COLLIN MCKAY
Collin McKay is merely nine years old, but he has already contributed more to his community than most adults. He started “Collins Cause” to collect items for care packages to send to our troops over seas serving their country. He also has made contributions to Sarah’s House, a homeless shelter in Anne Arundel County, the Maryland Food Pantry and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Collin wanted to get actively involved in supporting American troops. His organization delivers encouragement to United States military personnel stationed in Iraq. Initially, Collin placed a collection box at his elementary school and received donations of magazines, newspapers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant and snack food items. He then began to solicit and receive additional support from friends, neighbors, school staff members and area merchants for the care packages. Collin also organized a fundraiser at the Cheshire Crab Restaurant to earn additional money to send the packages to the troops.
Collin has also made regular contributions of food, clothing and toys to a local homeless shelter, Sarah’s House of Anne Arundel County. He also has given to the American Red Cross, Purple Heart and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Collin has donated coats to the “Coats for Kids” program and books to various programs that serve children who are not as fortunate as he.
Annually, during the holiday season, Collin and his family adopt a needy family. They provide for the things they need to make their holiday less stressful and more joyous. Collin helps shop for the children in these families, and together with his older brother, he delivers the items to the family or to the designated drop-off points.
For the past several years, Collin has also tried to volunteer his time to the Fresh Airways Program, which is a summer camp for asthmatic children. He suffers from severe asthma, and since learning how to manage it himself; he has been eager to share his knowledge with others. However, his age has kept him from actively taking part in these camps just yet.
In addition, Collin is active in the martial arts and is working on a video with his brother that is geared towards children ages 6 to 12 years. This video is teaching children how to not be a victim of abduction and it utilizes and shares various self-defense skills. This video will be the second in his “Best Defense” video series. Collin regularly contributes to his elementary school fundraising efforts to earn new classroom computers and funds for trips, which some of the students could otherwise not afford. At the age of nine, Collin helps to strengthen the moral fabric of his community and is proving to be an outstanding role model for other youth.
MOLLY BANZ
Although in age Molly Banz qualifies as someone in their “golden years,” energy-wise, she is more energetic that most people under forty. Whatever it is, she is one who can, if at all possible, get things done when all else fails.
Ms. Banz owned and operated Molly’s Seafood and Grille restaurant in Napa for many years and became well known for her home-like cooking and friendly gathering place. It was in her position as a restaurateur where she began helping those in need. She started by providing free meals to 67 senior citizens who were driven from their homes in the 1986 devastating Napa flood. She sought donations from Napa’s citizenry and was able to furnish a hot meal for six weeks to those who came.
Some time later, a terrible house fire took the life of a young mother and two of her small children. One child and her grandmother survived, but the grandmother had no money with which to bury her family. Ms. Banz placed an ad in the Napa Valley Register asking readers to come in to her restaurant and put just a dollar in the big pickle jar on the counter. Hundreds of people did just that so the grandmother’s beloved family could be buried. That was the catalyst that began the group now called Molly’s Angels.
Ms. Banz knows that many people seemed to fall through the cracks when it came to getting help from established charitable organizations. She believes that if each person in Napa would donate one dollar a month to a nonprofit organization with no overhead, that the majority of these families and individuals could receive at least some assistance.
Four years later, there now exists a core of approximately 30 hard working Angels. Thousands of others, both residents and visitors, become “Angels” by donating money, time, and talent to help Molly’s Angels help those in need. What used to be Molly’s Seafood and Grille has now become Molly’s Angels Café, a nonprofit restaurant where all the profits go to helping those truly in need. The restaurant waiting staff is comprised mostly of volunteers, including teenagers whom Molly is teaching about work ethics. Ms. Banz believes that an organization such as Molly’s Angels could be started in other towns and cities across the nation although they wouldn’t necessarily have to involve a restaurant.
What makes Molly’s Angels a viable nonprofit organization, sometimes envied by visitors to Napa, work? Simply this dynamo called Molly Banz and her hardworking Angels. She and her angels have found homes for the homeless, jobs for the unemployed, fed the hungry, provided funds for expensive medical treatments and equipment – and the list goes on.
DIRECTORS OF “ONE VOICE”
“One Voice” was created in 1997 and is comprised of youth from five different high schools in and around Richfield, Utah. Students with an interest in singing and performing try out and, once selected, sign a “code of ethics” they must follow to be members of the choir. Each year, the number of those auditioning has increased dramatically – from 19 in 1997 to more than 100 in 2003.
