PAMELA DADLANI

Learning Leaders, a nonprofit organization in New York City, recruits, screens, trains and supports volunteers who provide one-on-one and small group instructional support and other services to New York City’s public school students from grades pre-Kindergarten to twelve. There are more than 11,500 Learning Leaders volunteers working with more than 165,000 students in New York City. Learning Leaders is very fortunate to have Pamela Dadlani as a member of its volunteer corps.

Not only does Dadlani volunteer in the Lower Lab School in District 2 in Manhattan, but she volunteers in two of the special programs that are run for New York City public school students, ARTWORKS and Understanding Nations. As an ARTWORKS volunteer, Dadlani has created innovative programming for third grade students in East Harlem who may otherwise never learn about art because of serious cuts in arts education.

At PS 155 in Manhattan’s District 4, Dadlani has volunteered with the ARTWORKS program for three years. ARTWORKS places trained volunteers in classrooms where they present five sessions to third grade students on various forms of art and introduce these students to the permanent collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exciting program cumulates with a field trip for these students to the museum where the students can actually see the pieces that they studied. Students’ appreciation for art and the artistic process improves when they go through this special program.

Dadlani is a trained ARTWORKS museum guide and often goes to the museum twice a month to lead young students around one of the most distinguished art collections in the world. Dadlani showed the community at PS 155 and all at Learning Leaders her dedication to art education when she took it upon herself to create art corners focused on Georgia O’Keefe for two classrooms at PS 155. Dadlani designed self-guided activities for students to integrate art education with the reading and writing standards that they are expected to meet. She integrated current social studies and science curriculum into the art corners because of the frequent desert theme in O’Keefe’s work.

As a volunteer with the Understanding Nations program, Dadlani travels to PS 279 in the Bronx. During these five sessions with a fifth grade class, Dadlani educates the students about the United Nations and what it means to have an international community. This multi-cultural experience cumulates with a class field trip to the United Nations where the students tour the facility and learn more about what the function of the United Nations is in the world is today.

Dadlani’s own daughter attends the Lower Lab School in District 2 in Manhattan. This school differs from other schools in the New York City Department of Education because no Title 1 funds are allocated. Therefore, parents are responsible for fundraising to provide for everyday supplies such as chalk, paper, and tissues in the classrooms. Dadlani is a star fundraiser and constant advocate for these young voices in the community. If there is anything that Dadlani can do to help the students in this public school, she is there rolling up her sleeves to help.

THE VOLUNTEERS OF COMMUNITY CRISIS SERVICES, INC.

Community Crisis Services, Inc. (CCSI) is the home of the Prince George’s County Hotline. It was founded by volunteers in 1970 and operates several needed community services. Volunteers are the core of the organization and are involved at each level of leadership. The American Association of Suicidology since 1985 and a member of the Maryland Information and Referral Providers Council have accredited CCSI since 2001. In addition, they are active in the Prince George’s County Volunteer Coordinators Association also.

The volunteers of CCSI fulfill a vital role for the citizens of Prince George’s County both on a daily basis and during times of community-wide crisis. CCSI operated the County’s Critical Incident Call Center upon request of the Office of the County Executive. The Call center was created at CCSI’s headquarters in 1999.

The primary function of the Call Center is to provide non-urgent information and support to the public during times of community-wide crisis. Prior to the creation of the Call Center the operators of 911 and the police department handled such calls. This took up their valuable time and resources. CCSI is much better equipped to assist these callers who primarily seek “rumor control” information and supportive listening during frightening times.

The Call Center initially was a minor component of the organization. It was merely a courtesy provided to the community with the help of volunteers. This, however, changed on September 11, 2001. Suddenly it was necessary for them to be available 24-hours a day as a source of support and information. Their existence became vital to the community of Prince George’s County. On September 11th, CCSI volunteers simply showed up knowing their help will be needed and yearning to help those in need.

In the months since the terrorist attach, CCSI has gained increased recognition and visibility. Both the county government and the public have utilized the Call Center. CCSI, with the help of the volunteers has operated the Tornado Hotline, Anthrax Hotline, West Nile Virus Hotline and the Sniper Hotline.

During the operation of the Prince George’s County Sniper Hotline, the staff and volunteers of CCSI responded to an excess of 530 calls during the course of two weeks. CCSI would not have been able to provide this vital function without the dedication of the 40 volunteers. Providing this service was in addition to handling the 110 calls received on a typical day.

