FREEDOM HOUSE “ADOPT-A-ROOM” VOLUNTEERS

Freedom House, formerly a walk-in shelter in a small rural community in north central Illinois, has sought ways to house clients for more than a short-term or crisis stay. The Board and staff of the Freedom House put out an urgent plea to the communities it served in February 2003. They requested Assistance in the renovation of a two-years’ dormant building and the eventual creation of Freedom House’s new crisis shelter and long-term residential units for victims of domestic and sexual violence and/or their children.

The response was overwhelming. Several civic organizations, churches, businesses and individuals stepped forward to create the Adopt-a-Room program at Freedom House in Princeton, Illinois. Volunteers included members of the Princeton Junior Woman’s Club, the Bureau County Republican Women’s group, the Bradford Beta Sigmas, the Princeton Beta Sigmas, employees from Citizens First National Bank, Wal-Mart Distribution Center and Wind Power Electric in addition to two mother-daughter teams.

These 35 volunteers attended informational meetings and assisted in the planning of each of the 16 rooms, working in close conjunction with Freedom House. All rooms were painted, carpeted and furnished once Freedom House concluded its phase of the work, but all other amenities of the room became the responsibility of the volunteers. Each “adopting” individual or group purchased all bedding, lamps, rugs, window treatments, borders, pictures, frames or floral arrangements for the bedrooms and living rooms, and all towels, towel racks, shower curtains, toilet paper holders, cabinetry, rugs, soap and all other hygiene products for the bathrooms.

The volunteers were responsible for taking barren cinderblock walls, inescapable bullet-proof windows and industrial strength carpet and turn this room into a “home” cozy enough for a traumatized family to move into and feel safe and comforted.

The Adopt-a-Room was officially completed in February 2004 following more than 500 hours of community service. Freedom House clients moved into the facility in December of the prior year in anticipation of the final touches being added. Because of the volunteers’ efforts, Freedom House now is an entity that virtually no other shelter in the state of Illinois is complete with long-term residential units and capable of housing three families for a period of two years. With this new 89-room site, this concept affords clients with multiple obstacles more time to heal and to craft a new life for themselves and their families.

PEEKSKILL HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB

The Peekskill High School (PHS) Interact Club continues to distinguish itself at PHS and in the Peekskill community.

Based upon their desire to help young children and to serve as role models, members are hosting the 5th annual “Safe Halloween” in conjunction with Make A Difference Day. Members decorate the 1st floor of the high school and children are invited to trick or treat in the classrooms, make a Halloween craft and play games in the cafeteria. This event continues to be a success with over 250 children attending each year. Members also volunteer with the Uriah Hill and Oakside PTO’s at their holiday fairs, Valentine’s Day dance, and Family Fun Day.

For the Past 4 years, members visit Drum Hill Senior Living on the 3rd Thursday of the month to do arts and crafts projects. They also host a “senior, senior prom”. This year’s proved to be the best one yet with 22 members and 65 seniors dancing the night away.

Members put their culinary skills to work preparing an entire meal for the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen. On the first Friday of the month, members prepare a meal of bake ziti, meatball, tossed salad and brownies. The following day, members deliver and serve the meal and socialize with the participants. This has been going on for six years. During the holiday season, the club participates in the Salvation Army’s bell ringing. Members ring outside the local Wal-Mart and have been able to raise over $1,000.

The club participates in several fundraising projects to help several non-profit organizations. One fundraiser is for the Heifer Project. Members have raised monies to purchase 4 llamas and a flock of chicks, which have been sent to a third world country. Daffodils were also sold to help the American Cancer Society. Over $1,000 has been raised. Once a month the club works with Habitat for Humanity of Westchester. Over the past 6 years, members have worked at three different sites and are presently working on a training center and home in Peekskill. The club has also been placed on the student advisory board for Habitat for Humanity.

