DOROTHY LECAIN
Since the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast first opened its doors more than 20 years ago to provide end-of-life care, they have valued their volunteers. The Hospice believes volunteers offer an enhancement to the quality of care that the staff alone cannot accomplish. Dorothy LeCain has provided support to people through the Hospice since 1989.
Initially, LeCain served patients living in their own homes. In some instances, that meant running errands or providing respite and companionship for weary caregivers. Other times she cooked and cleaned for patients. It did not matter what had to be done, she met the challenge and did it with compassion and care.
During the past several years, her contributions have been more outstanding. Since 1990 LeCain has cared for the most challenged of nursing home patients. She has worked with patients who are not able to verbally communicate. Many of the patients had no local caregivers, family, or friends and were extremely isolated. They were cut off from normal social contact until she came into their lives.
This last “assignment” has been the most special for LeCain. She has worked to be there for these patients in special ways. One of her greatest gifts to them has been sitting at their bedsides. There she talks to them, always offering a loving hand or a comforting word. In addition to this, she has also found creative ways to communicate. She uses gestures, sign language, or other innovative ways to reach her special patients. LeCain even created a magnetic board that had words like “yes,” “no,” and “thirsty” on them which enabled the patients to “talk” to her.
LeCain has also been an “eleventh hour” volunteer. She sits with patients whose death is imminent. This is the most difficult of tasks, but she uses this service to comfort many patients and their families during this very challenging time. LeCain was also one of the first volunteers to care for patients with HIV/AIDS.
LeCain is also the primary caregiver for her husband who has Alzheimer’s disease. Though she struggles to muster the strength and energy to love and comfort her mate, she still stays dedicated to helping others in her community.
Though Dorothy does not serve for recognition, her efforts have not gone unnoticed. She was recently presented with the Governor’s Points of Light Award in Florida for her community service.
FLORIDA MARLINS BASEBALL CLUB
The Florida Marlins Baseball Club is an active partner in the South Florida Community. By supporting community and charitable causes, the team is committed to the betterment of the South Florida community through its support of educational, athletic, and community service programs.
The Marlins is the single largest partner of Adopt-A-Classroom ,a Miami-based nonprofit organization that partners members of the community with individual public school classrooms throughout South Florida. The Marlins have made a tremendous impact in the lives of teachers and students in the community. To teachers, the Marlins are a source of much needed support. They provide $500 worth of resources for each classroom adopted along with a member of the Club to serve as the classroom partner. The partner could be an individual player, coach, or staff member. These resources enhance the learning environment with excitement and creativity. To the students, the Marlins are not an intangible entity; they are friends who visit the classrooms, share experiences, and provide much needed supplies. Sixty-six classrooms were adopted during the 2000-2001 school year thanks to a $5,000 donation from the Club’s former Vice Chair. They are back to 56 classrooms this school year, 2001-2002, based on a $28,000 donation.
The World of Baseball is a curriculum-enhancement program. The program uses baseball to make learning a fun and exciting experience. In support of this program, the Marlins designate one week in May as World of Baseball Week when players, coaches, and broadcasters visit approximately 35 local schools. In addition to the appearances and learning opportunities, each school visited receives 1,000 tickets to an upcoming Marlins game.
The Marlins sponsor Books and Bats. This is a summer reading program that rewards students with tickets to Marlins’ games. This program has resulted in youths reading over half a million books during the summer. They also sponsor the A-Ball Program that rewards students for progress in attitude, academics, and attendance. In its third year, the A-Ball Program reached more than 4,500 classrooms in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The Marlins also sponsor High School Media Day. This program offers aspiring journalists and photographers the chance to experience working in sports media.
MARK BALL
Mark Ball has spent the past 20 years of his life improving Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) reputation by making travel on the state highways safer and a more positive experience for all Texas travelers. Ball uses innovative approaches in tackling new and old TxDOT problems.
One recent example of his unique approach to problem solving is the Precious Cargo Program. This program was born as a result of a child fatality from an automobile collision. The child was killed on his way to school. After the accident, communities in the Dallas area demanded immediate changes in speed limits and the addition of traffic signals in areas where they were not justified by law. The problem this program faced was not a result of highway design flaws or operations issues, but it was a result of schools being built in once-remote rural areas on highways that were not intended for the traffic volumes associated with a school. Ball set out to find a way to prevent the same problem from occurring again.
