MASTER MARTIN E. BRANTNER

Marty is one of the most enthusiastic citizens we have ever had working with us. He is genuinely dedicated, friendly and helpful worker, and is truly deserving of recognition.

Marty is a sophomore at Lutheran High School in Kansas City, Missouri, He is a very good student, receiving Outstanding Biology Student Award last year, as well as several other academic accolades. Marty is also involved with many extra-curricular activities. He plays handbells, has been active in the Drama Club for the past two years, and has received four letters for being the team manager for volleyball, baseball, and boy’s basketball team.

Marty has been very active in his Scout Troop. He is a Tenderfoot Scout and had received his Arrow of Light and his Lutheran Religious Award in addition to various Merit Badges. Marty is also very active at his home church, Calvary Lutheran. He is active in handbells, Men’s Choir, Crucifier, and was an acolyte for several years.

Marty has been very active in the Stream Team Program for over five years. He has attended two levels of Stream Team Water Quality Monitoring training, and regularly conducts water quality monitoring and zebra mussel monitoring. In fact, he is one of the few regular submitters of zebra mussel data in Missouri. He has participated in numerous litter pick-ups, and continues to support the Stream Team program by talking to numerous people about the program and how they can join.

In summary, Marty has served his church, school, Scout Troop, and the Stream Team program for many years and has always been a dedicated, responsible, energetic and creative volunteer worker. He truly exemplifies our vision of the Stream Team volunteer, and sets an example for all the other volunteers who surround him.

LEWIS P. BARTON

Lewis Barton, owner of Native Country Studios and TV 8 of Fort Pierce, FL, exemplified himself as a pillar of society and exceeded his responsibility as a veteran news reporter during and after Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. He risked his life to obtain this extraordinary news-making footage to keep the public aware of the weather conditions that posed imminent threat to human life and the entire Treasure Coast. Lewis Barton himself was a victim to the hurricanes, losing his home into the ocean as well as most of his business, Chuck’s Seafood Restaurant, into the floodwaters.

Chuck’s Seafood Restaurant was a major contributor during the most difficult time of rescue and recuperation in the Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach areas. Mr. Barton opened his heart and restaurant doors immediately after the storms to provide hot meals to the local fire, police, Coast Guard, National Guard, Red Cross, Homeland Security staff, and the press on the foundation of his former waterfront dining room (during a time when all at Chuck’s) at a time when hot meals and fresh water were hard to come by.

Mr. Barton provided up-to-date broadcasting of the status of the hurricanes and damages done to the Treasure Coast. He personally paid for all the food provided to the emergency staff and local residents – during and after his own losses.

Mayor Robert Benton of Fort Pierce and Sheriff Ken Mascara both agreed that the generosity of Lewis Barton during this crucial time lifted spirits and most likely saved lives. Early on Lewis Barton realized that he was able to make a difference. The fact that Chuck’s Seafood Resturant was in a location where many people were impacted and in need of water and blue tarps for their roofs, he ordered thousands of bottles of water from his food distributions and again opened his doors to the public for the distribution of blue tarps.

After the devastation and things had begun to settle down there was community concern as to the status and efforts being set forth by the community leaders for the restoration of the Treasure Coast, again Lewis Barton opened his doors and invited the national media to broadcast areas to tell their story and the recuperation efforts being done.

Although Lewis Barton did not share in the limelight, he did coordinate and contribute all his technical expertise, up-linked the broadcast, hosted the mayor and press to insure that the community received this important updated information.

When I asked Lewis Barton his thoughts on the devastation during the past nine months and how he felt about receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from the Fort Pierce Police Department for thousands of free meals and hours donated, his response was “with the past nine months experience, I now think that I am prepared more than ever to serve the community.”

JEAN STOCKMAN

Jean is the coordinator of Busy Hands, the biggest component of RSVP of St. Joseph County, largely due to her efforts. (RSVP places persons age 55 and older in volunteer service to meet community needs.) In this capacity, she totally administers this program. She is employed as a Senior Aide, funded by Title V monies, and works 20 hours weekly. However, Jean is so devoted to this program that she also volunteers her own time. To date this year, she has logged 2,261 hours over and above her employed hours.