Members volunteer at the Keon Center, a non-profit agency that provides life skills training for the developmentally disabled, at their BINGO nights and holiday parties. They also visit the New York State Veteran’s Home on a monthly basis to play cards, read and socialize with the residents. Members have sorted clothes for the school district’s warm clothing drive and provide the set up, food and clean up for the Honor Roll breakfasts. Members also took part in the National Read-Aloud and Children’s Book Week by going to Aunt Bessie’s Day Care Center, Uriah Hill and Woodside Elementary Schools to read their favorite books to the children.

A major project that the club took part in this year was Hidden Heroes. This intergenerational living history project was a collaboration with the Paramount Center for the Arts and Westchester Community College. Members put in 60 hours each researching, interviewing and editing tapes of 13 “Hidden Heroes” who they selected in the Peekskill community. It was a positive interaction between teenagers and the senior citizen population in Peekskill.

The members of the Peekskill High School Interact Club are dedicated to serving others and through their continued efforts the lives of many people are touched.

OLETA HOWE

Oleta Howe is the kind of volunteer every organization wants. She has been a Foster Grandparent Program volunteer for 19 years, working with the same teacher at the same school tutoring and mentoring children from 1st to 5th grade in a resource classroom. She works with children with special needs helping them learn to read and to comprehend what they are reading. She also helps the children with mathematics quizzing them on times tables, or holding flash cards. Learning spelling words is another area where Oleta is able to assist teacher and the students. She is a great help with children who would otherwise “fall through the cracks” and be unable to learn the basics of education. She seeks out games and plans to help reach the students in the class where ever they are in the education system.

Oleta has served an average of 20 hours each week throughout the year, a big 19,836 hours of service helping over 400 students. During the summer seasons she has served the children through school reading programs to help them retain and learn to be able to succeed in school. She receives a stipend, for her service to the youth at Broadway Elementary School, helping her to live an easier life as a low-income senior. Her presence in the classroom has made life long friends of the children and their parents. Oleta receives graduation announcements, wedding invitation and birth announcements from former students. Oleta says her greatest reward is knowing that “her students” have graduated from high school (most of the students Oleta works with have learning disabilities).

In addition to her services as a Foster Grandparent, Oleta is an active member of Beta Tau, a philanthropic sorority who raises funds for “Danny’s Kids” as well as support for the Senior Companion Program, Foster Grandparent Program and other youth programs in the valley, the Salvation Army and Catholic Out-Reach. Oleta has served several 3 year terms on the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Advisory Council. She is active in the social scene at the apartment complex where she lives helping with receptions, dinners, and programs sponsored by Volunteers of America who won the apartment building.

She also serves at her church, helping with funeral dinners and with refreshments for youth programs. Often baking cookies for the youth group and for bake sales for fundraising the youth at her church holding.

Oleta How has one of seven recipients of the Colorado Cares Outstanding Volunteer award in 2004. She was able to travel to Denver to receive her award and be recognized as an outstanding Colorado Volunteer for 2004.

Mesa County School District #51 recognized Oleta as outstanding school volunteer in Mesa County in 2003 at a recognition luncheon for all school volunteers that included parent volunteers, local business and organizations as well as Foster Grandparent Volunteers. Oleta has volunteered in the Foster Grandparent Office folding letters, stuffing envelopes and serving at socials as the need arose. Her unfaltering service to the many people of Mesa County is outstanding.

ID THEFT SERVICES

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America with the Federal Trade Commission reporting that over tem million people were victimized last year. Besides the fraudulent and criminal activities that identity thieves can commit once they have your personal identifiers, they can ruin your credit and cost you time and money to repair the damage with retailers, collection agencies, banks, and police departments.

Since becoming victims of identity theft themselves in 1988, Bob and JoAnn Hartles have worked tirelessly to prevent others in the community, and indeed the nation, from becoming victims of this crime. The Hartles took the initiative to work with the Arizona lawmakers to get the first identity theft law passed in 1996 and again to work with Senator Jon Kyl and me to get the federal Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998 passed.

After working to get states and federal identity theft laws passed, the Hartles have continued to offer their free assistance to victims in straightening out the credit problems that follow in the wake of this crime. They have counseled over 3,000 victims thus far and have held hundreds of free seminars and classes for neighborhoods, businesses, colleges, and law enforcement agencies on how to minimize their risk of becoming victims and what to do if they do get victimized. They not only have maintained their ongoing outreach program to members of our community, but they have provided their assistance to individuals around the state and nation to those who have been able to get assistance from city, county, or state agencies.