The Precious Cargo program was set up to improve traffic safety near schools by ensuring TxDOT’s involvement. TxDOT is a part of the early stages of new school planning and construction. By creating this partnership with schools and communities at an early stage, the Department is able to recognize and address potential traffic hazards before they result in more tragedies. The program works in three ways: TxDOT plays a role, each community plays a role, and the two work together to accomplish what they cannot do as separate entities. The Precious Cargo program allows TxDOT staff to review site plans and make recommendations, and they can also note that unbudgeted road improvements requested by school districts may be accomplished through a partnership – a community providing materials while TxDOT contributes labor and equipment. Their concept has become a favorite with the Texas Legislature. They are excited about combining scarce local and state resources to solve a critical safety problem.
Since the program’s inception, more than 180 schools in 70 various school districts have improved traffic safety conditions for students, teachers, and parents. None of this would be a reality, had it not been for the foresight and ingenuity of Mark Ball. This program has also relieved the burden of taxpayers. In recognition of this success, TxDOT’s leadership adopted a Precious Cargo for statewide use on its entire 79,000-mile roadway system. Shortly thereafter, the program won the Transportation for Livable Communities “Best in State” award from the Trans Texas Alliance. Ball’s program has also earned awards from AASHTO, WASHTO, the National Quality Initiative, the Texas Quality Initiative, and the International Association of Business Communicators.
Mark Ball’s efforts have been so successful that they have been duplicated outside of the Dallas area where they began. Most of the districts throughout the state of Texas have implemented the Precious Cargo Program and more than a dozen state’s are now considering it too.
MIKE MADDEN
Mike Madden currently serves as President of the Campbell County Jaycees. The Jaycees or Junior Chamber of Commerce is an organization that offers Leadership Development through community service, and Madden has been a committed member of the Jaycees for the past 13 years. During his tenure of service with the organization, he has done quite a bit to ensure that children have toys and clothing, families have food, charities are funded, lives are rebuilt, seniors are not forgotten, and the environment is safer and cleaner.
Madden has participated in or has run many community projects. He served at Steinford Toys for Needy Children, Coats and Shoes for Kids and Adults, Bowl-A-Thon for Literacy, Santa Land for Low Income Inner City Children, Adopt-A-House, Adopt-A-Road, MDA Fundraising, and Senior Citizens Dinners and Bingos. In addition, he has organized and participated in the Can and Food Drives for the local needy. All of this has been done through donations without costing the Jaycees a dime. Madden has been a part of all these programs for the past nine years.
In 1996, Madden instituted the Tornado Relief Program. When a tornado struck Louisville, Kentucky, Madden set up a network of stores and churches to be used as drop off points. Within a four-day period, Madden and his volunteers were able to fill a 53-foot rental truck with clothes, household items, pet food, and cash. The program still exists today and lent aid to Grayson County during their tornado last year. Madden and the Jaycees also participated in the flood cleanup. Twenty-seven Jaycees helped flood victims back into their homes in Bromley, Ludlow, and Falmouth over a three-week period.
Madden and the Campbell County Jaycees also started a Public Safety Cable Show. The Jaycees, along with the Northern KY Fire Fighters Association are producing safety videos to be aired on the local cable channels and will cover subjects from safe driving during hazardous conditions to Christmas light safety and all subjects in between. One of Madden’s most notable contributions to the community is his Creek Restoration in Kentucky (CRIK) that was started in 1999. CRIK is a collaborative effort of the Jaycees in Northern Kentucky, the Sanitation District NO.1, and the Northern Kentucky solid waste Coordinator. Since its inception, CRIK has enlisted more than 200 volunteers who educate students and adults about pollution in their streams. This project has located and cleaned up five major dumpsites and has grown into a statewide program in just three years.
Mike Madden is a man of vision. He sees potential where many see failure and has spent his adult life believing and following the Jaycees Creed, which states in part, “Service to humanity is the best work of life.”
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF SOUTH BEND
United States families have to deal with one of the most heartbreaking and devastating tragedies of all – teenage suicide. The Junior League of South Bend, Inc. provides resources to support Community Resource Center’s Hotlines that work with teenage suicide prevention through the Yellow Ribbon Campaign. They have also provided backing for the making of a teenage suicide prevention video that will be used to train people in suicide prevention throughout the nation.