We are extremely lucky to have her and we feel fortunate that she supervises a program that exists solely on donations. Material, yarn, jewelry and nearly anything under the sun are donated to Busy Hands. Volunteers then sew, knit, crochet, and combine odds and ends to make a variety of useful items that are given to local agencies to distribute to clients. These include afghans, lap robes, slippers, door draft dodgers, and nearly 70 other items that are donated to local agencies to give to low or fixed income families and individuals that could not afford to purchase these items. These items allow persons in need to save on their utility bills by putting a door draft dodger at their door, or another crocheted afghan over them on a cold winter’s day.

Jean organizes community donations that arrive on a nearly daily basis. Jean also mobilizes volunteers age 55 and older to meet these significant community needs. She reaches out to homebound persons to make them feel a part of Busy Hands. She or a volunteer will deliver raw materials and pick up finished goods. She knows each of her volunteers so well that donations are organized by what to give to each volunteer.

The first year for Busy Hands was 1998; twenty volunteers made 300 items and logged over 9200 volunteer hours. These numbers have steadily increased until in 2003. Busy Hands donated over 13,500 items and logged over 42,000 hours of volunteer service with nearly 125 volunteers.

To date in 2004, over 130 volunteers have logged nearly 40,000 hours (with another month to go) and have made and distributed over 15,000. Over 5,000 local families have been assisted this year with resources to help meet monthly living expenses and to keep warm this winter!

Jean approaches each new project with boundless enthusiasm! Her passion is contagious which inspires her volunteers to give their all. As an example, she collaborated with a local hospital and facilitated making over 700 pouches for ice packs that were sent to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. This project was finished in less than 3 weeks!

Busy Hands is fortunate to have Jean Stockman as Coordinator and RSVP is lucky to have her. We hope you honor her with this award.

GRETCHEN KUNZ

Sister Gretchen has been a cornerstone for the Brazos Valley in terms of leadership and volunteerism over the past 24 years. She has generated support for countless groups through her unselfish donation of time, talents, and willingness to “step in and step up” to worthwhile causes.

Sister Gretchen arrived in Bryan, Texas, in 1981 and began her health ministry and mission at St. Joseph Hospital with “outstanding bills” on her desk and found herself financially unable to distribute payroll checks her first week! Her inspirational leadership has helped this healing ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis grow from a small community hospital into a regional health system serving 13 counties and some 300,000 Brazos Valley residents. Her vision has brought major regional and medical services to the community such as heart, cancer, rehabilitation, surgical services, and maternal/child care and emergency services.

The development of the St. Joseph Health System is testament to her determination that all citizens would have access to medical care. Communities throughout the area now have local hospitals where primary and outpatient diagnostic care is available-as well as access to emergency services. Eight rural health clinics have been established in the region and offer primary care to residents where, in may cases, there would be no other medical services.

Fortunately for the citizens of the Brazos Valley, the efforts of this determined and devoted community citizen did not stop with her efforts within the walls of St. Joseph facilities. She has devoted over 24 years to this community to improving health and living conditions for the less fortunate.

Those with health problems; her visionary leadership and support in the creation of the Prenatal Clinic, Health For all Clinic, Project Unity as well as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association. Those in hope of a better life with greater economic opportunity; her support and service as a board member of the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce and virtually all of our regional chambers of commerce. Those who could not afford housing; her corporate leadership and board service in support of Habitat for Humanity. For young professionals eager to learn more about their community and to contribute toward achievement of its goals; her integral involvement in the development of the plan and health programs which created the Hammond Oliver High School for Human Sciences at the Bryan ISD. And when Heart Disease and effects of deteriorating eyesight and hearing issues threatened to restrict her vitality, creativity and commitment to volunteerism, she has redoubled her efforts to turn the challenge into an opportunity to further serve others.

Sister Gretchen’s unselfish acts of services has been recognized through numerous community, state and national honors, including: · Citizens of the Year, 2004, Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce · Women of Distinction Award, Bluebonnet Girl Scouts Council · Woman of the Year, Prenatal Clinic · Ministry Healthcare Award presented by Bishop John McCarthy, Diocese of Austin · Outstanding Board Member/Past President, Catholic Health of Texas · Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives.

With her recent diagnosis of heart disease and her challenges with vision and hearing issues, she could have quietly retired and let the disease processes overtake her life. Instead, Sister Gretchen has intensified her efforts, making profound changes in our community for those afflicted with her illnesses. Sister Gretchen is stepping down as President/CEO of St. Joseph Health System, effective, June 13, 2005. She plans to continue her ministry in the Brazos Valley by becoming a member of the fund development team for the system at St. Joseph Foundation.