The Hartles have had a continuing impact on legislative activity at the state and federal level as additional identity theft laws have been passed since 1998. I think Bob and JoAnn are unique in that they have sacrificed so much of their personal time without any compensation whatsoever, without any staff or organization, without any financial assistance from government or private grants, and without concern for personal advancement or aggrandizement. They simply shine as a point of light for all to see.

MALLORY KATE POTOCK

Mallory Potock, age 17, consistently demonstrates outstanding commitment to volunteerism through her work at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center (CTRC). The CTRC provides a variety of equine therapies for adults and children who have cognitive, physical and/or emotional disabilities. Over the past 3 years, Mallory has devoted over 325 hours volunteering as the youngest member of the CTRC barn team and schooling team.

The CTRC is the oldest therapeutic riding center in Colorado, one of the largest in the nation, and serves as a “best practice” model for other centers across the country. The CTRC’s mission is “to promote the physical, psychological and social well-being of persons with disabilities through their interaction with a therapeutic team consisting of a horse, and instructor and volunteers.” Although innovative and unique, equine assisted therapy is researched based and can improve balance, coordination, communication and other daily life skills. But the innovation is not limited to just the therapy classes, for it is Mallory’s specialized knowledge of equine behavior that impacts the safety and success of each therapy class.

When Mallory began volunteering at the CTRC, she started by assisting in the riding classes as a “side-walker”, providing physical and emotional support to the rider. However, Mallory’s unique knowledge of equine behavior provided a distinct opportunity for her to impact the success of the classes in an exceptional way. She was soon asked to be a member of two specialized teams: the Barn Team and the Schooling Team. As the youngest member of both teams (the other members are adults), she works behind the scenes to prepare the horses both mentally and physically for the stressful life of a therapy horse.

Although her current volunteer work at the CTRC is not witnessed by the CTRC parents or their children, Mallory knows the vital and specialized care that she provides creates a positive, safe environment for the riders to accomplish their therapy goals.

In her modest way, Mallory has become connected to a cause while remaining behind the scenes at the CTRC. However, the extraordinary care that she devotes to the therapy horses and her expertise in the specialized area of equine behavior impacts the tiniest rider and their families. When a child has acquired a new skill with one of Mallory’s horses, she does not get to see the child’s smile, or watch his mother greet his accomplishment with a great big hug. But the news trickles down the CTRC grapevine, and the connection to Mallory is made. And, as is typical of Mallory, the credit will be given to her horses…with an extra treat, a thicker bed to lie on, and some tender moments just one on one with Mallory.

She sets the pace for the youth in the community to embrace the spirit of giving.

CECIL STANTON

Cecil Stinson is a long time member of the Happy Valley Community. Happy Valley is a small wide spread rural areas where many elderly people live.

Cecil does many acts of kindness for his neighbors in the following areas of service.

· Community Needs and Solutions: The need is for low-income families in the southeast portion of Shasta County to receive food commodities three times a month. The Brown Bag Program involves making up to 90 phone calls three times a month to each recipient making sure they will be able to pick up their groceries, if they cannot Cecil will deliver to them.

· Connection building: Besides running the Brown Bag Program he makes contact with neighbors to make sure they are okay. Cecil also keeps an eye out to make sure the upkeep on their houses and yards are done. He does everything from digging ditches to making sure their air conditioners and furnaces are in good working order.

· Ongoing Involvement: Cecil has been on the job for over 22 years. He picks up the commodities in Redding and returns leftover foodstuffs and paperwork to the S.S.N.P. Food Bank Warehouse using his personal vehicle and gas. The only stipend he receives is RSVP mileage reimbursement of $23.25 a month for the first 75 miles. He has only received this amount for the last 6 months.

· Impact: The overall health of the seniors and others in the community is better nutrition and a closer tight knit community.