The Yellow Ribbon Campaign is an international program founded to prevent teenage suicide. Dale and Dar Emme of Colorado began this program in 1994 after their 16-year-old son, Mike, committed suicide in his vehicle. They wanted to help other families who might have to deal with this tragedy, or more importantly, help other families so they can prevent the tragedy. Each October, the Emmes go to South Bend to give presentations to area high school students and other organizations to promote the distribution of the Yellow Ribbon cards and to emphasize the importance of letting suicidal individuals know that there are other alternatives when facing difficult situations.
In 2000, the Junior League donated $20,000 for the Community Resource Center’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Campaign. The campaign includes talking to a crisis hotline counselor, teacher, or other trusted adult. Also Yellow Ribbon cards are distributed with the message “Stay, Listen, Get Help.” Some suicidal teenagers have said these steps have helped them deal with the silent pain within. During the beginning of 2001, Community Resource Center’s Yellow Ribbon Program was designated one of the seven best programs throughout the United States and 47 countries by the Light for Life Foundation.
Junior League members have initiated kickoffs of local Yellow Ribbon Campaigns and have even had their teenage sons and daughters distribute Yellow Ribbon cards at local shopping malls. The League’s most recent and most generous contribution to date has been providing $100,000 worth of backing for two versions of a suicide video that will be used in suicide prevention training all over the United States as well as internationally. The video featured Dr. John McIntosh, Professor of Psychology at Indiana University’s South Bend campus who is a nationally recognized expert and widely published author on suicide. He exposes some important and potentially dangerous myths about suicide, and provides practical information about what to do and not to do when confronted with a potentially suicidal individual, especially a youth.
The video premiered at the First Annual International Conference of the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program, held at Westminster, Colorado on August 10 – 12, 2001. It is now available from the Light for Life Foundation for distribution to suicide prevention training all over the world. The Junior League of South Bend can be credited with the production and distribution of this video. The League has saved many lives internationally from being taken in such a tragic way and will continue with their mission.
LINDA BENGE
The Reformed Church founded Nazareth Orphan’s Home in 1906. The Home was set up to serve orphaned and half-orphaned children ages six to twelve years of age. Rev. J. M. Lyerly, who operated the Crescent Academy, was the moving power behind the decision of the North Carolina Synod of the Reformed Church to open a Home. The McNairy farm was 85 acres in the Crescent Community. This farm along with a ten-room house was purchased July 10,1906. The Home opened December 1,1906 with Miss Mary Abbott as manager and four children as residents.
By 1956, Nazareth Children’s Home had served 360 children. At this time, the campus included dormitories for boys and girls, a superintendent’s home, a farm manager’s home, a steam-operated laundry, and an array of farm buildings. The first floor of the girl’s dorm had two parlors, a library, and a music room. They also had an apartment for the dietitian, a central dining hall, kitchen, walk-in refrigerator, and deep-freeze unit.
Linda Benge has been working with the Nazareth Children’s home for more than 30 years. The Board hired her as a social worker, and she tirelessly works to serve abused and neglected children each day. Today, the Home houses children from ages five to twenty-one. Benge takes an active part in each child’s life at the Home. She knows them all by name and shows them the love, compassion, and understanding they desire and need so much.
Benge works to be sure the children are receiving all they need. She works with their nutrition, which affects their physical well being as well as their mental health. She is known in Rowan County as “Mother Teresa” because she gives so much of herself for the children. She is aware that the children at the Home have not had stability in their lives and they have not received much nurturing during their developmental years. She makes it her goal to try to reach all of the children and meet their needs. Some of them need to talk, while others may just need someone to listen.
Linda Benge plays different roles for each of the children because of their individual needs. She has worked with and helped hundreds of children who have grown up at Nazareth Children’s Home; and they have all become better people because of their interaction with Linda Benge.