Sister Gretchen is a role model of how visionary business leadership can be created through spiritual strength. In our community, Sister Gretchen symbolizes St. Joseph – the strength of its mission and the commitment of its team to provide care to the community. No leader could ask for more than to represent the best qualities of their organization.

CHRISTOPHER STANTON

In contrast to a world shadowed by terrorism, international troubles, and accusations of not caring, Christopher Stanton is a bridge of friendship, of compassion, and of love. This one California man has undoubtedly been responsible for changing the opinions and perceptions of more than just a few Moroccans towards Americans. Christopher Stanton of Sylmar is the president and founder of a humanitarian organization called “Mission Bridge.” He is a remarkable display of what and individual can do to help a nation. His simply stated purpose is to love the Moroccan people, and he has been building bridges of friendship to the nation of Morocco since 1999.

With his wife’s assistance, they have organized and raised funds for 21 trips to Morocco to help the needy by way of free medical and optometric clinics in the poorer quarters of cities, and in remote mountain villages. Stanton has provided baby formula and powered milk to homes for unwed mothers and orphanages; he has arranged for, and transported medical supplies and difficult to afford pediatric and cancer medication to hospitals. He has delivered dozens of wheelchairs, hundreds of toys and caseloads of clothing.

He has been invited to speak to High Schools students in Casablanca on the topics of virtue, responsibility and character. These sessions will take place in early 2005. He builds friendship with Moroccan leaders on all levels from Madame Tazi (recipient of King Mohammed’s gold medallion award for humanity), to the staff of the National Children’s Hospital in the capital of Rabat. He is a contributor to AMINO – a volunteer group for poor woman with cancer who can’t afford medicines. Stanton has provided over $710,000 in cancer drugs from generous American pharmaceutical companies.

One of his favorite ways of showing love to the Moroccan people is to invite groups of his American friends to join him to experience and see the life of Morocco. These people come home awed and with hearts that are inspired to reach out in goodwill and charity. A recent group procured much needed, modernized physiotherapy equipment for a center for handicapped children. Chris delivered that equipment for them in October of 2004.

Many in Morocco have watched the kindness of this benevolent American man, experienced the benefit of his concern for their well-being, and received opportunities that may have never otherwise been available to them. If you were to ask Chris why he does this, his response would be, plainly stated, “we come from a greatly blessed nation and we need to bless others.”

WOMEN IN DISTRESS

Edee Greene and a group of concerned citizens founded Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. (WID) in July 1974. WID began as Broward County Florida’s first refuge for homeless women in a modest four-bedroom home. Women in Distress outreach locations and residential facilities served approximately 1,300 people last year. The crisis line assisted another 3,600 people.

Services offered to participants and their children include food, emergency shelter, clothing, individual or group counseling, education, family activities, batterers’ intervention, linkage to community resources and safety planning. WID’s domestic violence trainings are provided to the professional and general community (20,300 people), as well as a dating violence training (2,200 children) called-It’s Not Ok, which goes into junior and senior high school classrooms. WID partners with a multitude of community and faith based agencies, help serve the varied needs and resources required to assist in the empowerment of domestic violence families. In 2002, WID was able to obtain National Accreditation demonstrating a commitment to excellence and continued self-evaluation.

Volunteerism is a major asset utilized and encouraged by Women in Distress. Last year, 14,864 hours of volunteer services were performed for and by Women in Distress in the capacity of the Speakers Bureau, Day Care services, Crisis Line coverage, Fairs/Events, Court Accompaniment, Thrift Store, Internships, Board, Auxiliary, etc. An additional $100,000 of donated professional services was obtained for our participants.

WID also coordinates and participates in a voluntary capacity for community advocacy groups such as the Victims’ Rights Coalition, Children’s Consortium, Homeless Coalition, and the Domestic Violence Council. Community Awareness events are also a large part of WID’s community involvement. For example, during Domestic Violence awareness month in October, WID partners annually put on an Interfaith Service (leaders of various denominations looking at addressing domestic violence in their communities), a Domestic Violence Memorial, a high school rally against violence (SOAR-Students Opposed to Abuse in Relationships), a 3K Safe Walk and a Domestic Violence training and awards luncheon. WID’s staff has participated in a voluntary capacity for other service agencies such as Take Stock In Children mentoring, Day Of Caring, Rebuilding Together, and boards and committees of partner agencies serving families in need.

