FAMILY SERVICES WOODFIELD

For the past 154 years, change has been a constant at Family Services Woodfield (FSW) as it works to carry out its mission of building families and communities. The biggest change came in 1988, when FSW moved to the inner city of Bridgeport. As staff left in the transition, FSW replaced them with community members who brought not only formal skills, but also knowledge of their neighbor’s needs and strengths.

Vyola Parker of Parker’s Pampering and Wellness Spa opened her business in Bridgeport in the summer of 2000. A relative suggested she enroll in a Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO), a 16-week course for business entrepreneurs, to sharpen her business skills. Parker and her classmates delved into financing, human resources and building a business plan. In fact, Vyola Parker and her family members are now among 188 entrepreneurs whom WIBO has graduated in the past four years. Through other Family Assets programs, she has obtained a grant to buy inventory and hooked up with a mentor, another community business owner whom she meets with regularly. Now she is looking into a micro loan through Family Assets to help her expand.

Today FSW is so thoroughly embedded in the community that distinctions between staff and community blur. Staff may come first to FSW as clients, volunteers or children accompanied by their parents. Together with their families and neighbors, these staff help shape FSW’s constantly evolving services that embrace all dimensions of what low-income families in Bridgeport need to thrive.

Families turn to FSW for connections to senior services, youth programs, mental health care and Family Strengthening Teams. When an FSW counselor could not find services for a deaf child, FSW created deaf outreach program. Young people in the juvenile justice program make and sell boats and guitars through FSW partnerships with business entrepreneurs.

FSW not only help families develop economic sustainability, but the agency practices the principle itself. More than half of FSW’s income comes from revenue-generating activities. FSW’s Employee Assistance Program successfully markets its extensive counseling expertise to for-profit companies. The Food Service Enterprise began as Meals on Wheels for seniors, and has now grown to include food service for childcare centers, families, individuals with HIV/AIDS and a for-profit frozen meal delivery service. The Deaf Sign Language Interpreter Program, one of the agency’s most significant financial engines, counts all of Connecticut’s acute care hospitals among its clients.

In addition to generating revenue, FSW ensures that no single funder provides more than 10 percent of the agency’s total income. FSW also became the first family services agency in the country to gain U.S. Treasury Department Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) certifications in order to strengthen financial services available to the community through Family Assets.

BETTY ANN HAUSER

Betty Ann Hauser is a volunteer for Amen Food Pantry, the American Red Cross, the Magnolia Hospital Auxiliary, Project Homestead, the Salvation Army, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency along with other organizations. Ms. Hauser not only serves the community through the agencies, but she also recruits others to become volunteers in the community.

Ms. Hauser helped form the Amen Food Pantry, which serves the entire county. Several churches had their separate food pantries; however, Ms. Hauser met with all the church leaders and suggested combining their resources to serve the entire community. Thus, the Amen Food Pantry was formed. While serving at the pantry, Ms. Hauser recruits volunteers from churches, schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies and other organizations.

Ms. Hauser also works at the Magnolia Hospital as a “Pink Lady Volunteer.” She helps people locate clients in the hospital. She also makes craft items for the hospital craft store. Ms. Hauser also takes it upon herself to recruit retired men and women to come in and serve with her. Ms. Hauser has received a pin for contributing in excess of 3,500 hours of volunteer service.

Ms. Hauser serves at her church by teaching religion classes to the youth. She has also been a mass choir leader and youth choir leader for several years. As a Red Cross volunteer, Ms. Hauser spent three weeks in New York after the tragedy on September 11th. She impacted the lives of many families there with her compassionate words and listening ear. Last year, she spend three weeks in Texas helping with the Flood Disaster and three weeks in California giving aid to those who were being affected by fires. Because of her time with the families there, she still keeps in contact with some. Ms. Hauser has also helped locally in Mississippi. She collects food and clothing for those who have been victims of house fires or floods.

Ms. Hauser also serves with the Salvation Army. She has been an active supporter of the Back to School Program and has purchased school supplies and backpacks for children whose families were not able to afford them. She has also helped with Christmas baskets that benefit the entire family. Ms. Hauser has also set up time for scouts to earn their service badges by having them help at the Amen Food Pantry.

Ms. Hauser has also represented Kappa Kappa Iota Teaching sorority club on the Corinth Area Arts Council for seven years, trained classes for CPR and community first aid certification and trains new volunteers for the Magnolia Hospital Auxiliary. She is a Community Disaster Education Instructor, a Shelter Operations Trainers and is an avid supporter of Project Homestead.