· Innovation: Cecil is on the Happy Valley Community Center Board. This Center is a focal point for activities in the area and they are involved in fundraisers that support local volunteer fire department and the community in general. The Happy Valley Strawberry Festival of which he is also a board member is an annual event in the community. The festival brings the entire community together to raise funds to make their community a better place to live.

The Shasta County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program recognized him as the “Volunteer of the Year” for his many contributions to the community in April 2004. The Shasta County Board of Supervisors also lauded him at a public ceremony for his many activities this year.

Cecil is truly a volunteer extraordinaire, and worthy of your award. He does not ask for any recognition he just does what needs to be done.

ELK MEADOW 4-H

The Elk Meadow 4-H members, ages 5-18, saw the need to do community service at their village parks. The club has 43 members with numerous parent volunteers.

In May 2003, flowers were planted at The Mound Hill Park. The community’s response was overwhelming. The Mound Hill Park has been a part of the community since 1938 and has an observation tower on it. It is visited not only by the local people, but also people traveling on Interstate 94 and Intrastate Highway 29. The flowers were not only selected and planted by the youth, but were watered and weeded throughout the summer and fall. Tulip bulbs were planted in the fall. The 4-H also donated money to help replace the flag pole at this park.

Several community members approached the 4-H and asked if more improvements could be done. Youth and parents met with the village board and public works director to discuss plans. It was decided to make improvements not only at The Mound Hill Park, but also at The Elk Mound Village Park. Both parks were widely used by the community. The village park is used by softball and soccer teams, family and school reunions, receptions, and summer church services. The youth did the planning and implementing with the help of parent volunteers.

On June 5th, 2004, tow sugar maple trees were planted, flowers planted, a park bench constructed, a youth-made birdhouse was mounted on a tree and the picnic table and outdoor grill were scraped of old paint at The Mound Hill Park. It was raining, but all were determined and enthusiastic to see the plan through. On June 6th, The Elk Mound Village Park sign was re-stained and 13 shrubs were planted. The picnic table and grill were re-painted at The Mound Hill Park. The 4-H was able to fund $1200, which was one-half the cost of retaining wall around the flag pole at The Mound Hill Park. The wall needed to be built by a professional and was completed on June 22nd. The flowers, trees, and shrubs have been weeded and watered throughout the summer and fall. Fund-raisers as well as donations by area businesses made it all happen.

The impact and response was a great success. The village board was especially please with the communities response and verbalization of the beautification of the parks. The 4-H plans to continue to work with the village board and public works director. The 4-H would like to trim down overgrown grass and put in rock and wild flowers, as well as landscape a hillside.

The youth are very proud of their work and have great pride in their community. This small community has many big hearts and helping hands.

ROSEMARY SMIH

Rosemary Smith is a program director’s dream volunteer. She is 72 years young and has boundless energy. Rosemary has been a Chaves County RSVP volunteer since October 1991 and has accumulated 17,879 hours of service to the community. The bulk of her voluntary activity centers on the Good Samaritan Food Program in Roswell, New Mexico.

Over a six-month period of time, Good Samaritan has served nearly 384 families and 1162 individuals. Rosemary is tireless in her dedication to her clients, spending anywhere between 72 and 199 hours monthly to assure that hungry people in Chaves County do not go unfed.

Rosemary, acting as director of St. Peter’s Eucharistic Ministers, is in charge of assigning and making visits to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center patients who request communion or a friendly visit. She has been attending to the needs of the sick since 1993, first as an auxiliary member and now as a Eucharistic Minister, and has given 1352 hours of her time on this project.

In February 2003, Rosemary started volunteering at the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center Thrift Shop. According to the shop chairman, Rosemary works as a cashier, sells merchandise, helps clean up at the end of the day and makes the bank deposit. She has volunteered in this position for a total of 486 hours.

Rosemary is a board member of Lend-A-Hand of Roswell, Inc. The specific purpose of this organization is to organize, coordinate and expedite the funding and delivery of services desired by its member organizations, to those in need of various basic services. Some member organizations are Good Samaritans, Presbyterian Outreach, Roswell Outreach, Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. Summer Soiree 2004, a fundraising dinner, was held in July to augment the monies needed to help feed the hungry of Roswell and Chaves County. Rosemary was active in the planning of this event.