Last year, Women in Distress entered its 30th anniversary of serving and partnering with the Broward County Community as the only certified domestic violence center serving the second largest county in the state (in terms of population-2.2 million). Women in Distress is recognized as a staple in this community for its holistic approach to domestic violence services, and extensive community involvement in both providing services and increasing community awareness for all age groups and a diverse populations.

ZETA PHI BETA

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., is an international, nonprofit organization with headquarters in Washington DC whose mission is to foster the ideals of service, charity, scholarship, civil and cultural endeavors. Through the sorority’s national programs, members and auxiliary groups voluntarily carry out this mission by staffing community outreach programs, funding scholarships, supporting organized charities, and promoting legislation for social and civic change.

Lower-income women, regardless of age and race, are at greater risk for not receiving adequate prenatal care and having unhealthy birth outcomes, including higher rates of infant deaths. Particularly tragic, many unhealthy outcomes could be prevented. One important factor in prevention is early and regular prenatal care.

Since 1971, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and the March of Dimes have been partners in implementing a prenatal education program called the Stork’s Nest. This program has three major objectives: (1) to provide prenatal education and incentives to low-income pregnant women, (2) to motivate women to get early, regular prenatal care through earned incentives, and (3) to educate women on self-care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Sorority volunteers operates these Nests programs and conduct the educational classes. March of Dimes provides the educational materials, training, and some funding. Today, there are 165 Stork’s Nest across the country serving over 28,000 women each year.

Expanding on this partnership, in 2003 when the March of Dimes launched its 5-year, $75 Million National Prematurity Campaign, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority supported the campaign in full force. The sorority participated by implementing Zeta Prematurity Awareness Sunday, engaging hundreds of faith-based communities. On Sunday, November 16, 2003, local sorority chapters coordinated activities with their church communities to present information on premature birth. Zeta Phi Beta adapted March of Dimes prematurity material and distributed over 20,000 information cards on the signs/symptoms of pre-term labor to congregations across the country. Over 450 congregations participated, reaching over 150,000 people. This innovative partnership enhanced community outreach on a serious health issue. The project was repeated on November 14, 2004 and will be implemented annually for the duration of the national campaign. In 2004, an abstract for this innovative program had been accepted for presentation at the American Public Health Association Conference and the American Association for Health Education Conference.

Zeta Phi Beta also has been a major support of WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes largest fundraiser. Since 1998 the sorority has been a national team, raising over $435,000 to fund research and programs to save babies’ lives. In 2004 alone, the Sorority raised over $153,000. The partnership and programs with March of Dimes is only one of several national programs the Sorority supports. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is truly an excellent representation of a community-conscious organization.

THERESA E. MCNULTY

Theresa McNulty and her husband, Joe wanted a family. Joe had a daughter from a previous marriage, but they wanted more children. After speaking with an adoption agency, they were lead to the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, where they discovered foster children available for adoption. They also discovered situations that many of these children face when they are removed from their birth parents.

The first children Theresa and Joe took in wre ages 1,2 and 5. It was a sibling group consisting of a baby sister and her two older brothers. Four years later, Dept. of Social Services (DSS) called to see if they would take a baby boy just 2 days old, whose mother was deemed unfit. With an hour to decide, they said yes. Today, these kids range from ages 4 to 13, and the McNulty’s are also to guardians of another child, a 13-year-old girl. Their oldest is now 19 and attending Bridgewater State College.

The story only begins here: The McNulty’s were horrified to learn the circumstances surrounding the removal of children from their birth parents to be placed in foster homes. Often being taken in the dark of night, the children are immediately removed. They have no time to take their blanket, favorite teddy bear, or anything else familiar. It’s get the child (or children) and to DSS to await a foster home. In the wee hours of the morning, Theresa found that she worried over the plight of these children. Then she had an idea. In 2002, she started to pull together new (or gently used) clothing items, combing set, a pair of pajamas, toothbrush and stuff animals. She used a backpack or duffel bag to put them in and brought them to the DSS office for the foster children that were brought in.