Before retiring from her career as a Real Estate Agent, Ms. Hauser served on the State Board of Realtors and the Four County Board of Realtors. She was instrumental in solving business problems both on a state level and locally. Ms. Hauser works to serve the poor and vulnerable. She always takes care that the dignity of the recipients is protected, and they are respected as brothers and sisters in Christ.

LESLIE MILLER

Leslie Miller has made a life-long goal of educating children and teens about the reality of cancer in their lives and what they can do about it. Because she knows that cancer affects every one in two men and one in three women, Ms. Miller is working to educate the community and especially youth, about this health concern.

Ms. Miller founded Teen Cancer Awareness Advocates Taking Steps (CAATS) For Prevention and Detection. This is a group of students dedicated to instilling early cancer detection and prevention habits in their community. Teen CAATS currently consists of about 20 high school students, and Ms. Miller organizes and plans all of their activities.

Ms. Miller is very active in the community and has coordinated a Cancer Awareness Week for the past two years in both her high school and the entire community at large. The mayor has made a proclamation each year designating one full week to cancer awareness because of her efforts. Cancer Awareness Week (CAW) is focused on teaching youth about the reality of cancer in their lives and what they can do about it.

During CAW, Teen CAATS assist Miller in the many activities. They take part in the rallies where cancer survivors and those closely affected by the disease speak to others. Ms. Miller contacts every florist in town and solicits donations of purple ribbons for the students to wear for support and unity. In addition, Ms. Miller works to get purple bows donated to hang in the businesses throughout Clarksville. Businesses also donate prizes, which are given to random students that are wearing their purple ribbons during this time. Ms. Miller also collects photos from students and faculty members of friends that were victims of cancer and use them in a memorial wall. This wall puts real faces on a disease that so many often try to ignore. There are also post CAW health classes that evaluates the knowledge participants have gained during the week.

Ms. Miller is aware that prevention is the most desirable way to approach cancer. As with many other things, it is better to be proactive than reactive with this disease. She teaches about eliminating the use of tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, eating more fruits and vegetables, avoiding inactivity and applying sunscreen everyday.

Cancer Awareness Week for Kids is a program that Ms. Miller designed with Teen CAATS. This targets second graders and presents them five methods of cancer prevention. Ms. Miller provides creative activities like puppets, coloring sheets, word searches, poster contests and singing. She and the Teen CAATS spend a week with the second graders and teach them how to utilize these steps to remain safe from cancer. Their age makes them very good candidates for prevention because these positive habits are being learned early.

In addition to Teen CAATS, CAW and CAW for Kids, Ms. Miller also organizes a high school team for the annual Relay For Life, which is the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser. During this past year, they raised in excess of $1,200.

ELEANOR WEN

Eleanor “Ellie” Wen is the founder and manager of an innovative Web site that features hundreds of recorded texts and has become a vital tool for many worldwide who are seeking to improve their English. Ellie created the Web site titled RepeatAfterUs.com. Her website features more than 4,000 texts that range from Mother Goose to Hamlet to the Gettysburg Address. Audio clips accompany more than 500 selected texts and allow the site visitors to hear a range of material read aloud. She has dedicated hundreds of hours to finding material, recruiting readers, contacting literacy programs and maintaining the website.

While Ellie was running a poetry workshop and a tutoring program for children at Las Familias del Pueblo, she began to conceive RepeatAfterUs.com. The poetry workshop helps the local immigrant families, and she believed another program could give more assistance to those who were trying to master the English language. She saw first hand the importance of learning English and how mastering the language would positively impact the children’s futures. However, she felt that non-English speakers that lived in more isolated areas would have greater difficulty meeting with a tutor.

RepeatAfterUs.com utilizes the Internet to bring the English language and teaching material to many people in her city, in remote areas and far beyond. Since its inception, the site has had an excess of 20,000 visitors. Students, teachers, Peace Corps volunteers and literacy programs throughout the world have visited and praised the website. Individuals, organizations and embassies in countries from Egypt to Uruguay have sent messages of thanks and appreciation.

Ellie’s work to bring the English language to people in remote areas has impacted a myriad of individuals. At the most basic level, her site offers free, accessible educational tools to persons working to improve their mastery of the English language. It is a service to non-native speakers striving to integrate and participate more fully in American society. At a deeper level, the site’s material showcases the beauty of the English language and the richness of the American culture.

