two top FedEx executives provide leadership and guidance to the March of Dimes by sitting on our National Board of Trustees and Presidential Advisory Board. The FedEx team is poised to raise $2 million dollars through their participation in WalkAmerica. FedEx further assists our organization with generous donations of in-kind services that allow us to spread our life-saving message to increasing numbers of American families. The support we receive from FedEx Corporation and their employees positively affects every aspect of our organization. Together, we are striving toward our common goal “Safe, on time deliveries.”

GEORGE FEEMAN, Ph.D.

George Feeman is not just an outstanding volunteer; rather he is an exceptional person all around. George could easily have bowed out of volunteering after losing his right hand in a garden accident but instead, he has overcome the many challenges that come with a new handicap later in life, and he continues to share his time and gifts with the community. Overall, George has worked for more than 30 years with teachers and children in k-12 public schools. As a former mathematics professor and as a retired curriculum designer, year after year, he has offered teachers, students and others a wealth of knowledge and, his friendship and guidance. George Feeman is a community champion.

George volunteers his time at the Harrington and Longfellow Elementary schools Monday through Thursday during the school year. George attends the math classes with his students to get a feel for the lesson and then works one on one with students in need of additional assistance. He has been able to closely monitor student’s abilities and challenges through his focus on the classroom requirements and on the individual student’s capacity for learning. George helps out with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes and he assists students in preparing for the MEAP tests. Furthermore, George has created informal testing to evaluate student progress and aims to improve scores by 10-50% over the course of each school year.

Depending on circumstances, George adjusts his activities to meet specific needs. For example, a little boy who was new to America needed an attentive adult to guide him in his academics, his language skills, and culturally through the terrain of his new home. George committed scores of hours to helping him develop.

The teachers describe his contributions as invaluable. George has been lauded as a precious resource to new teachers who deeply appreciate his assistance. Many times, George arrives early on site to help teachers with in-services and curriculum development before connecting with the students. School social worker Theresa Frakes is positively giddy each time she speaks about George.

In addition to tutoring, every Tuesday afternoon George volunteers, alongside his wife Ruby, at Crossroads (an agency assisting individuals recently released from incarceration) in Detroit. George says, “we just help people with troubles find their way.” This seems an understatement when the social services unit at Crossroads, where George contributes his time, helps individuals identify their problems and find solutions through personal and employment counseling.

George Feeman seems super-human, tutoring and mentoring children, and providing direction to troubled adults in his community. Yet, somehow George also finds time to just watch his grandchildren play in sports and maintain his gardens at home. Volunteering is something that George simply loves. Whether tutoring mathematics, guiding a vulnerable student, or assisting to improve the lives of adults with difficulties, George always sees the sun behind the clouds and undoubtedly, his services bring others in our community into the light! He is an inspiration, a Community Champion!

SGT. DALE BARNETT

Sgt. Barnett’s service began when he enrolled in the National Guard shortly after graduating from high school. After completing his service, Sgt. Barnett joined the Payson Volunteer Fire Department, where he as served for over fifty-years, many times leaving his business to respond to fire calls. He is often called upon by the fire department for advice because of his knowledge and expertise. Sgt. Barnett is willing to help, and often volunteers to help before he is asked.

Sgt. Barnett also volunteers for the Utah County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue Jeep Patrol, where he has become proficient in scuba diving, avalanche rescue, tracking, repelling, lake rescue and retrieving lost victims to fulfill his duties as a rescuer. Over the forty-years he has served, Sgt. Barnett has become known for his ability to act quickly and wisely under pressure. He also volunteers at the Peteetneet Academy of Arts & Museum, giving of his time and expertise to help restore the 103-year old building.

Sgt. Barnett’s life has been spent in service. In addition to the services listed above, he has also served as President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, where he helped to install a new water line in Payson. As a Boy Scout leader, he has encouraged many young men to excel in life.

WILLIE FRANCIS CHAMPION SMITH

Willie Francis Champion Smith is a Senior Volunteer at Gause School. She reads with children and sometimes gives one on one assistance. She volunteers in the Gause Community as a friendly visitor to the elderly and ill as well as to newcomers. She also is the President of Texas Extension Education Association of Milam County. She is the member of Gause Community Improvement Program for the betterment of the Gause Community to ensure the safety for the residents.

Willie Francis is currently the President of the Gause Achievers EEA working with all races and creeds. She is also an active member of the EMMAUS-WALK108 Society. She instituted the Gause C.I.P. Hero, which is celebrated at Founder’s Day each year where a Hero is honored. This year at the C.I.P. Christmas Dinner, it was highlighted with the festival of the Christmas Tree with names of veterans and servicemen being placed on the tree by family and friends.

