INTERMOUNTAIN THERAPY ANIMALS

Human beings are beginning to recognize that animals are a significant health tonic. The movement to incorporate animals into healthcare settings has grown rapidly in the last few years, and Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) is one of its strongest proponents. ITA trains and certifies volunteers and their pets as Pet Partners©. Once certified, Pet Partner teams go to hospitals, schools, libraries, senior care centers and youth detention facilities to provide animal-assisted therapy (ATT). ITA is affiliated with the Delta Society, an international organization headquartered near Seattle, Washington that provides testing and training standards for animal/handler teams. Today, ITA has more than 250 teams that give more than 12,000 hours of service each year. Most ITA programs are located in Utah, however, they have recently expanded with chapters in Bozeman, Montana, Twin Falls, Idaho and Reno, Nevada.

ITA volunteers reach out to clients in many kinds of health care facilities to assist with their recovery. Adding an animal to the prescription often seems to open the doors that inspire people to decide to heal and to participate in the important therapies that will help them do so. AAT has proven to be a valuable therapeutic tool with physical, speech, occupational and psychotherapies as well as special education. Clients with brain and spinal cord injuries, those in substance abuse rehabilitation, and children who have suffered emotional and sexual abuse are some of the populations that ITA works with. The ITA teams visit clients at Primary Children’s, McKay-Dee Hospitals, Primary Children’s Residential Center and the University of Utah’s Medical Center. At the University of Utah Medical Center, ITA teams see patients in the Rehabilitation Unit, the Burn Unit and the surgical waiting room. ITA volunteers also go to LDS Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind and Utah Youth Services’ Observations & Assessment facilities. The ITA teams serve more than 75 facilities.

ITA’s clients are people of all ages, from all economic backgrounds, races and ethnic groups. Many are the disadvantaged and abused, physically and emotionally disabled.

Pet Partners are uniquely qualified to serve all of its individual clients. The animals are not prejudiced; they have no language or cultural barriers. They are trained to address the needs of their clients. Research results document the positive benefits of AAT, including lower blood pressure, decreased stress, decreased depression and increased client motivation to participate in the therapy necessary to make progress toward healing.

ITA is a comprised of volunteers who donate their time and energy to provide AAT free of charge to all their clients. Although volunteers do not serve for praise, their dedication and commitment have resulted in considerable recognition. Among awards that have been given to the organization or to individual volunteers are Utah Governor Mike Leavitt’s Point of Light Award, the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital annual award to the group that did the most to improve the lives of those with disabilities, an award from The University of Utah’s Bennion Center Award for Creative Community Leadership, the Annual Award of the Utah Recreational Therapists Association for Outstanding Program of the Year and the 1999 Utah Animal Organization of the Year Award.

URBAN PEAK

Urban Peak was founded in 1988 by members of the Capitol Hill community, in Denver, Colorado, in response to the growing numbers of homeless youth gathering in the neighborhood. What began as a drop-in center and street outreach program has evolved into a full service agency providing a complete continuum of services to homeless and runaway youth.

Urban Peak is truly unique in that it is the only agency in Colorado providing programs exclusively for homeless and runaway youth, including licensed emergency overnight shelter dedicated to homeless and runaway youth under the age of 21. Urban Peak has many different programs: street outreach, emergency shelter, GED classes, job training and placement, medical care, case management, and housing assistance. Each youth that comes into the shelter is required to commit to a carefully monitored case plan for how he/she will exit life on the streets. The youth are required to follow rules, help with chores, and adhere to their case plan in order to stay at the shelter. For youth under 18, contact is made with the legal guardian within 24 hours to determine if the youth can return to a safe home.

Urban Peak operates an extensive volunteer program. Volunteers help with street outreach, tutor youth in the school and computer lab, help with meals, work in the medical clinic and mentor the youth. In 2000, 647 youth received services through Urban Peak. Forty-eight percent of those youth left the streets permanently.

In 1999 Urban Peak Housing Corporation was established to provide housing for homeless and runaway youth. This corporation owns and operates a 17-unit apartment complex and master leases two additional offsite units. These units provide a permanent housing opportunity for youth with disabilities. In 2000, 33 youth were served, with an average length of stay of nine months.

In December of 2000, Urban Peak Colorado Springs was established after the Colorado Springs community asked for help serving its own homeless youth population. Currently drop-in services such as case management, job training and placement, GED classes, and medical care are provided in this community.