The vision of CCSI is to strive to provide comprehensive crisis services that are efficient, accessible, responsible and fully integrated into the community. They exist to serve their community with prompt, non-judgmental and comprehensive response to crises, with the goal of supporting increased stability and coping skills through prevention, intervention, postvention, information and referral.

DR. EMERALD RANDOLPH

Dr. Emerald Randolph’s accomplishments began in 1993 when she retired from the Chula Vista Elementary School District and became a volunteer with the City of Chula Vista. In 1993, officials the Chula Vista police and fire departments believed there was a need to provide compassionate, supportive assistance to families of trauma victims. Police and firefighters were unable to give this support, as they were busy doing their jobs. Randolph was asked if she could train such a team, and the result was the Citizens Adversity Support Team (CAST).

CAST’s highly trained volunteers respond when called by police or firefighters, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To date they have responded to 2,100 calls. These calls include deaths in homes or hospitals, sexual assaults, child or elder abuse, domestic violence, automobile accidents, suicides, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, drowning or fire.

In addition to implementing and participating as a member of this outstanding trauma intervention team, she directs the program and oversees the annual training of new members. Randolph solicited the services of many professionals who return year after year, donating their time and providing nearly 80 hours of intensive training.

Randolph developed and ran the Domestic Violence Temporary Restraining Order Clinic at the South Bay County Courthouse for eight years where she also established a Children’s Waiting Room. She has served the Domestic Violence Coalition for nine years, chaired the South Bay Lawyer Referral Group for eight years: served as chair and member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club for five years, and served on the Salvation Army Board for six years.

Randolph is a strong advocate for children and the elderly, working closely with Child and Adult Protective Services. As part of the Domestic Violence Coalition, she was instrumental in getting domestic violence hotline numbers on the back of grocery receipts. She puts more than 60 miles a day on her old Toyota truck, traveling from her home in Jamul to Chula Vista and driving around town.

Randolph received two Channel 10 Leadership Awards from the local ABC station for starting the CAST program and the Children’s Waiting Room. She received the Governor’s Award for Assisting Victims of Crime. Her efforts and that of CAST were mentioned briefly in local newspapers when the team assisted with such events as a shooting at a retirement home, rape of an elderly woman in retirement complex, a tragic drag racing accident, and an officer involved shooting of a suspected car thief in a local apartment complex. CAST was featured on the California Governor’s Volunteer Web site.

LU HUNTER

Lu Hunter has been involved in community activities for more than 34 years. The majority of her volunteer service has been directed toward two groups, the aging and disabled. Her community activities began when her mentally challenged daughter was diagnosed at three years of age. Hunter immediately started to research what was available in the community and discovered that there were not many services of this kind available. She became active in the Work Oriented Rehabilitation Center (WORC) through the Parent’s Support Group and two years later became a member of the Board of Directors. This group represents both physically and mentally challenged persons.

Hunter is presently serving on the Southeast Volusia Advisory Council that is an outreach program for seniors and helps to make seniors aware of what is available to them in the local community and in the County. The Volusia Council on Aging is developing a Guardianship Advisory Panel for seniors who have no one to help them. Hunter serves as both the respite and the handicapped representative.

Hunter has also been a volunteer with The Volusia County Facilities Authority Board. It is a Board that oversees the auditing of the private Universities in Volusia County. Since 1985 Hunter has been a respite volunteer in a program that provides in-home supervision and companionship to the homebound, thereby relieving the Caregiver.

In addition, Hunter is an Area Coordinator for the Interfaith Care Team Initiative – Faith in Action (ICTI-FIA) program, which is a project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-Faith in Action programs. The Mission of the Interfaith Care Team Initiative is to assist the frail elderly and disabled to access services, which they have difficulty in accessing in their Community. The services provided are relief for the caregiver (respite), telephone reassurance, light tasks and maintenance, and transportation. Hunter is also a member of the ICTI-FIA advisory board.

Hunter has been a respite volunteer since 1985 starting with the respite program initiated by the Council of Catholic Women. Presently, she is the Orlando Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Respite Coordinator. The Diocese encompasses nine counties. As part of her responsibilities Hunter serves as a speaker to market both the Interfaith Care Team Initiative and the respite program. She also conducts training programs in nine counties. As the Area Coordinator, Hunter markets the program to Community and Church groups in Volusia County.