Willie Francis is a Member of Stephen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is the President of the Missionary Society, in which they visit the nursing homes twice a month. She is also a member of the Music Ministry of the Church to inspire more people to celebrate in song. She also teaches Gause Community Bible Study each Wednesday at the Community Center with ten or more in attendance each week. At present the study book is “The Purpose Driven Life.”

As a volunteer, she has shown that cares for the residents of the community. Willie Francis is always looking for more ways to help enhance the environment where residents live. She is one who motivates people to become active in the community because it always feels good to help someone in need. As one can see, Willie Francis Champion Smith is very involved in her community, so therefore she has provided an encouraging contribution to the betterment of our society. She is an inspiration for all.

DOROTHY EPSTEIN

Dorothy Epstein has dedicated her life to community service. She is a leader in the fight for social justice, a champion of the labor movement, a role model, an advocate for women’s rights, a strong proponent of advocacy training and an inspiring voice on behalf of older adults.

Upon retiring at age 76, Dorothy joined the Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults (JPAC), a regional, multi-cultural, grassroots advocacy group and a division of the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA). She brought an extraordinary knowledge of and interest in the issues impacting older adults. She provided guidance on public policy, helped initiate and carry out strategies for action and testified at public hearings. In 1993, Dorothy was named chair of JPAC’s governing advisory committee. At the same time, she was asked to be the only volunteer member of an advisory group for then Commissioner of the NYC Department for the Aging, Prima Mathai-Davis. Dorothy is currently a member of this group, under the present Commissioner.

In 1993, Dorothy worked with JPAC’s advisory committee to create a one-of-a-kind leadership-training program called the Institute for Senior Action. The 10-week advocacy training, which began in 1994, hones the skills of longtime community activists. The Institute serves as a vehicle for recent retirees and others to become more involved in social action as volunteers. Since its inception, 524 senior leaders coming from 347 different organizations have completed the course. These volunteers have returned to their communities and organizations armed with new skills and a renewed sense of purpose and self-confidence that fuels their social action efforts.

At the age of 92, Dorothy continues to lend tremendous expertise to JPAC and its mission of senior action and continues to propose new directions for senior advocacy. Recognizing the importance of bridging the gap between generations, in 1998, Dorothy forged a connection between JPAC and undergraduate students from Hunter College. With her help, this Intergenerational Committee explores common social concerns and strategies to promote activism. Dorothy has also helped to promote the community work of the Hunter School of Health and Sciences. She has been instrumental in helping JPAC promote senior advocacy through use of video and other media forms, recently assisting in the publication of A Tool Kit for Advocacy, a manual written and published by Institute graduates. Recognizing the lessons that can be learned from the lives of older activists, Dorothy spearheaded the Advocate’s Oral History Project. This project highlights the remarkable lives of more than 30 graduates of JPAC’s Institute.

Dorothy Epstein stands as a strong leader in the senior community. Through her personal example, she has enabled older adults and the public at large to recognize the capacity of older persons to grow, create and contribute to society’s well being. She is passionate about senior issues and is equally passionate about working to ensure that older adult activists are adequately prepared and trained to be effective leaders in the fight for social justice.

EDITH J. CLAYTON

Edie impacts everything and everyone at VSA. Unquenchable curiosity draws her to challenges and opportunities that people and events around her provide. Her contagious enthusiasm is particularly helpful to new volunteers who’ve experienced personal crises. She is gifted at satisfying their need for compassion while encouraging them to look forward.

VSA’s CEO compares each of Edie’s contacts to a new-planted cherry stone. After planting this stone, a gardener proceeds to other projects. Fruit trees take years to bear fruit; a busy gardener may thus never see the results of her effort. Edie plants ideas and dreams in people. She tends to hearts needing attention and nurtures positive feelings. Though she’ll never remember every kind thing done or every encouragement given, those she touches “bloom” because of her spirit and care. We see it in others and feel it within ourselves.

Compassion and a desire to help; we observe these in everything Edie does for VSA, other agencies, and individuals. Because much of Edie’s service is in the public eye, she is a visual reminder of the vibrancy, talent, and wisdom that senior citizens can contribute to their communities.

Edie is talented and energetic in many areas of service. She frequently engages in unique activities that complement day-to-day duties. Edie assists Easter Seals with clerical tasks. This summer, she assisted township police by directing spectators to safe locations to watch a fireworks display that Easter Seals sponsored as a fundraiser.

Edie was among the first to enroll in Ohio Citizens Corps. To assist VSA in staffing an emergency Volunteer Reception Center, Edie completed Community Emergency Response Training. She subsequently helped trained scores of additional VRC volunteers. She maintains VSA’s Go Box (essential VRC material/equipment), and after training sessions, restocks depleted supplies.