PAMELA J. ATKINSON

For nearly 14 years in her role as Vice President of Mission Services at Intermountain Health Care, Pamela Atkinson was exposed to the dire needs in the community and determined to do something to help. She had a corporate responsibility, which includes assessing and planning to meet the health care needs of the under-served. But Pamela wanted to do more personally and volunteered as a citizen of the community to advocate for the homeless and low- income populations, focus her concerns on the needs of the children in these groups.

The outcome of Atkinson’s work was two-fold. First, she felt that having health care available tin close proximity to the children was primary. So she developed school-based clinics at Lincoln Elementary and Rose Park Elementary in Salt Lake, that serve children and their families from space allocated in the school. Then, in a low-income zip code area of Salt Lake City that has no physician offices or clinics, she established the David E. Salisbury IHC Neighborhood Clinic, a community-based clinic at a multi-cultural center that provides care to children and families at little or no cost. Secondly, Atkinson determined to focus on reaching out to low-income families through health assessment fairs held at local schools.

Atkinson volunteered every Thursday morning on the Volunteers of America Homeless Outreach van, searching through the homeless camps to reach those in need. She filled the van with donations of toiletries, socks, underwear and sleeping bags from IHC employees, Boy Scouts and individuals. She also carried all of these same items in her own car to use when she helped serve dinner at the Salvation Army three times a month. If she found a need to be met, you could be certain to see her with the back of her car open digging through bags and boxes to find just the right item to help.

Not only did Pamela serve the human homeless population – she did not forget the animals of her homeless friends. As she was often known to comment, “Sometimes a homeless person’s dog or cat is their only source of love and companionship.” IN an effort to help this specific animal population, Atkinson carried dog food in her car just to make sure these pets had food to eat. If one of the pets became ill, she would refer her homeless friend to a local veterinarian and pay for the treatment out of her own pocket.

Even though Atkinson retired from IHC in January of 2002, she continues to serve on the boards of several community health centers and homeless clinics; on planning committees and boards of agencies that serve the homeless; and enlists the help of those within the community to help others. Her deeply personal desire to serve those who are the most in need of help will continue through her personal volunteer efforts for years to come.

AARP

In 1958, retired California educator, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus founded the American Association of Retired persons (AARP). It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over. They provide information and resources, advocate on legislative, consumer and legal issues, assist members to sere their communities, and offer a wide range of unique benefits, products and services for its members. Today AARP has over 34 million members, and they celebrate the attitude that age is not just a number but it is about how you live your life.

AARP’s business is serving people, and on December 6, 2001 they announced a Call to Service to all of its members. They wanted to aid their members in renewing their commitment to volunteer service in their neighborhoods and communities. The Call was issued to a broad audience that included national newspapers and AARP national publications. AARP invited members to ignite their commitment by calling their national toll-free number and creating member response kits to support people by informing them on what is available and how to best use their time and energy to address serious community issues. They joined with other national organizations and their local affiliates to offer a wider range of volunteer opportunities.

As a result of the Call to Service, an excess of 2,000 staff members, 50 chapters and hundreds of volunteers gave more than 6,000 hours of volunteer service. An excess of 20 schools nationwide received aid in reading, tutoring, mentoring and beautification or cleaning projects. Ketchum Elementary School in Washington, DC even received a visit from AARP President Tess Canja after losing a star student and dedicated teacher in the Pentagon crash. Due to the Call, thousands of meals were prepared and delivered to homebound persons, more than three tons of food was collected, sorted and packed for local food banks and pantries and hundreds of nursing home residents were visited and provided with entertainment. In addition, tens of thousands of articles of clothing, books and toys were collected, sorted, tagged and organized. A former crack house was transformed into a women’s shelter, an excess of 20 home building or modification projects were completed and 250 flag pins were made and delivered to veterans on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

AARP members are continuing to make a difference. They launched a new AARP/US Department of Navy project in Norfolk, Virginia to mobilize naval personnel to repair homes so that older persons can continue to maintain independence. In the wake of the September 11 tragedy, AARP also expanded its Grief and Loss Programs to help victim’s families. AARP is still working to update and share their program materials and expand their capacity to deliver peer support through trained outreach volunteers.