Janet Kimball Bird founded the choir in August of 1997 and she, along with Richard Barnett, direct the choir. Deanna Cowley was invited to join the staff one year later. Each of them has been volunteering their time and talents for the past seven years. The directors of “One Voice” are each accomplished musicians and vocal soloists. Janet Bird is an accomplished vocalist and vocal coach, Richard Barnett is a seasoned instrumentalist, and Deanna is an outstanding pianist. Each of them spend countless hours working with the youth, finding music, learning songs, developing choreography, practicing music, rehearsing for performances – and the list goes on. Approximately 500 hours per year go into making this group a polished choir.
Janet, Richard and Deanna possess many qualities needed to make this group successful. They have inexhaustible patience with the youth. They are consummate professionals, and demand the same from the group, teaching the youth that only their best is enough, and showing them that they can achieve their goals through hard work. They are organized; each practice is well planned and purposeful.
“One Voice” has built connections in the community by presenting annual Christmas and Mother’s Day concerts. They were requested to sing when the community united in a show of support for Richfield’s National Guard Troop that was activated, and also for the 2002 Winter Olympics. They have been requested to sing at the services of numerous religious denominations in Sevier County as well as in Nevada, California and at Disneyland. They also present an annual concert tour and this year will be in Washington D.C., April 2nd – 9th.
While performance is a key element of “One Voice,” the most important is that of unity within the choir. Since the choir consists of students from five different high schools, it has been an emphasis from the beginning to instill within the choir a sense of support, trust, and acceptance for each other. This sense of support has been felt by the community as students from each of the high schools have united to attend each others’ athletic events and dramatic performances throughout the years.
“One Voice” gets its name from a song of the same title by Barry Manilow. This song talks about the importance of and power of one voice, and what a difference one voice can make speaking out for positive things. This theme is incorporated into the very structure of the group. In addition to improving their vocal skills, the young performers learn self-esteem and self-confidence through “One Voice.”
Janet, Richard and Deanna spend countless hours improving the talents and abilities of the young people in “One Voice.” They freely give their time to help the youth develop their own talents, and learn new ones in an environment of trust, caring and fun. The contributions they make to the lives of youth are immeasurable. They provide an experience that would not otherwise be available to youth in this rural area. Their presence in the community is electric and adds a special touch to any performance in which they are involved. Janet, Richard and Deanne are investing their time and talents to unite the youth of Sevier County and the community they in which they live one song at a time.
MARJORIE BARNBROOK
Marjorie Barnbrook has been an Intake Worker volunteer since May 1983. This year, she was honored during National Volunteer Week for 20 years of service. She has donated more than 2,755 hours of service over the last 20 years.
In her capacity as an Intake Worker, Ms. Barnbrook has conducted in-person and telephone interviews with low-income individuals seeking assistance in dealing with their legal problems. She has been able to talk to persons in distress and get a fairly clear picture of what the applicant is asking ILS to do. In this way, she actually begins to prepare the potential case file.
The agency’s mission is “to provide high quality legal services to the low-income community in Indiana.” Ms. Barnbrook helped to fulfill this mission by completing a high quality intake that an attorney will work on. She has been an important link between vulnerable or disconnected people and their opportunity to a obtain free legal assistance to solve various problems such as housing difficulties; access to judicial and administrative proceedings; safety, stability and well being; and improving outcomes for children. For example, without Ms. Barnbrook’s service, an applicants in dire need of a divorce to escape an abusive spouse might not have an Intake Worker to take their application. Also, without Ms. Barnbrook, someone who needs Medicaid benefits might not get the help they need to appeal their Medicaid denial.
Ms. Barnbrook was consistent in her attendance on her regular Thursday afternoon intake shifts. She is reliable and conscientious, especially during summer months when students are gone. Her experience with ILS helped her know what questions to ask the applicants.
Ms. Barnbrook did not let the sad, heartbreaking stories of many applicants dissuade her from volunteering. She continued her personal mission of giving her skills to help others as best she can. In June of this year, due to physical health, Ms. Barnbrook was forced to retire. She is the first volunteer to be honored with this length of service by the agency, since the volunteer program began in 1982.
BARBARA LEE
Barbara Lee is an Alderwoman in the city of New Bern where she served and is still serving for over 12 years. She is an entrepreneur in the food serving business for more than 20 years of “Food Palace” on Queen Street in New Bern. A person never leaves hungry, “money or not.” When someone passes away, she contributes food generously to the poor family, especially if there are young mouths to feed.
Her son was incarcerated needlessly for a minor crime, but that did not stop her from crying out even more for the young people. Someone else would have folded their hands and given up, but not Ms. Lee. She organized a group Area Day Reporting Center for young people that are caught up in the system – making it possible for them to maintain their education while under suspension from school and under the court jurisdiction. She has a competent staff, workshops that include parents – teaching them how to help their children. You would be amazed at the participation; she has given the young mothers and fathers a new lease on life – showing them how to help their kids. Her workshops include not only kids from the poor area but also kids from the wealthy area of town, and race is no barrier. Ms. Barbara Lee is a pioneer in the present age.