MENTAL HEALTH COALITION IN PINELLAS COUNTY
History was made in Florida in March 1999 when uniformed patrol sheriff’s deputies and police officers completed the state’s first-ever 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for Law Enforcement Officers course in how to properly and professionally respond to all calls pertaining to persons with mental illness in crisis. In communities throughout the United States, persons with mental illness often have encounters with law enforcement officers. Sometimes these turn into “fatal encounters” for the officer, the mentally ill person, or an innocent by-stander. As mental hospitals close and jails are overcrowded with the mentally ill, little seems to be done to improve the situation by government services at any level.
In July 1997, the Mental Health Coalition (MHC), of Pinellas County, Florida, was developed. This working-group comprised of mental health providers, consumers, practitioners, government officials, representatives from the law enforcement community and other interested parties focuses on developing a jail-diversion and prevention program. Since the police are the first to come into contact with a person with a mental illness in crisis, it is imperative to have someone who is trained to remain calm and contain the situation as opposed to exacerbating it. Learning that most officers receive little or no training in how to deal with mental illness, the MHC took the initiative to design, develop and deliver a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) course.
CIT was tailored for officers who volunteer and function within the mainstream of patrol officer duties, work in the community on a daily basis, respond to calls relating to the mentally ill, and after this specialized training, respond to all calls relating to mental disturbances throughout the entire jurisdiction. Success in developing CIT came as a result of a Community Partnership of families, organizations and academia. It also added an infusion of law enforcement expertise as a guide for the group when encountering procedural roadblocks. Most presenters came from outside the law enforcement community, but they are professionals in the mental health field. The five-day, 40-hour comprehensive course is free.
As a result of the endeavor, several additional counties in Florida have conducted similar training programs under the guidance of the MHC. The 39 affiliates of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) in Florida, and all Department of Children and Families, Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health program offices statewide were made aware of CIT. Presently, more than 300 officers from four counties and 15 different law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay area have completed CIT, with another class scheduled for May 2002. CIT has become institutionalized in Pinellas County. MHC is on a mission to have CIT in law enforcement agencies throughout Florida and the nation.
PHYLLIS HOFFMAN
Palm Beach, Florida resident Phyllis Hoffman plays a critical role in her community. Hoffman mobilizes the community to provide housing for adults with mental as well as or in addition to physical disabilities. Hoffman is so passionate about the care of mentally and physically disabled adults, that she founded a nonprofit social service agency, Jewish Residential & Family Service. Though the program is titled “Jewish,” they serve persons of all faiths.
In addition, she is a full-time volunteer for Jewish Residential and Family Services (JRFS) and its parent, Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service. Hoffman has received local and national recognition for her dedication and hard work including awards last year from the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies for “Outstanding Volunteer Service” and the Junior League of the Palm Beaches – Wachovia “Woman Volunteer of the Year” prize.
Hoffman is a dedicated professional who has done everything from write grants to answering phones. She receives no compensation but a full heart. She first came to Alpert JFCS over three years ago when she helped obtain a Quantum Foundation grant of $160,000 to house and supervise disabled adults in a West Palm Beach apartment complex. Her daughter Troy, 38, lives a busy, active life in one of these apartments.
Hoffman and her husband, Timothy, have two other adult children. Several decades ago, when they moved to the area they found no resources for Troy. Her pediatrician even advised her that there was nothing wrong with Troy. Throughout her daughter’s childhood, discouraging doctors told Hoffman Troy would never live on her own.
This situation was more than discouraging, and Hoffman took matters into her own hands. She literally created services so her child could flourish and achieve some measure of independence. In 1974, she created a group home for mentally challenged children in Loxahatchee. One of the neighbors objected, and a controversy erupted. The day before a zoning board was to vote, the house was covered in graffiti. The next day, the house was vetoed, no reason given.
Yet, Hoffman did not give up. She started her own school for Troy and other children and redirected her considerable energies to creating day programs. One of the programs was out of a Lake Worth church, and another was out of Temple Israel in West Palm Beach. One program started with five students from Kindergarten through twelfth grade, and by the following May the program had 150 students. Phyllis also was instrumental in creating a special live-in school in Broward County, Florida.
With the help of Alpert Jewish Family and Children’s Service and the Quantum Foundation, Phyllis Hoffman was able to fulfill a special dream. Now, because of her tireless effort, Palm Beach County has two new group homes and dozens of apartments with 24-hour supervision and loving care for disabled adults. These men and women are now able to lead lives of relative independence.
JOSEPH MURTAGH, JR.