The December 6th Call to Service was a rebirth for AARP’s members but only the beginning of future community service opportunities. They are realizing the broader need of supporting nonprofit organization in communities across the nation because they face shortages of volunteers, supplies and funding. AARP will continue to inspire and motivate their members to participate throughout the year in efforts to continue to improve community life. AARP is daily living their motto: “To serve, not to be served.”

CAL STATE FULLERTON VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE CENTER

The mission of the Cal State Fullerton Volunteer & Service Center is to build partnerships with the surrounding community, develop civic minded individuals by providing community volunteer opportunities and cultivate leadership skills in students, faculty, staff and students so that they continue to broaden their knowledge and serve their communities. This past year a record number of Cal State Fullerton students volunteered in the Orange County community. More than 600 students performed approximately 20,000 hours of service to 5,000 community members through the Volunteer & Service Center community-based programs. This does not include the thousands of hours committed to service by hundreds of individual clubs, Greek organizations or outside partnerships.

The Cal State Fullerton Volunteer and Service Center serves as a vehicle for placing volunteers in a variety of sponsored community-based programs and volunteer opportunities. The placement serves to address issues such as illiteracy, hunger and homelessness, the environment, health and mentoring. The Volunteer & Service Center is that galvanizing force, bringing these partners together to take a proactive stance in building and sustaining the local community.

Adopting the mantra, “It’s your world, change it!” the Volunteer & Service Center is comprised of a dozen student-initiated, student-run community-based programs. Cal State Fullerton students sought out and identified partnerships with local schools, homeless shelter/resources, environmental organizations, and national and local nonprofit grassroots organizations to identify resources and both community and student needs. These actions resulted in a myriad of projects. They provided 14,000 hours of after-school tutoring with children that are considered ‘high risk,’ coordinated weekly college motivational workshops by volunteer ‘Buddies’ for more than 350 fourth graders for a all-day campus visit which included classes taught by faculty volunteers and visits to student services departments and they engaged international college students with elementary schools to share about their cultures and issues of diversity to more than 700 youth in Anaheim.

The Volunteer & Service Center has also provided in excess of 650 hours reading and mentoring children at a local homeless shelter, assisted in computer lab with low-income children as mentors at a local elementary school who expressed their desperate need and provided one-on-one weekly mentoring to junior high school students whom are struggling socially and academically. They coordinate a campus campaign on raising awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence also.

Cal State Fullerton students are making a difference and understanding that it only takes one to change the world. This indeed has been a positive example of students committing to the idea of utilizing their information learned in the classroom and developing leadership skills for the benefit of serving others.

HOWARD WATKIN

C. Howard Watkin retired in 1985, after 40 years as Court Reporter of the 6th Judicial District Court. He was the last court reporter of his kind that actually recorded court proceedings in shorthand and transcribed them himself. He is now 81 years old and continues to help the court out in emergencies today.

Watkin has been a volunteer with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for 16 years and has been involved with volunteer efforts in Sevier County all of his adult life. He served as secretary of the Richfield Chamber of Commerce in excess of 20 years and won the Distinguished Service Award in 1951. Watkin has been president of both the Rotary Club and Junior Chamber of Commerce, secretary of the Junior Livestock Show for 15 years and chairman of his Neighborhood Watch for seven years. He is very active in local community theater activities and sings in his Ward Choir.

During the past 13 years, Watkin has been helping to provide the Five Fundamental Resources for more than 400 students at Pahvant Elementary in Richfield, Utah, and he has touched the lives of hundreds of other youth in Sevier. Watkin has provided the children in Sevier County with an ongoing relationship with an adult that cares for them, safe places to congregate, a healthy start, an effective education and marketable skills and allowed them to participate in activities that provide service to others.

Some of Watkin’s service has been working in Mrs. Ames’ 4th and 5th grade classrooms. He does theater in the round, puppet shows, reader’s theater and nursery rhymes. He works diligently with the students in reading, teaching them to speak properly and to have respect for others. Watkin also takes the students on field trips to the Sevier County Jail, the 6th District Court and to the local Radio Station annually.

Watkin has worked on Character Education Topics with the students, he teaches them responsibility and the importance of it, and he gives the children an opportunity to report on live radio all they have learned in their classroom. In addition, Watkin has participated in the Safe at Home program through the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. He handles the Halloween Safety Play and the students are able to perform at each elementary school in their county’s school district. Watkin is proud to know that since the children have been taking the play to the elementary schools, no one has been hit by a car or sustained other trick-or-treat related accidents.