Hunter serves as an advocate for both of these groups, researching and speaking out to help to improve the quality of life for those she serves. Each of her volunteer activities provides both outreach and education to make the public more aware of what is needed and how they can be apart of providing these needs – legislative advocacy, volunteering and education.

THE VOLUNTEER FACULTY OF AMERICAN WOMEN’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The American Women’s Economic Development (AWED) Corporation was founded in 1976 as a nonprofit organization to train women to either start or grow their own businesses. The women AWED serves comes from all socioeconomic backgrounds and educational levels. Since its inception, AWED has served more than 100,000 women through formal course instruction, one-on-one business counseling, seminars, networking events and peer group support. This gives them the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to achieve their goals of business ownership and economic self-sufficiency. In addition, as the first program in the nation developed to train women entrepreneurs, AWED has served as the model for more than 80 Small Business Association centers nationwide.

None of what AWED has done and is doing would be possible without the generous support of time and expertise from their all-volunteer faculty, the heart of their organization. They rely on the talented pool of 130 volunteers. The volunteers are small business owners and/ or corporate business people who specialize in the small business environment. A conservative calculation of the hourly value of these professional’s time is approximately $150,000 during the fiscal year of 2002 alone.

AWED’s programs are as diverse as they people it serves. Their courses are tailored to help women through every step of becoming a business owner, from start-up issues like whether or not to open a business, writing a business plan and receiving start-up funds. They also learn about ongoing business decisions like marketing choices, networking opportunities and hiring employees. AWED also offers a course specially designed for low-income women. The New Directions Initiative is an award-winning program for women who are public assistance recipients or employed at low wages. The participants receive entrepreneurial training, financial education and life skills along with a crucial support system.

The ongoing one-on-one business counseling is also conducted by members of AWED’s volunteer faculty. This provides a personalized setting for each woman to address her individual business concerns. She is paired with a professional trained or experienced in a vast array of fields to better answer her specific questions and provide guidance for business growth. The volunteers are experts in law, business planning, marketing, public relations, technology and more. AWED is proud to have helped women over the past 27 years achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. The women they serve as well as the commitment from the volunteer faculty have inspired them.

ST. VINCENT’S MOBILE HEALTH OUTREACH MINISTRY

Providing school physicals for five young Afghan refugees, arranging for cataract surgery for a migrant worker, and finding a physician to perform tear duct surgery on a four old child are all in a days work for St. Vincent’s Mobile Health Outreach Ministry . With two state-of-the-art vehicles, St. Vincent’s Mobile Health Outreach Ministry (“MHOM”) delivers desperately-needed health care to a variety of vulnerable populations in Northeast Florida.

Its Migrant Health Program, established in 1991, takes medical care to fields and ferneries while the Urban Health Program, established in 1997, targets those inner-city populations, who lack access to the traditional health care delivery system, including the working poor, those who lack health insurance, transient or homeless adults, and medically-underserved children and youth. Working with public health departments and other public and private partners, the MHOM takes a physician’s office, complete with a doctor or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and other professional staff, to residential facilities, churches and schools, in order to provide both acute and preventive medical care.

The MHOM provides a medical safety net to the area’s most vulnerable populations, individuals who, because of poverty, or issues of isolation, culture or language, are regularly denied meaningful access to health care. The MHOM offers the type of regular medical care, both acute and preventive, that most Americans take for granted. At the heart of its mission is the belief that no one should be denied medical care simply because of an inability to pay. In the three-year period ended June 30, 2002, the MHOM, through both its Migrant Health and Urban Health programs, made 772 regularly scheduled outreach visits providing primary medical care to 11,716 patients. Without the care provided by the MHOM, these individuals would have gone without treatment with the likelihood that the untreated condition would worsen.

In addition, the MHOM provided 2,295 school physicals and 1,443 immunizations to children. These physicals and immunizations are required for children to attend school. The physicals and related hearing, vision and dental screenings provide the MHOM physician an opportunity to look for abnormal findings and chronic conditions.