Theresa has become well known in her community and is sometimes surprised by the help of volunteers. People have been known to knock on her door to help. Her efforts and her dedication to this project have impacted the lives of hundreds of children, giving them something to call their own. Today, the Brockton, Massachusetts DSS office is well stocked with backpacks. Theresa created both a website and marketing materials with the voluntary assistance of a nationally known office supply store, Staples, Inc.

McNulty’s volunteer effort is now serving several communities in Southeastern Massachusetts and there are backpacks at any given time for children from birth to 18 years of age. Theresa is moving forward with her plan to make Supply Sacks a statewide program, with the ultimate dream of a national program to ensure that no child comes into foster care without something to call their own (how fitting this is with President Bush declaring that no child be left behind). If Mrs. McNulty has any say, children will always know someone cares.

Man’s home may be his castle someplace else, but the McNulty’s home is the center for SupplySacks.org. Local TV stations and newspapers have interviewed her and her family, Teamsters and Fostering Families Today, both national magazines, have featured Theresa and her family who have been lauded by the local fire chief and many local groups and organizations.

REMY GREENO

Teenangels LA is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, charitable foundation founded by Remy Greeno during her sophomore year in high school. Her foundation raises money for charities serving underprivileged children, focusing on those charities that are most in need of funds, through which the foundation’s contributions can make the most impact.

When Remy was 15 years old, and researching volunteer opportunities, she envisioned a foundation that would empower teenagers to interaction on all levels of fundraising, including the formation of a foundation, the planning and organizing of fundraisers, and the donation of funds to charities serving underprivileged children.

In December 2004, Remy applied to the Public Counsel Law Center for assistance in forming a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and was successful in obtaining legal representation through the Public Counsel’s Community Development Project. Three month later, Teenangels LA was up and running as in independent nonprofit entity. She also applied for approval as a student-initiated organization at her high school, Harvard-Westlake, so that students would be eligible to earn community service hours when participating in any aspect of the fundraising.

Remy held her first fundraiser in April 2004, a Yu Gi Oh! Tournament, at the home of Denzel Washington. The fundraiser was a great success, and she donated the proceeds ($865) to Hope Village, an orphanage in Meridian, Mississippi.

Remy’s second fundraiser – a talent competition – was much more ambitious. Held in January 2005, it was a smash hit and was completely sold out. She produced the talent competition and recruited celebrity judges such as Jason Alexander, Seth Green, Alfre Woodward and Jason Ritter. She set up a website to sell tickets, held contestant auditions, had a marketing campaign with newspaper advertisements, flyers, posters and made announcements to several surrounding schools. She received prize donations from Alan Horn, President of Warner Brothers Studios, and Brad Grey, President of Paramount Studios. In addition, she sold t-shirts and caps made by Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit charity of ex-gang members. Remy was able to donate $8,200 to The Unusual Suspects, a charity bringing theater arts to youths in the juvenile system and foster homes. Her gift, along with the matching funds it provided, subsidized an entire session of workshops serving over 100 institutionalized youth. Remy was asked to be on the board of The Unusual Suspects as a result of her hugely successful fundraiser.

Remy is now working on a raffle fundraiser for Darfur, and planning a spring Battle of the Bands in the spring and a fall celebrity basketball tournament. Additionally, she is organizing Teenangels LA chapters at other California schools and is planning to expand nationally. Her dream is for Teenangels LA to become an international organization.

For her efforts, Remy has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Prudential Sprit of Community Certificate of Excellence, and the 2004 Harvard-Westlake Award of Excellence for Innovative Outreach. She has received nominations including the National Young Leaders Conference, National Student Leadership Conference and National Youth Leadership in Medicine. For her extraordinary work at such a young age and for setting such an exemplary example for teenagers everywhere, for empowering teenagers and showing them how teens can make a difference starting with only an idea and hard work.

ELSIE CALAMESE

Elsie is referred to as the “Clara Barton” of the American Red Cross, Firelands Chapter. She has given of herself for the past twenty years. She not only volunteers at the ARC but is intensively involved in our community and serves on the American Red Cross national volunteer list. She is a quiet gentle great grandmother who can be summoned at a moment’s notice to jet off to the scene of a disaster anywhere in the United States. In response to September 11, Elsie boarded a plane the next day and worked 12 hour days to help those in need.

Elsie volunteers one day a week at Care and Share, Second Harvest doing whatever is needed to assist the hungry in our community. She was one of the co-founders of this organization. She has also been a long time board member of The Erie Huron Counties Community Action Commission.