Ellie has used a technological tool of the future, the Internet, as an ambassador for the language, culture and spirit of our great nation. She is using the Internet to aid and educate people all over the world. Her dedication reaches out to the international community and creates connections that stretch across the continents. Ellie does all this while continuing to volunteer at Las Familias del Pueblo, fencing, acting, writing, singing and serving as her high school Junior Class President.

KIM BULLARD

Women leaving prison in Alabama walk out the door with ten dollars in their pocket, a bus ticket and little more than the clothes on their back. Most of them have no one to turn to, no means of survival and they feel alone and afraid. Kate Richardson works with Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM) and is a former inmate herself. Marian “Kim” Bullard heard Richardson speak to the UMWIM group at St. James United Methodist Church in Montgomery and was inspired to encourage the women of her group to partner with AIM to create a clothes closet for newly released inmates.

Ms. Bullard was the catalyst in the final stages of making Kate’s Closet a reality. Bullard is a member of the Good News Board of Directors and the RENEW Network Steering Committee as well as the President of the UMWIM. She mobilized resources in the community and at the church so these women who had already paid their debt to society could receive assistance to get them started on a positive road for the rest of their life.

In June of 2002, Kate’s Closet was born, and it was more than a second-hand store. Ms. Bullard wanted it to be a nice place that the women felt welcomes since they have been through so much and are now being faced with many demands. Their goal has been to allow the women to have at least one hour to gain self-confidence and to find all the positive attributes that they each have within. Also during that time, they can pick out suitable clothing and hygiene products they were in need of. Kate’s Closet has trendy racks and cabinets and brightly painted walls. These extra touches give the converted barn the charm and class of a high-end mall boutique. The suits, dresses, shoes, purses and accessories are donated in excellent condition; some of the items still have price tags attached.

The shop is run exclusively by volunteers, and Ms. Bullard coordinates the volunteer schedules from the UMWIM group. Newly released inmates find unconditional love and acceptance at Kate’s Closet. They are welcomed with the same excitement you are welcomed in a high-class boutique. During their stay at Kate’s Closet, a makeup artist treats the women to a makeover and accessories to complete the six outfits with which each woman is provided. In addition, the women are able to select a wrapped basket of hygiene items, new undergarments and pantyhose.

When the women come to Kate’s Closet, Ms.Bullard does not quiz them about their past. Their questions center around the women’s favorite color and whether they prefer to select suits or dresses. This outreach to prison inmates has become a community effort, going beyond UMWIM. Two local television channels covered the grand opening of Kate’s Closet. Ms. Bullard solicits many women in the area to donate to Kate’s Closet. She has even received support and assistance from the Junior League with this project.

After leaving Kate’s Closet, the women are then assisted by AIM to secure employment and housing and to provide essential supportive counseling for one year after release. “ Women come in to get something to wear, but they leave with hope.” Ms. Bullard has not only impacted the women who are released from Julia Tutwiler Prison in Alabama, but because of her efforts and those of the other volunteers, Kate’s Closet has become a model for other communities to replicate.

STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE (SIFE)

The community service philosophy of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) demonstrates a commitment to achieving incredible and lasing impact. SIFE students lend hands rather than handouts, providing the training necessary for citizens to lead independent, successful lives. SIFE teams in more than 875 colleges and universities across the United States develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

SIFE was founded in 1975 as a nonprofit organization whose goal was to improve the quality of life and standard of living around the world by teaching the principles and values of free enterprise. Working in partnerships with business and higher education, SIFE organizes and motivates teams of university students who teach others an understanding of these principles.

Distinguished faculty advisors guide SIFE teams. The teams conduct educational outreach projects throughout the academic year and are given the opportunity to showcase these projects at competitions. Through oral, audio-visual and written summaries, SIFE Teams present projects to judges. The judges, all top domestic and international business leaders then determine which teams did the best job teaching and equipping others with the tools necessary for success.

SIFE Teams work to demonstrate connection building within communities. One California SIFE Team implemented a successful welfare to work plan for single mothers. A South Dakota Team seminar educated seniors citizens against falling prey to fraud. SIFE does not mandate the curriculum or project implemented by teams. The only requirement is the projects relate to free market economics, entrepreneurship, financial success skills or business ethics.