In addition to the medical care provided by the MHOM, St. Vincent’s assumes responsibility for all pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to the MHOM patients and assumes responsibility for specialty or secondary care that is beyond the scope of the MHOM. This care can be as simple as a child’s follow-up visit to a pediatrician for treatment of asthma or as serious as open-heart surgery for a migrant farm worker. St. Vincent’s recognizes that quality of health is a social concern that affects the entire community not just its individual members. Generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need, and respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life empower the MHOM.

DEBI BISGROVE

Debi Bisgrove will never forget the first time she adopted a family in Charlotte, North Carolina 18 years ago. At the time, she was unaware that this small effort would later be one of the largest low-cost housing initiatives for Habitat for Humanity.

Bisgrove’s successful real estate career has always been touched by her love for building healthy communities. One of the first female graduates of North Carolina State’s Homebuilding Institute and one of the first women to hold a North Carolina Contractor’s License, Bigrove’s professional career has been inspired by nonprofit organizations. Today, Bisgrove continues her efforts to find quality low-cost housing for communities. Moving to Paradise Valley, Arizona in 1991, she did not know that her efforts would touch the lives of hundreds in the Valley.

As a trustee for the nonprofit Stardust Foundation set up by her husband Jerry, Bisgrove spent a great portion of the past 10 years actively involved with the Habitat for Humanity and the development of Phoenix’s South Ranch Community. South Ranch, conceptualized and initiated by the Stardust Foundation has emerged as one of the most successful communities in the nation and has been called a “blueprint for the American dream.” The 40-acre South Phoenix property with 196 houses provides decent, affordable housing for more than 1,000 residents who would otherwise have been left without shelter.

Bisgrove believes she has been put in the right place at the right time to help break the cycle of poverty among the working poor. Despite being blessed in many ways, she has always felt the need to give back. At South Ranch, the efforts have reaped huge benefits. Teen pregnancies are low, people feel safe and the cycle of poverty has been nipped in the bud. This prompted the Stardust Foundation to initiate Villa Esperanza, another low cost housing project with 100 houses.

Bisgrove and her husband’s love for all things living made Stardust Foundation donate land for the The Arizona Humane Society’s Nina Mason Pulliam Campus for Compassion, the first animal shelter and welfare facility of its kind in Arizona. The 6,500-square-foot adoption center at the new Campus for Compassion can house up to 250 formerly unwanted, abused or stray dogs and cats at any one time, as well as “little critters” such as rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals.

The campus also includes an innovative Stardust Equestrian Therapy program which pairs “troubled youth” with horses, with the goal of teaching responsibility, and increasing self-esteem and empathy for other living creatures. Recently, Bisgrove and her husband launched a $20 million grant from the Stardust Foundation for the Arizona Family Housing Fund. One of the largest individual givings in the state of Arizona, the grant will provide money to community development organizations to build low-cost, quality housing for the needy.

LORGIO DIAZ

For generations, the energy, skills and commitment brought to the United States from other countries around the world have helped to make our nation great. Those skills are worth even more when you add to them the sensitivity, patience and wisdom of older adults such as Lorgio Diaz. Though Diaz is 79 years old, he finds time to volunteer and help people with mental and physical disabilities. He has made a big difference in the lives of people who need help the most.

Diaz is a Senior Companion and has been involved in service with since 1998. Since that time, he has contributed in excess of 1,000 hours of volunteer time at the Magic Muffin Bakery, a restaurant run by the Ventura County Association for Retarded Citizens on Pacific Avenue in Oxnard.

His responsibilities include mentoring and tutoring the clients on a one-on-one basis on a variety of topics, including landscaping, housekeeping, personal hygiene, cooking and baking. Diaz assists a 41-year-old adult who had a stroke three years ago. He assists him with riding the bus, performing physical fitness exercises and going to the store. Another client Diaz serves is a 39-year-old, physically handicapped adult. For a period of one year, Diaz was her mentor and tutor in housekeeping and employment skills. Despite her disability, she is now gainfully employed at a commissary. In addition, Diaz works with a 40-year-old and a 22-year-old, both of whom are mentally retarded adults. He assists them with physical hygiene, arts, employment skills and custodial skills. The latter is currently employed full-time at a fast food franchise in Oxnard.

