DEWAYNE HOWARD
Dewayne Howard is retiree who took the bold step of committing himself to the community. After giving several thousand hours to the communities of Bartlesville and Dewey, Oklahoma, he moved to the Claremore, Oklahoma area. Instead of relaxing, Howard sent a letter to Verdigris Middle Schools, letting them know he wanted to be of service. He does not wait for things to happen or to be asked to help on tasks. Howard offers his services.
Howard is an adult volunteer mentor with the PAL Program of Rogers County Volunteers for Youth. In this role, he spends one-on-one time weekly with four students at Verdigris Middle School in Claremore, Oklahoma. In addition, Howard freely volunteers his skills as a tutor to 16 students at the Verdigris school system. Normally, Howard spends more than 20 hours each week volunteering in various capacities at Verdigris Public Schools.
He began his work with the PAL Program after the principal received his letter offering his services. Howard began working with the children during the 200–2001 school year. The principal at Verdigris, Steve Perdue, believes the encouragement he gives to the children is priceless. He says that Howard teaches the children they are special and he believes in them and that he also wants them to believe in themselves. The children and staff look forward to seeing Howard and he is normally at one school each day in the school week.
Along with working as a volunteer, Howard understands there is a great need for more volunteers. He also spends time promoting various programs, especially the PAL Program and recruiting other adults to become volunteers. Howard has written articles for the quarterly newsletter and drafted a portion of the training materials. Moreover, Howard is involved with all the fundraising efforts of the organization.
The community of Claremore, as others, faces problems with juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, truancy, school dropout rates and substance abuse. The District Judge for the 12th Judicial District, Dynda Post, said she has seen the number of juvenile court filings steadily increase in their county since 1995. She believes early intervention is the key to deterring juvenile crime. Howard is early intervention. He takes the time to care for children and prove to them that they are deserving of the time he is willing to invest in them and their development. He is consistent and does not “stand them up.” Howard is providing a positive male role model for the students with whom he mentors and everyone with whom he comes into contact.
VOLUNTEER SENIOR COMPANIONS
One of the most historically significant events in the current generation of Chester County was the opening of Interstate 77 in 1981. It helped to bring industrial, commercial, and residential development. Aging parents moved there with their adult children with a desire to become close to them during their golden years. However, the demands of raising a family, working, and caring for aging parents often present problems.
Retirees from out of state are choosing South Carolina for their retirement home. U.S. Census Bureau statistics reveal that South Carolina ranks 18th in the country in the number of people over 60 moving into a state. Chester County felt the need to identify areas of concern among local mature adults and develop innovative ways to meet the needs of this growing population.
In 1989, an application for a federal grant was submitted and awarded to provide 20 Senior Companions for the county. Today, 38 income-eligible Volunteer Senior Companions of Chester County are making a great contribution to help solve serious social problems. The increase has been made possible through a PNS grant and the CLTC Medicaid Waiver Program.
Though not trained in medical or technical skills, they offer a most important requirement for being a friend. These 60+ year old, limited income seniors know just how to do that. They are a “special breed” in their field, as they become a part of a team of caregivers. The companions are proud individuals whose early years offered them few opportunities. They learned firsthand to work hard and to be alert to those who needed a helping hand. This generation has a wealth of experience, talent, with firsthand knowledge to share. They seek joy in helping others live on their own. They have a desire to get up, get dressed, and go out into the community four hours a day, five days a week to make a difference in the lives of their disabled peers.
The individuals helped by the Senior Companions receive assistance with important daily tasks, encouragement to remain active, monitoring of medicines/nutrition, a watchful eye to notice when they need extra care, a friendship that can last a lifetime, and respite for family caregivers. The Companions are reimbursed a small stipend of $2.55 per hour and $0.26 per mile travel cost. The stipend enables the volunteers to supplement some of the cost of their daily living expense and allows them to remain somewhat financially independent. The cost for each volunteer’s 1,044 hours is $4,520 (cash and in-kind). What a savings for taxpayers when this figure is compared to the average cost of Medicaid institutional care at $36,000 annually. Meanwhile, the Companions are maintaining their level of health by remaining active and helping others.
"I am quite honored to have the volunteers of the Chester County Senior Companion Program receive the Points of Light award. They are a very deserving group, as they willingly share their time, knowledge and experience to serve disabled clients," stated Frances Stephenson, SCP Project Director.
DORIS MCCANNON
A charter volunteer with Experience Corps at Scott Montgomery Elementary School in the District of Columbia, Doris E. McCannon started her work as a tutor and classroom helper in the fall of 1999. The DC Experience Corps creates volunteer opportunities in schools for senior citizens. She enthusiastically jumped in to her work, recruiting other volunteers to work with the students as well. By the fall of 2000, in addition to tutoring her own students, she became a site coordinator, leading 25 literacy and reading tutors who worked with 50 children at the school. She has continued that work through the 2001-2002 school year, making a real impact on the students at Scott Montgomery and the other volunteer tutors.