SIFE Teams use innovation to help teach others to be productive successful citizens. The team data sheets show that SIFE programs have reached approximately four million people last year alone. The Wall Street Journal states, “SIFE is offering a lesson all good managers should help to teach: that business is a part of the fabric of every community, that it is a skill that needs to be learned by everyone to some degree in order to survive, and that the smallest venture can have world-wide reach.” (Carol Hymowitz –1-14-03).

SIFE’s mission is to give it student members the best opportunity to make a difference. SIFE is taking the youth of today and turning them into our leaders of tomorrow.

DARRYL CURRY

Daryl Curry is a tireless volunteer at the Ernest Everett Just Middle School (EE Just). He came to EE Just for a parent meeting, agreed to volunteer when he could, saw the need was greater than an occasional visit and has come back to EE Just each day since. He has acted as a consultant and provides the school with sound advice on many occasions. Mr. Curry’s judgment is visionary, and he always has the students’ best interest at heart.

Mr. Curry arrives to EE Just at or before 8:30am each day and assists in any way possible. He answers telephones, assists with cafeteria and hall duty, works in the Guidance and front offices, interacts with students and assists teachers and administrators in other areas where help is necessary. Mr. Curry is aware that the staff and students at EE Just have come to rely on him and his volunteer service. When he is not able to stay an entire day, he gives notice so the staff can plan around his absence. He also attends staff meetings and works at home to do things that will help the school. In addition, he recruits other volunteers and participates in after hours and weekend functions. Mr. Curry does all this volunteer work while maintaining a career in the evening.

Mr. Curry has made himself available at a moments notice for questions or specific information on school projects. Mr. Curry is a Television Technician by trade and has taught in the US Navy and as a substitute on occasion. Mr. Curry sets a high standard and has high expectations for him and others. He has developed enduring professional relationships with the teachers, parents and students. Mr. Curry is insightful, caring and responsive to the developmental needs of all youth as well as a man of positive action and fortitude.

Recently, Mr. Curry offered to mentor a small group of boys who are having difficulties in middle school. One of the youth is 16 and in the 8th grade, and another youth has a 2-year-old child and has been in five different middle schools in two years. Mr. Curry has developed a “Boys to Men” mentoring program for these students, and he meets with them daily. Word of his group has spread and teachers have been asking if others can join. Now, Mr. Curry and another teacher are sponsoring an evening “Boys to Men Conference” in an attempt to reach even more students.

Mr. Curry displays strong leadership in a team environment, builds cooperation, communicates with ease, has a natural style and possesses an invaluable source of knowledge. His verbal commitments are consistent with his actions and he gives meticulous attention to detail. Mr. Curry is an important contributor to the success of the schools in Prince George’s County. At a time when many of the nation’s children have lost their way, it is wonderful to have an upstanding community leader, citizen and professional in their midst. His mentoring and support brings hope and encouragement for all.

BRANDY CALVERT

Brandy Calvert is active with Girl Scouts and does community service projects with her troop. However, she began another special endeavor on her own.

In June of last year, Brandy went to the mall with some friends and looked into the Build-A-Bear store. She saw The Nikki Bear, a teddy bear named after Nikki Giampolo who lost her life to cancer when she was only 14 years old. Her mom talked to the Build-A-Bear company to make a bear after her because she made so many bears there and gave them to kids will illness.

Brandy felt this was a prime opportunity for her to cheer up someone. She asked her Mom if she could collect money and build Nikki Bears to give to kids who have cancer and long-term illness. Brandy received her mother’s approval and began her own Nikki Bear Project.

Though she was excited, Brandy found the hardest part was finding hospitals that would accept the bears. In August, INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children called and said they would be honored to take the bears and give them to the kids. The Nikki Bear Project was off and rolling. Next Brandy created fliers and sent them out into the community. She also went to several fire houses in Arlington and asked for donations.

Soon the donations were coming in at a steady pace and she had enough to build 40 Nikki Bears. In September, with the help of three of my friends, they built 40 Nikki Bears at the Build-A-Bear store. Brandy and her mom were elated to deliver the bears to patients at the INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children. When Brandy and her mother delivered the bears,they found new friends in the patients and saw the young children gain some sense of comfort because of the bears.

In addition to the Nikki Bear Project, Brandy has also worked on food drives, mitten drives, coat drives, clean up a homeless shelter and even help to make children’s id’s. Brandy is still a teenager, but she knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to it as long as she is dedicated and works hard at it.