BEGINNING AWARENESS BASIC EDUCATION STUDIES VOLUNTEERS
Since the 2001-02 school year, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers have gone into second-grade classrooms to teach students about the harms of drugs and alcohol, the importance of asking for help when there is a problem, and how to develop good self-image. Now the team has grown in number to meet area school demands for the Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies (BABES), a nationally recognized program. BABES, started in 1977, now reaches over a million children annually in all 50 states and five countries.
The RSVP BABES volunteers are B.J. Barnes, Sam Bass, Barb Boudry, Peg Bunker, Chad Harkins, Carole Kositzke, Jan Larson, Earl Plass, Vi Sagert, Mary Ann Van Leur, and Don Verkuilen. This year, four volunteers will join the team.
Is there a need for BABES? Statistics provided by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse suggest there is a need:
- 30% of children in grades 4-6 report that they received “a lot” of pressure from their classmates to drink beer; 31% to try marijuana; 34% to try cigarettes;
- 56% of students in grades 5-12 say that alcohol advertising encourages them to drink;
- One in 4 students have a parents that uses drugs or has a drinking problem
Early prevention decreases those numbers dramatically.
Our volunteers enjoy putting on the puppet shows, but take the program very seriously. Sam Bass and Peg Bunker went through BABES certification from an accredited instructor to become narrators, and bring their own experiences to the table. They lead their teams through six sessions with three RSVP-trained puppeteers behind the curtain at each school. The BABES volunteers use puppets in a manner designed to gain the attention of children and to enable them to develop good decision-making skills.
Students are tested before and after the program to demonstrate improvement and obtained knowledge. The results have been very positive. Average scores throughout the seven schools and 13 classrooms showed that 79.2% of students improved their scores and averaged nearly 88% on their final tests.
The BABES volunteers have been unsung heroes, but deserve so much more. The RSVP’s BABES program is made possible through its sponsoring agency, the Volunteer Center of East Central Wisconsin.
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR OF KANSAS
Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Kansas has dedicated employees who give of their time and talents to support the greater Kansas City communities they serve. They truly understand the importance of giving back to the community.
In 2001, the Enterprise team made a significant donation to the United Way and they continue to be a crucial ingredient of the United Way team locally. Enterprise interns and the Human Resource Department also volunteered with the Spofford Home for Children, cleaning, washing windows, painting and hosting a cookout for the children. At the end of the year, the Enterprise team also held their Monster Dash as the Kansas Speedway. They created the event, and their employees make up 90% of the volunteers.
From 2002 to the present, the Enterprise team has continued to be an active force of service in their community. They made donations to the Gillis Children and Family Home, which has served the Greater Kansas City area for more than 80 years, and the United Negro College Fund of Kansas City. They held the Buck O’Neil Gold Classic in May 2002 for Reviving Baseball in the Inner City (RBI). And, through another company sponsored golf tournament, the Enterprise team raised funds to support the Women’s Intersport Network (WIN) for Kansas City. WIN for Kansas City is a subdivision of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation and was established in 1994 to promote sports participation opportunities and recognition for girls and women in the community.
Annually, the Enterprise Fleet Services and Leasing Division holds a Christmas fund raiser to support Angel Tree. The Angel Tree program relies on the generosity of Kansas City residents who adopt angels from trees in local malls. Each angel represents a child whose parents have applied to the Salvation Army for Christmas assistance.
The Enterprise team is also a partner of the National Urban League. Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Taylor, was recently elected to the National Urban League’s Board of Trustees. They will serve as corporate sponsors for many of the National Urban League’s ongoing programs as well as participating and underwriting a four-year research project that addresses the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
In addition, the Enterprise team has helped the following local businesses and charities through donation, partnerships and/or volunteer work: Children’s Mercy Hospital, Neighborhood Housing Services, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Community Living Opportunities, Special Olympics of Kansas City, ALS Association, Children’s Center for Visually Impaired, Sertoma, Washburn University, Brain Injury Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Kansas City, Oznam Home for Boys, William Jewell College, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and Project Equality.
VIRGINIA BITTERLY
Virginia Bitterly has more than four decades of professional community service as an educator, counselor for social, economic, and spiritual problems of individuals, families, and groups including a social service consultant position at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars for nearly 10 years.