Doris, the volunteer AARP DC Executive Council Member for Community Service, has also served AARP as the Secretary of the AARP DC Community Council, a volunteer referral specialist in the National AARP volunteer center, and as President of AARP National Chapter 100. She has also served in leadership roles with several community organizations, including the Northwest Boundary Civic Association, Ward 4 Democrats, St. Gabriel Catholic Church and the Armstrong High School Alumni Association.
McCannon is a retired high school social studies teacher. She has also worked as the Assistant Director of the Emery Teen Center, a graduate instructor of sociology at Coppin State College, and a unit supervisor at the Central Intelligence Agency. She received a bachelor’s degree from Dunbarton College of Holy Cross and a Masters degree in Sociology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She completed advanced coursework at Howard University, DC Teachers College and Goucher College.
JEAN HAND
Jean Hand has devoted nearly all of her time and energies to the youth of her area for the past eight years. She has been active in the Rivergold Elementary School PTA, and heads the Sunday School Program at the Positive Living Center of Central California. Her most outstanding contribution, though, has been as the founder and Director of the Children’s Museum of the Sierra.
When she moved to the area, she noted that there were few things for young children to do, and even fewer where families could share meaningful activities with their children. In response to this need she placed an article in the newspaper asking for volunteers to start a children’s museum. From that point, whenever she traveled she visited children’s museums getting ideas. She held the first organizational meetings in her home and has worked tirelessly for years to develop the Museum.
The Children’s Museum of the Sierra is now part of a nonprofit corporation. It is in a 4,000 square foot building with new exhibits being added regularly. The Museum serves children, families and schools in the largely rural area and has thousands of visitors from around the U.S. and the world who come to visit Yosemite National Park.
“This award is truly an honor. Creating the Children’s Museum has truly been a community effort though. We feel that providing a special place for children to go with their families and educators has been a priviledge and dream come true,” stated Hand.
Starting from scratch, Jean Hand created a nonprofit children’s museum, which has become the focal point of interactive, educational activities for families in rural central California and visitors from around the world.
HEIDI GREENE
Heidi Greene is an outstanding student and community leader who has demonstrated commitment, compassion and community responsibility. She has inspired both her peers and adults to work for neighborhood improvements. When two classmates and friends died from an automobile crash and a caving accident, Heidi campaigned and organized improved car seat and caving safety measures. She mobilized both classmates and community leaders to bring about change to help prevent future accidents. In mobilizing the community, Heidi contacted organizations to support the effort. She also helped raise funds for hospital expenses for the youth who died after several weeks in the hospital following the cave accident.
Heidi represented Anderson County at the first National Youth Summit in Orlando, in June 2000. She came home waving the flag of “dream it, plan it, do it. ” Students have followed her lead in the Second Harvest food drive, volunteering for nonprofit organizations and wrapping gifts to collect money for the “Warm Fuzzies” stocking project for less fortunate teenagers. Heidi provided leadership for a workshop at the Regional Youth Summit in Knoxville in March 2000.
During the 2000 – 2001 school term, Heidi volunteered as a reading tutor at Dutch Valley Elementary School with students who were reading below grade level. She also helped collect used books for students who did not have reading materials at home.
Heidi has continued the work she began in 2001 with Anderson County’s Promise. She helped recruit volunteers for National Youth Service Day in April 2001 and she has been successful in recruiting students for nonprofit activities during Fall 2001. She led the planning and implementation for National Youth Service Day. She also assisted with a Playground Restoration at North Clinton for “Make A Difference Day” October 27, 2001.
Because of her capacity for leadership, Heidi served as Vice President of the junior class at Clinton High School, is a member of the National Honor society, was named to the Youth Board with other representatives from East Tennessee, and she was named Miss Clinton High School. She represents her school and her classmates well at many regional events.
Heidi has applied to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky for the 2002- 2003-school term. She has chosen this college because of the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, community service, and social justice in acceptance of students without regard to social and ethnic background, the religious community and financial assistance available there. If she is accepted, she and her brother who is a sophomore at University of Tennessee will be the first members of her family to attend college. Heidi’s goal is to become a nurse. When Heidi is not at school, doing homework, pursuing community service opportunities or working, she helps her mother care for two younger siblings. Heidi has worked 20 hours per week at Wal-Mart during her junior and senior years to assist her family with their finances.