Edie coordinated recent efforts to enroll volunteers in Citizen Corps, contacting McDonald’s managers to use their restaurants as sign-up locations. She enrolled and trained volunteer recruiters. Edie assists American Heart Association staff with bulk mail projects, assembles Heart Walk participants’ fundraiser kits, and contacts schools to update Association files regarding critical contact information: changes in administrators, addresses, phone numbers, etc.

This spring, Edie answered a Mahoning Safe Communities request to help launch a safety campaign by dressing as a Crash Test Dummy, mingling with local media, posing for photos with first responders, and distributing publicity paraphernalia. At a spring community exposition, she answered visitors’ questions about VSA, its programs, and its volunteers opportunities and promoted sales of VSA’s fund-raiser cookbook. She recently helped VSA inaugurate the Inter-Denominational Youth Coalition, first administratively and later as a volunteer participant. As an RSVP program aide, Edie is invaluable, maintaining up-to-date and according-to-Corporation-standards files. Edie was our natural, immediate choice when a radio talk show host invited a spokesperson to represent VSA in an interview about volunteer service. Edie also serves Volunteer Service to Seniors, helping make one-to-one matches of frail elderly persons living alone with volunteers who assist with day-to-day shopping chores and provide transportation.

GENE CHUN

Philanthropy and volunteerism is an essential part of Gene Chun’s identity. Gene has been committed to volunteering and supporting Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity for over 7 years. He is also committed to helping his community.

Gene spearheaded an internal Delta Airlines campaign to get his co-workers committed to donating their time and efforts to Habitat for Humanity. So far, Gene has donated close to 1500 hours of service to Habitat for Humanity, helping to build many homes in the Salt Lake Valley.

Stella Allen, of Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity says, “When Mr. Chun signed on as a volunteer with our organization, he understood that success comes with responsibility as well as deeply rewarding opportunities. He continues to be swept up in excitement of working along side the families to meet Habitat’s goal of providing housing.”

SONA SHAH

In July 2003, Sona Shah committed one additional year of her life to full-time community service as an AmeriCorps* VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) with barely livable allowance after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in China for over a year, teaching English. She chose SAHELI, an 11-year-old-all-volunteer, support, and advocacy organization for underserved Asian victims of domestic violence in Austin, Texas for her community service.

Community needs and solution: As an all-volunteer organization, volunteer recruitment, training and coordination is extremely important to SAHELI. Equally important and crucial to SAHELI’s mission is community education and outreach. Sona Shah met this need as SAHELI’s Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator. During her VISTA year, Sona has coordinated 30 information booths, 9 educational workshops, 6 book/film discussions, 1 radio program, and publication of several articles in various community newsletters. She has organized 3 new volunteer orientation sessions attended by 48 people, collected their interests and connected them with matching teams. Sona has also coordinated SAHELI’s major community fundraiser, a walk that mobilized approximately 100 walkers and raised $12,000 from the community.

Connection building: As the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, Sona has built connections with numerous community organizations, businesses, non-profit agencies, university departments and professors, student organizations, churches, radio, TV, newspapers, and individuals. She has identified potential volunteers, translators and interpreters for SAHELI. She has participated in several coalitions of non-profits that collectively build solutions to common problems.

Ongoing involvement: Sona is extremely dedicated and organized. In addition to volunteering with SAHELI as a VISTA, Sona is also a founding member of the Post Collective, a grassroots organization, focusing on mobilizing Asian American youth. Sona and her team organized a summer youth conference that took a year of planning and long hours. After finishing her VISTA term, Sona continues to volunteer as a member of the SAHELI Board of Directors while working as SafePlace as the Executive Assistant.

Impact: Because of Sona’s outreach efforts, the number and diversity of SAHELI’s active volunteers have doubled and the number of calls to the SAHELI help line has increased by 35%. Sona’s efforts doubled SAHELI’s supporter base and won SAHELI two more visible to the community. Sona’s organizational skills and quiet sense of humor put new members at ease and attracted them to SAHELI. Her ability to understand and appreciate the strengths of each volunteer and listen to their needs made them effective team players.

Innovation: Sona has taken the initiative to find resources useful to SAHELI’s mission, enhanced internal documentation, improved and streamlined volunteer orientation. Sona has made SAHELI’s website more attractive and usable. She has helped translate domestic violence literature into Chinese. She has directed student interns in their volunteering. Sona has also taken initiative to organize a Board retreat for SAHELI’s Board development and strategic planning and trained SAHELI’s new staff about SAHELI’s outreach methods.