Senior Companions like Diaz are part of a federally funded program that provides small stipends and daily lunches for low-income seniors who give at least 20 hours of time a week at community-based residential and day programs for adults with developmental disabilities. A former high school teacher from the Philippines – who once taught agricultural subjects including animal husbandry – Diaz now teaches adults with developmental disabilities how to prepare sandwiches, cookies, muffins and scones served everyday at the restaurant. He also teaches landscaping. Diaz’s dedication to assist people with physical and mental disabilities is a life-long commitment for him dating back to his years as a pastor, school teacher and farmer in the Philippines.

AUTUMN ANGELS

Five years ago, a group of teens decided they wanted to make a difference in their community. They felt that teens could contribute greatly to society. The three girls have continued to work together for the past five years as the Autumn Angels. From collecting items for the women’s shelter, coats for the homeless, being counselors for handicapped children, to raising a $25,000 profit for the American Red Cross victims of 9-11, these girls have worked continually.

This past summer, while Megan Galvin was at a friend’s house boating and tubing on the river, a young girl who had just been diagnosed with leukemia came to visit. The young teen was unable to play in the water sports, which upset her very much. Megan wanted to know what these young people could do during the summer. She went home and researched summer camps for kids with cancer.

Finding “Happiness is Camping,” she decided to contact them to see if you could help. On their Web site she noticed a wish list. She decided she was going to raise money to help them with their list. She also wanted to obtain hats for the young people, ages 6-16, to wear while they were at camp. The sun can be very hard on kids getting medication. One of the items the camp was also in need of was new books.

Megan rallied her group and they decided to host an event called Happy Hats. Happy Hats was held at Planet Hollywood. More than 200 people attended and 30 models came to the event, including kids who wanted to help others. The angels had contacted many celebrities and had gathered items such as signed balls by Sammy Soto, signed shirts by Law and Order reps, and more. The most unique items were signed celebrity hats. Megan and her sister had been extras in Dawson’s Creek, so they started there. They were able to collect hats from Charlie Daniels, Regis, and much more. The auction of celebrity memorabilia gathered raised a total of $9,000.

The camp also received more than 1,200 hats, 200 books, and a printer. The S.J. Cancer Fund received enough money to purchase a hearing aid for a young victim with cancer who had lost his hearing from chemotherapy. Happiness Is Camping will have two of the Autumn Angels as counselors this summer, and one of them will be with the handicapped children.

Making the days happy of sick children is one goal that the Autumn Angels felt they achieved. As the camp director told them, for some kids the camp is the kids last week at happiness. It’s as plain and simply as that. For these three Angels, collecting items for hours, and working with the kids, helped make the week happier for many.

READY, SET, READ!

In January 2003, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) National Leadership Council, a group of current members elected by their peers to help the Board of Directors set policies and priorities for the Society, launched the Ready, Set, Read! initiative. A national community service effort designed to promote literacy education in all its forms, Ready, Set, Read! seeks to engage all NSCS chapters in a variety of projects locally, nationally, and internationally.

Author, Sandra Cisneros, has also lent her support to Ready, Set, Read! Because literature plays such a significant role in her life, Cisneros sees the importance of extending the joy of literacy to all people, which is precisely the goal of Ready, Set, Read!

Through to Operation School Bag, more than 1,000 pounds of supplies were sent to children in El Salvador whose homes were affected by earthquakes. Over 85 chapters donated supplies; one member studying in Spain shipped a 20-pound box of supplies in an amazing show of support!

The NSCS chapter at The University of Texas at Austin worked with the Adopt-A-Classroom foundation and adopted a second grade class at Becker Elementary. The chapter donated $500 to the teacher to purchase needed and desired school supplies for the class. In addition, members of the chapter helped with “Reading is FUNdamental” week (February 10-13) at Houston Elementary. Members read aloud to children, led kids around tables with books, replenished books on tables, helped kids write names in books, and handed out bookmarks.

NSCS members at Oregon State University are participating in a reading buddy program with a local elementary school. This school is among the 50 poorest schools in Oregon, which are in desperate need of help with implementing reading and literacy activities. Each week, volunteers spend time helping children learn to read and learn their letters and phonics.

The George Washington University chapter of NSCS in Washington, DC partnered with the Turning the Page organization. Turning the Page organizes workshops to teach parents how to better read to their children. While the parents are in their meeting, NSCS members volunteered to watch their children. They read stories, played games, and had an art class with pastels.