STEVE EDWARDS
Last year, the State of Georgia deregulated its natural gas industry. Significant confusion resulted; many customers did not receive bills from the gas marketers for many months. When the poorer members of our community finally received their bills, they were devastated by what they found: the unit cost of gas had tripled, and delayed billing resulted in them owing significant amounts of money to the marketers. The state government attempted to work out a means for these people to pay their bills, but many were so far behind, there was no way to catch up. As fall approached this year, nearly 1,200 families in the county faced disconnection for failure to pay last year’s gas bills. Those who faced disconnection and who lived in public housing also faced eviction due to the policies of the Rome Housing Authority. The community of Rome, Georgia faced a potential catastrophe. Hundreds of children and older adults faced a winter without any heat, and many of them faced living on the streets.
Steve Edwards is the owner of a small, local insurance company. When he read of the plight of these 1,200 families in Floyd County, he determined that he would get the heat turned on for at least one family. He and his wife made a gift to the local Salvation Army for one family’s unpaid gas bill. Upon further reflection, Steve wondered if other local families might like to do the same. With no budget and no organization, Steve began to challenge families within his congregation to pay for one family’s gas bill. The response was powerful. Next, Steve called an impromptu meeting of various helping organizations within the community.
These entities met and quickly organized a process to share resources, information, and policies in an effort to coordinate a major relief effort. Representatives from two churches, the Salvation Army, Good Neighbor Ministries, Floyd County Baptist Association, Rome Housing Authority, Community Info line, and Atlanta Gas Light Company have begun regular meetings in an effort to solve this problem. “One Family Helping One Family” serves as the name for Edwards’ ongoing project.
While the project is far from finished, the results speak for themselves. Only five families were evicted from public housing; each of these families had working adults, no children, and made no effort to address their outstanding bill. Every other family has had their bill paid in full, and now has heat. Collectively, the three agencies that provide direct assistance to the poor have received over $120,000 for this cause. This amazing effort and outpouring of care was a result of Edward’s compassion for his fellow man.
The local Chamber of Commerce has designated February 2nd as “One Family Day.” Participating merchants will receive donations from customers on that day. Though it is organized, this is not an official organization and has no budget. Even so, they have a vision and energy of one man, a responsive community, and a name now recognized by hundreds of people in Floyd County, One Family Helping One Family.
MARK MOSELEY
Mark Moseley is a volunteer in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area. He has worked with Rural Opportunities, the Housing and Credit Counseling Service, Consumer Credit Counseling, the Indian Center and other organizations that work to provide aid to various underserved populations. He has served on several boards dedicated to Housing Issues in Kansas including The Lawrence Housing Practitioners Panel, The Lawrence Housing Trust Fund Committee, The Topeka Homeless Task Force and The Topeka Emergency Shelter Coalition. While serving on the boards, Moseley was able to observe the changing social and political climates effecting housing.
Moseley was moved to volunteer at the Pelathe Community Resource Center in Lawrence, Kansas after watching the effects of welfare reform and high housing costs. Though he had no funding sources, no facility and no sponsors, Moseley quit his job to develop a transitional shelter. This idea later became the Transitional Center. His goal was to have this shelter meet a need for single mothers struggling with the effects of welfare reform. The shelter provides job training, GED classes, daycare and a safe living environment, which aid families in the transition off the welfare roles into the job market.
After founding the Transitional Center, Moseley saw that they were in fact meeting a need. He then moved on to what he viewed as another underserved population in our country, migrant farm workers. Moseley took a position with Rural Opportunities, which is a nonprofit organization that operates in six states along with Puerto Rico. Moseley’s first project with them was a 52-bed facility for migrant fruit pickers. Construction on this site will begin this year.
While Moseley worked with the Housing and Credit Counseling Service, he set up tenant and landlord counseling sessions to help foster better communication between the two and work with appropriate issues. He also helped with the Consumer Credit Counseling Service that works with clients and creditors to improve their financial position. Moseley also serves on the board of The Pennsylvania Low Income Coalition and the Alliance for Better Housing. He remains an advocate in the community for providing decent and affordable housing along with social services to all people who are in need.
Therese Cote
Therese Cote is a top notch volunteer. Her primary place of service is for the Hudson Seniors. Therese has been a very active president since 1998, giving more than 100 hours of volunteer time each month. She has been involved in providing many services for the elderly, including providing meals at the St. Joseph Community Service Center every Thursday, monthly visits to Home Health & Hospice Care for Foot Care, weekly line dancing, conducts a membership meeting twice a month, has various fund raisers and she plans trips for the seniors.
Because she is a good team leader she is well liked as the president of the Hudson Seniors. Therefore, she has many people who are willing to assist her in her work as president.