Watkin has developed a relationship with the children. By his example, he has proven to them that they are special and he cares for them. He is consistent in his service and the children feel important that he chooses to spend so much time with them. Watkin is not only working to educate the children and help them with their schooling, but he works even harder at teaching them life-skills.

DEVONY DUHE

We live in a society that considers its older citizens to be less than productive and sometimes even useless. These people have worked, raised families and given to their respective communities. These retired residents are thought to simply sit back and watch the world go by while enjoying the company of their grandchildren. Some also see them jet setting around the world spending all the hard-earned money they have saved for years.

Devony Duhe has, in fact, been playing with children and flying off to far away lands since her retirement, but she has been anything but useless. Duhe has become a personal hero to the team at Humanity United in Giving (HUG) International, Inc. This organization is based in Richardson, Texas and serves children around the world who are victims of poverty and war. She has worked with HUG since 1997, and during that time she has set a precedent with her service and generous spirit. She is a vital caring woman who gives completely and unconditionally of her time, heart, energy and money.

After being a member of a HUG Service Team in July of 1997 to Slatina, Romania, Duhe fell in love with the orphans living there. Since that time, she has stayed connected to the children and their cause by donating more than 3,000 hours answering correspondence, packing and shipping supplies, and raising money to enable their work to continue. She has also traveled back to Slatina on two occasions as a HUG Service Team Leader.

Duhe has the extraordinary ability to look at the environment in which the children are living and see immediately what can be done to make it better. She has personally helped to finance new plumbing lines for the orphanage and fuel for heat last winter. In addition, Duhe has provided funds for fruit and milk for the children’s meals. She even provided for pest control to exterminate the roaches in the orphanage during the summer.

Devony Duhe has longed to make a difference all her life. She now knows she is doing just that. The children she assists in Romania along with the staff she works along side daily see her example. She was honored as the 1999 Collin County Volunteer of the Year because of her outstanding contribution to children all over the world.

RICHARD SCHERRER

Richard Scherrer retired from a demanding career as an attorney in 1997 to devote his time and talents to service. He volunteers for several organizations, which allows him to have a positive impact on his community, and especially for children. Scherrer spends at least 55 hours a month at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center (EYNC), The Casa Garden Restaurant, and the Elks Club of Carmichael.

Scherrer has always been concerned with the care and education of children. He has also been an advocate of our environment. When he volunteered for the Docent program at the EYNC, he found he could teach children about nature. This was an ideal volunteer position for him. After completing an intensive eight weeks of training, Scherrer began leading several Nature Area Tours every month. These tours give him an opportunity to interact with and educate children about the plants and animals indigenous to their community and the importance of preserving them.

He is a very effective communicator and has made a strong impression on all of the children. His respect and compassion for them as well as his patience creates an environment in which the children feel comfortable. The children can then share their thoughts and ideas along with participating in discussions. This contributes to their education and the furtherance of EYNC’s mission – to create awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the natural and cultural resources in the Sacramento area. Scherrer also serves EYNC as a receptionist and in planning and hosting special events.

The Casa Garden Restaurant raises money for the Sacramento Children’s Home. There, Scherrer is a wine steward/bartender a few times during the month. While the work does not directly impact the children, it does indirectly because some of the proceeds go to the Children’s Home, which cares for children who have been separated from their families.

During the past year, Scherrer also became involved in the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elks. As a member of the Elks, Scherrer has served as a member of the Officer Corps as well as the liaison to a local Boy Scout troop. He participated in their summer program, Kops ‘n Kids, which provides free day camp to children with financial need. The children are able to meet police officers and watch demonstrations. The goal of this particular program is to foster a positive relationship between at-risk children and their community police.

Scherrer is continually utilizing his energies to better his community. Knowing there is a strong need for people to take positive and direct care of our children, he jumps in and meets that need. His ability to relate to and communicate with young people results in him being effective at educating and boosting self-esteem. Daily he is reinforcing to them that they matter and they are important. Scherrer’s dedication, demeanor and recruitment efforts have also inspired others to get involved.