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

New York Life Insurance Company has always believed strongly in the value of community service. In 1998, the Company formalized its commitment to community service and created Volunteers for LIFE. The program includes eight New York Life offices across the country: Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco/San Ramon and Tampa.

Volunteers for LIFE develops and promotes volunteer opportunities for New York Life’s agents, employees and retirees so that they may contribute their time and expertise to help meet community needs. The goal is to devise the most effective program possible to ensure that everyone enjoys meaningful, convenient and rewarding volunteer experiences and that the beneficiaries of their time and commitment are well served.

Volunteers for LIFE offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including ongoing programs, one-time events, team projects, collection drives and special events. Community service projects represent a range of commitment levels so that anyone may have an opportunity to participate. Opportunities exist for volunteers as individuals or in teams, once a year, once a month or even weekly.

The Company’s community service activities center on the programs benefiting children, especially in the areas on mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement programs. This focus, entitled Nurturing the Children, is closely aligned to the New York Life Foundation’s funding priorities. By linking the Company’s volunteerism with the Foundation’s grantmaking activities, the Company hopes to make the greatest impact possible.

In addition to local projects, Volunteers for LIFE organizes national initiatives that include the Season of Giving program, which brings holiday cheer to the less fortunate. In New York, employees “adopted” seniors and sent cards and presents, while teams of employees fulfilled the holiday wishes of homeless families. Other locations provided toys to needy kids through drives and fundraisers, such as Toys for Tots. Another national Volunteers for LIFE initiative encourages the families of New York Life employees to volunteer.

Although child-related projects are the primary focus, the Company recognizes there are other significant social problems in the neighborhoods where these children live and grow. For that reason, New York Life also addresses issues such as homelessness and hunger. Volunteers for LIFE supports a variety of soup kitchens, food drives, shelters and food rescue programs. Projects include City Harvest, where teams of volunteers annually collect approximately 80,000 pounds of food at an urban greenmarket; soup kitchen projects with organizations such as Momentum AIDS Project and Bay area Rescue Mission; and local clothing and food drives.

Dedicated New York Life volunteers, especially Team Leaders who organize and manage the on-site volunteer projects, have created the Volunteers for LIFE culture at New York Life. It is contagious!

ANNA STODOLA

Anna Stodola learned first hand about cancer when she was just in seventh grade. She lives in a small town and had a group three best friends. They were together so much, they were labeled the “four amigos.” One day, one of the amigos, Allie was not in school. It was odd, but Anna called once she got home. Allie said she had to miss school that day because of a doctor’s appointment. The doctor advised Allie and her family that she had Hodgkin’s Disase, a form of cancer. Allie had an operation that week and they removed what they could of the cancer. Although her cancer was only in stage 1-A, she would still have to undergo chemotherapy. This was happening a week before her 13th birthday.

The other amigos vowed to get through this together. The school had an assembly to let everyone know that Allie would only be in school about one week a month. Anna had never had someone close to her diagnosed with cancer, and she wanted to do something to help out.

The three friends started out small, asking the hospital where Allie was receiving her chemotherapy what they thought would help the patients the most. They said that hours in the hospital could get long and boring, so anything to entertain the kids would help. Anna and the amigos decided to hold a children’s video and book drive at their school. They requested that the movies be rated G or PG and in good condition. Initially, only a few donations came in; however, at the end of two months they received 500-700 movies for the kids and several boxes of books.

The girls then held a craft show to raise money. They asked local businesses to donate gift certificates or items to raffle, asked several local artists to donate crafts to be sold and the girls made crafts to sell. The school let them use the cafeteria for the event. Anna and her friends did all of the advertising and recruited volunteers from school to help. The craft show was on May 10, 2002, and it was a success. They played educational movies about cancer, sold refreshments, raffled off the gift certificates, had games for the kids, and sold lots of crafts. The craft show raised a few thousand dollars, which the girls used to buy games, dress-up materials, craft supplies and toys for the kids who were receiving cancer treatments.

The girls delivered the items to the children in July and also celebrated with Allie. She received news that the cancer was gone! Allie was elated and the other children were excited to know that people who did not know them personally cared enough to do so much to make them happy.

Allie and her friends are continuing their crusade to help bring comfort to cancer patients. They are now working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They are working on a special project and have raised $500 through candy sales to date. They will continue until they are able to grant their second wish. Their first wish was that their amigo would be cured of cancer. Allie is still cancer free and has been in remission for more than a year. Volunteering is an integral part of Allie’s life now as well as a great part of the four amigos’ friendship.