Additionaly, Therese is on the Sage Board for St. Joseph’s Hospital. She volunteers every Friday for the Nashua Police Department where she uses her skills in the Filing Department. She has been very active assisting with Daffodil Days for American Cancer. Therese is also on the advisory council for RSVP, giving many volunteer hours to this cause.
In the year 2001 alone, Therese has given over 1,840 hours of volunteer time. This means that she has saved the community over $27,600.00.
NOYES FREE CLINIC
Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital is a rural, 72-bed hospital, in Western New York. The hospital serves a diverse population in terms of age and income; both blue and white collar workers, fixed incomes, no insurance, government programs as well as a transient/migrant group. The challenge for Noyes is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity for basic health care. All too often, due to finances, insurance or locations, individuals don’t seek out medical help until “something happens”. In some cases, this could be too late and would have been avoided if the person had seen a medical professional sooner.
To address the need of easy access to basic health checks and information, Noyes Hospital started its Free Health Clinic Program. Under the direction of RN, Linda McGunnigle, this program offers different screening opportunities every month, in different areas of the county including county fairs, banks, pharmacies, and grocery stores as well as at the hospital.
This innovative program began in March 1997 and since then, has sponsored more than 20 clinics at the hospital and an additional 30 clinics throughout the area. Each clinic has a specific health theme and every clinic includes blood pressure checks, general health information and information about other hospital services, programs and physicians. Screenings offered include skin cancer, glaucoma, glucose, cholesterol and hearing. When a health concern is identified, counseling and follow-up is done.
Since its inception, more than 7, 000 individuals have attended these clinics, many without insurance, some only in the area for the season as well as permanent area residents. Many of these individuals would not have sought medical care if it had not been for these free clinics. Some stated they only see a doctor when they have to.
The health benefit to the community is enormous. As a result of the screenings, many significant health risks were caught early including: skin cancer, many with high blood pressure who did not know their pressure was up, as well as those who thought their medication was doing the job and had never gone back to the doctor. Several individuals with high cholesterol levels were referred on to physicians. The program has identified individuals with high blood sugar – most recently an individual with a level of 348 who thought she was fine. Had any of these situations been ignored until “something happened,” the outcome could be very costly both medically and financially.
The program is not only for adults. Statistics show that kids learn, when they have fun, so the program has sponsored a bike rally and summer safety program, self esteem classes and an annual asthma camp. McGunnigle is the only paid staff person who also volunteers time to the program. The core group of volunteers is retired nurses. For bigger programs, additional volunteers come from hospital staff, family and friends.
DAVE MARSHALL
Dave Marshall is such an integral part of the day-to-day life in Cleburne County, Arkansas that his work, and the work of his organization, Cleburne County Cares (CCC), is often taken for granted. The residents of this small town of about 6,000 “expect” that CCC and Marshall will be there to help those in need, and they are right to do so.
Although Marshall is not the founder of Cleburne County Cares, it has become associated with his name because of the years of service, all of it unpaid, that he has given to the people of Cleburne County and the people of the county seat that the organization calls home, Heber Springs.
Beginning as a volunteer with the organization when he retired, Marshall inherited the job of manager from the previous director, Bob Morris, in 1991. Since that time, CCC under his leadership, has grown to include not only the food pantry and thrift shop from which it began, but also to provide single parent scholarships, a homeless shelter, and a yearly Christmas program. This program does not only focus on toys for children, but serves both children and senior citizens with far more: Each child served (approximately 600 per year) receives a new set of clothing, a toy, a book based on their reading level, fruit, nuts, candy, juice, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a book telling the Christmas story and a nativity scene. Senior citizens receive sleepwear, toiletries, candy, nuts and fruit.
During 2001, 110 volunteers for Cleburne County Cares donated 34,592 hours of service to the organization, and hence, to the community which it serves. In a town of just over 6,000 residents, this in itself is phenomenal. When taking into consideration that Dave Marshall himself volunteers more than 1,000 hours during this same time, and the fact that he mobilized this army of volunteers, his contribution is even more amazing.
Marshall, 72, came to Heber Springs in 1948 to work for a retail business. He was transferred from Carlisle to the facility currently occupied by the consignment store in downtown Heber Springs. The first two years back in Heber Springs, Marshall and his wife traveled, but Marshall said he began to want to do something more productive, so the two began working as volunteers at Cleburn County Cares. Ultimately, Marshall inherited the management job from the previous director.
Much has changed at Cleburne County Cares since Marshall started his service. New programs have been added, including a delayed entry program started in 1997 that helps individuals returning to the work force as a result of layoffs, caring for incapacitated parents, or any number of emergency reasons.
Marshall’s 11+ years of service to the people of Heber Springs and the organization Cleburne County Cares should not go unrecognized.