REVEREND CHARLES FLOWERS

In 1995, Rev. Charles Flowers heeded a spiritual call to serve, once again. A former Air Force Training Instructor, he and his wife, Janice, decided to use their military training to start a boot camp for troubled youth. They wanted to make sure the camp was accessible to those who needed its discipline, free, and standing on a foundation of spirituality. So in 1995, Love Demonstrated Ministries, Inc. Christian Boot Camp (CBC) for youth was established.

The CBC is open to youth ages 13 through 19, and operates during the summer season. The participants are either referred to the boot camp by their parents, or they volunteer to take part in the program. Rev. Flowers comes in with spit polished black combat boots, camouflage pants, black t-shirt, and a wide brimmed hat. He stands perfectly straight and looks directly into the eyes of the young people. However, when Commandant Flowers enters the room, all of the youth at the CBC lift their head in respect, not in fear, of him.

Initially, Rev. Flowers hoped to instill the basics of unity and morality back into the youth. The campers are put through paces of physical activities, community service projects, classroom instruction, and spiritual training for 32 days. During each day, Rev. Flowers and his small band of volunteers work hard to let each youth know that he or she is valued. As a result of the camp, even the most troubled of the youth discover peace and hope.

In 1999, Rev. Flowers took on a special population – young offenders. The CBC program became part of a larger effort, Value Based Violence Prevention Initiative (VBI), a new program funded by San Antonio Fight Back (SAFB) of the United Way. SAFB is a comprehensive substance abuse, crime and violence program of the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. VBI is designed to help young probationers between the ages of 19 and 29 stay out of jail and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is comprised of five components, one of which is the boot camp.

The boot campers conducted 12 community service projects in the first six months of the camp. With funding from SAFB, Rev. Flowers expanded the camp and now conducts it year-round. From October 1999 to December 2000, 116 individuals have been referred to the VBI program, and of that number, only 15% have re-entered through juvenile justice system as opposed to the national average of 85 percent.

DOREEN SCOTT

Doreen Scott is a 46 year-old community activist in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Scott was aware of her calling to help others at an early age. She initiated her volunteer service as a candy striper in the children’s ward at her local hospital and then pursued a nursing degree after high school so she could continue serving others. In 1979, Scott moved to Ft. Lauderdale for the climate and continued her nursing service. She became an ICU nurse at Cypress Community Hospital in Pompano Beach and was on the lookout for more service opportunities.

Scott became involved in her community so she could continue to use her talents to help others. She was one of the first members of the newly formed Kids in Distress Auxiliary (KID), which was founded in 1987 with the express purpose of promoting volunteer support for KID. KID seeks to provide community education in the area of abused and neglected children, positive public relations for KID, volunteer services in support of KID and fundraising initiatives to provide financial support to solely benefit KID. Scott has coordinated the fundraising of $100,000, and she visits the crisis center regularly to spend time with the children.

Another children’s cause that has benefited from Scott’s service is the Children’s Home Society. She uses her talents of involving others and inspiring more to give of their time and talents also to benefit abused or neglected children. Her goal is to acquaint as many as she can with the condition and plight of our abused and neglected children. She feels blessed to serve as an instrument in alerting others and preventing child abuse. She was elected their president in 1986 as a result of her dedication to children, past work on the behalf of children and her compassionate attitude about her work.

Scott is dedicated to the court’s Guardian Ad Litem program, which is a hands-on volunteer opportunity to monitor families and intervene in the children’s crisis moments. She represents the children in court for the state and has been appointed the court liaison for children in her county.

In addition, Scott is the co-chairman of Ft. Lauderdale’s Winterfest Ball which is an annual fundraiser highlighting their national boat parade. She also has been an avid supported of Pine Crest Preparatory School where she started out as a room mom, became president of the Lower School Mother’s Club, served on the Board of Advisors and is a member of the Founder’s Council and co-chairs the Pine Crest Silent Auction. Scott has also chaired two additional charity events: the American Heart Association’s Heart to Hear Ball and the Junior Welfare Society’s Toyland Ball. Funds rose at both events work to raise awareness of heart disease and aid local families in need of immediate assistance respectively. Scott volunteers with SPARK, PAWS, HANSY, Cystic Fibrosis, Junior League and the BCMA Alliance.

She is also a student at Florida International University. She is studying criminology so she can apply additional knowledge to abused children in crisis situations. Scott was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Woman of the Year Award. The Diabetes Association also recognized her as the Women of Valor.