In June, Rosemary was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness that kept her from volunteering during part of June and July. She is back on the job now and continuing her good works.

LIFE CONNECTIONS PROGRAM MENTORS FMC CARSWELL

The Life Connections Program was initiated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in response to the President’s Faith Based initiative. Although there are five programs in the federal system, FMC Carswell represents the only Life Connection Program for female inmates. Chaplain Beverley Ford has served as the Program Manager since the activation of the program in October 2002. Working along with her to recruit and train volunteer mentors is Denise Walker, the institution’s Volunteer Coordinator.

The 76 inmates participating in the Life Connections Program are involved in numerous intense activities designed to prepare them for successful community re-integration. They are assisted in the program by a multi-faith team of spiritual guides and a program facilitator who tracks their day-to-day activities. The spiritual guides lead the participants through a set of workbooks designed specifically for the Life Connections Program. These challenging classes confront the participants in critical areas of their lives and encourage them to make changing decisions.

Each participant meets twice a month with a personal volunteer mentor from the community. These mentors are versed in the components of the program and help to strengthen the principles taught in the classes. The mentors provide a valuable link to the community and assist the participants as the move toward home. Currently the program at FMC Carswell has 78 volunteer community mentors who are dedicated to this task.

To visit the mentoring program on a Tuesday evening is an exciting experience. A mixture of laughter, serious conversation, and tears permeate the room as mentor and protégé talk about the issues facing the Life Connections Program participant. One gets the distinct impression that something special and life changing is happening. The mentoring component of Life Connections moves the inmates out of the workbook and into real life with real and meaningful communication. The goal of the mentoring experience is to assure the participant she is not alone and that there is someone there who believes they are a good person who can contribute in a positive way to society. Whether the issue is emotions, relationships, parenting, or personal spirituality, the mentor joins with the Life Connections participant on their life journey.

The dedicated volunteer mentors in the Life Connections Program are the catalyst to a life changing experience for the participants. The first life connection program class graduated in May 2004 and during the graduation ceremony several of the participants shared how the program had positively impacted their lives. All of them mentioned the enormous impact that the mentors have had on their spiritual journey. Under the capable leadership of Chaplain Ford, the enthusiastic recruitment and training by Ms. Walker, and the wholehearted support of the Executive Staff of Carswell, the Life Connections Program volunteer mentors are a shinning example of people making a difference.

GREATER LAS VEGAS INNER-CITY GAMES/AFTER-SCHOOL ALL-STARS

Hundreds of volunteers devote their time and energy to the children of Las Vegas and have done so for the last 10 years through the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars/ Inner-City Games. During the 2002-2003 season alone, dedicated volunteers logged almost 5,000 hours to serve more than 6,500 area youth. These service hours took place between the months of March through August.

The volunteers in this program are extraordinary. During the many sporting and cultural arts activities, they are there to let each and every child participate and know how important they are. The volunteers do this by building self-esteem with encouraging words, skill building techniques and being the extra eyes and ears for the organization’s limited staff.

Without the volunteers, the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars/Inner-City Games organization could not exist. Volunteers perform jobs that include, but are not limited to, coaching assistants, staff support during the games, office support, special events and fundraising. The organization asks a great deal from the volunteers, and the volunteers always gladly accept the challenge.

Serving in this capacity is not an easy job for the volunteers. They are interacting with youth whose needs are great. These children are exposed to frighteningly dangerous choices. Many times these young people feel angry and forgotten in this world. Reaching out to them takes patience and compassion. The volunteers have the ability to break down the walls the youth have raised for protection. They also understand that the young people must feel needed and “worth” their attention.

The volunteers are priceless and their service and time cannot be measured. Their patience, dedication and kind words go a long way to show the sometimes forgotten children of Las Vegas that they are special. These volunteers are there for the youth week after week to help the staff continue its mission to provide positive choices and opportunities for the youth of their city.