Her numerous active community leadership roles include: presidency of Floyd Valley Hospital Auxiliary during which time she introduced the “Lifeline System” and continues to serve in various offices in the Auxiliary; as well as a member on the Iowa Hospital State Association on Auxiliaries and as State Newsletter Editor. She also has served in various offices on the Christian Women’s Organization, and the General Federated Women’s Club. Serving with the Iowa State U. Extension from 1987-1992, she was 4-H Educator and youth director in Plymouth/ Cherokee counties. She has held numerous leadership positions including State of Iowa Older Iowa’s Legislature (OIL) serving on the Committee, as well as in various offices in her local church.
Her many honors include National “True Grit” Award Distinguished Volunteer Service Award, Plymouth County State of Iowa Hall of Fame Governor’s Volunteer Award, Greater Siouxland Volunteer Award of the Year, and Siouxland J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, and in 2003, she was honored with the Matt Parott & Sons Integrity Award, the Red Cross Heroes of Siouxland, The Abbey Care Center (Le Mars, IA) Volunteer of the Year, and the Iowa Governor’s Award for Resident Advocate. As an author and poet, she has contributed poems and articles in newspapers and, by invitation, in published books. Since 1960, she continues offering private piano instruction in her Home Studio. Her one daughter, Amy, lives in Colorado.
ROBYN STRUMPF
Robyn Strumpf struggled to overcome a personal obstacle as a child – learning to read. It was frustrating to her as well as embarrassing. Her parents tried various techniques with no success for quite some time. However, it finally became clear for her and she was able to read. She never gave up and a new world was opened up for her due to being able to read.
Because of this, Robyn wanted to make a difference in the lives of other children who were struggling to learn to read or who do not have the resources. She founded Project Books and Blankies so she could share the magic of reading with others. Robyn spends countless hours designing and sewing colorful quilts to accompany books. She places the books and quilts in baskets that she delivers to various classrooms to give to children. The ‘blankie’ she gives to the children is kept in the reading corner so the youth can snuggle up and get comfortable while reading.
Robyn also works to raise the community’s awareness about literacy issues and the value of service to the community because she has been so rewarded by her volunteer service. Word about Project Books and Blankies spread , and Robyn was contacted by an international relief organization. She then sent more than 1,000 books to South Africa to be distributed by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Since the inception of Project Books and Blankies, Robyn has collected in excess of $100,000 in books, fabrics, supplies and monetary grants. To date, she has donated in excess of 10,000 books locally and internationally.
Robyn has spoken to many organizations including but not limited to the Girl Scouts, Key Clubs, Optimists, the Northridge Chamber of Commerce and other local business owners. In addition, she has held book drives in the communities and contacted various publishers, bookstores and fabric manufacturers requesting donations for her organization. Robyn has also applied for and received grants that have allowed her to continue to share her story in hopes of encouraging other youth to read and to volunteer.
Because of Project Books and Blankies, other youth in the community have become involved. When Robyn speaks at various programs or other high schools, other high school students help to run the activities that follow her presentation. She is currently working to set up libraries in the Learning Rooms located in homeless shelters in the greater Los Angeles area with the hope of giving the children some consistency in their studies even though they are displaced from their homes.
THE WHITE FAMILY
Delivering meals, volunteering at the library, working in food pantries and thrift stores, planning service projects to assist seniors – these are only a sampling of the ways that the White Family works in their community, as a family, to make it a better place.
Dave and Elizabeth taught their children, Margret (18) and Nate (14), at an early age the importance of giving back. They see rewards not in the material things that life has to offer, but by giving of their time and talents. The kids each have their own volunteer passions, but they also work together as a family to accomplish great things.
Margret walks into a room and gets things done! It may be her vibrant personality or dedication to others – this girl is a true leader. The last two years Margret planned National Youth Service Day projects for more than 200 youth. She worked with the community agencies and found seniors that needed assistance doing light home repair and cleaning. Then, working with 4-H, schools and agencies, she recruited more than 200 youth to go out and accomplish these tasks for seniors. This is only one of the many projects that Margret has been involved in. On an ongoing basis, Margret volunteers at Youth Court, works at the library and is a member of the Youth Action Council at the Volunteer Center of Johnson County.
Nate is more of a hands-on guy. He may not get into the planning of a service project too much, but on the day of the event Nate is there – ready to head the pack and get moving! When a garden was planted at a local retirement home he was the first one to grab a shovel and start digging. He was also the last one to leave that evening. Nate stayed until the project was completely finished and the garden met his expectations. Nate also volunteers weekly for Meals on Wheels, with his parents, delivering meals to homebound seniors and is a member of the Youth Action Council.
In 2003, during National Volunteer Week, the Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, recognized the White children for their volunteer efforts. Margret and Nate represented the many Kansas youth volunteers that day on the Senate Floor.
Behind these two young adults are extremely supportive and giving parents. The children have learned by watching their parents. Whether the family is delivering meals to seniors or working on a service day project, the family is continuously striving to make a difference in the community.