Joseph Murtagh, Jr.’s community service began in 1974 when he chaired a Wa1kathon for the Middletown Jaycees that raised $40,000 and provided money for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (A.H.R.C). Today that program has 25 sites and annually serves 2,000 retarded children with a budget of $20,000,000. After serving as President in 1975, he prepared for and won the New York State Jaycee’s Speak Up Competition Award, and has been a public speaker delivering both informative and motivational community development talks to hundreds of people in a spectrum of organizations, clubs, and youth groups throughout the State.
In the early 90’s his Rotary Club was asked by Rotary International to raise money for a project to eliminate polio from the world. Under Murtagh’s Chairmanship the clubs Polio Plus Project raised over $100,000 and his Goshen Rotary Club was recognized as one of the most outstanding clubs in the world for its support of Polio Plus. In 1995, County Executive Joseph Rampe was initiating 911 for Orange County and encountering resistance. He initiated a County-wide Rotary involvement project supporting 911 and for the first time in the history of Orange County a collaborative effort of all clubs within the County helped to bring about a successful conclusion.
After 20 years of efforts to bring various Chambers within the County together, Murtagh invited past-presidents of the Chamber to a brainstorming forum to identify methods and strategies, as well as obstacles and challenges preventing these chambers from merging. One and half years later the Chambers of Commerce did merge and the county now has one organization representing the business interest of all.
The county where he lives has four hospitals; each with far more beds than required supporting the population. Murtagh drafted a cooperation proposal to save money and enhance service for everyone and sent it to Board Member of each organization. One year later the four hospitals announced a collaborative agreement and are working together benefiting everyone in the community.
Believing in both youth enrichment and youth at risk programs, Murtagh has been a Big Brother. In 1998 and 1999 he chaired a seven County Rotary Districts RYLA Conference (Rotary Youth Leaderships A wards) where he and his committee were responsible for four nights and five days of leadership training for 110 High School Sophomores. Through the Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, Murtagh initiated and chaired a drop out prevention program for the 18 School Districts in the County. In 1997, he created a newsletter of positive thinking, problem solving, and thought provoking ideas that he faxes monthly (THINK ABOUT IT) to 255 community leaders, encouraging dialogue and motivating change for the better.
In 1999, Murtagh released his first book, Retirement Investing that has helped hundreds of families achieve higher levels of financial success. In 2000, his second book, America 2000 Enslaved & Dependent, won the endorsement of Congressman Benjamin Gilman.
GENNIFER DAVIS
Gennifer Davis is a youth living in Appalachia. At 13 years of age, Gennifer was searching for a project for her Girl Scout Silver Award. She went to the local community center that serves underprivileged youth to assist them with their library. When Gennifer visited the center, she found it in utter disrepair. The ceilings were leaking, there were holes in the floor, and the ceiling tiles were falling. Their library was filled with books that were water damaged. She realized that providing books would not solve the problem the center was facing.
Gennifer completed another community service for her Silver Award, but she could not stop thinking about the community center, so Gennifer called her friends to help. They cleaned and painted the center. She was so excited about that bit of progress that she called the city for help, and they installed gutters and downspouts to stop the leaks. In addition to that, they paid to fix the floor. Gennifer and her helpers then went through the library and threw out the damaged books. They painted the library and received a donation from Emily Douglas of Grandma’s Gifts. They provided a truckload of books so the library could be restocked. Gennifer then held a penny drive to purchase pictures and beanbag chairs to decorate the library. She also received donations of two computer systems with color printers and scanners from Hewlett Packard and a set of encyclopedias from Britannica. Gennifer also convinced Sharon Davis to take on the director’s position at the center to ensure the youth were provided with quality programs, guidance, and the direction they needed.
Gennifer organized a group of friends to help a disabled neighbor. The volunteer work crew scraped off old paint and repainted her home. They replaced her roof and installed a fence. The supplies were purchased as a result of fundraising events organized by Gennifer.
Gennifer attended the National Youth Summit in Orlando this past year. When she returned home, she had a desire to motivate the youth of her community. Gennifer turned her passion into Focused Organized Resourceful Compassionate Energized Youth (FORCE), which is a volunteer youth program. FORCE has 22 members who are available to provide service projects throughout the year, be a voice for youth in their community, and to research philanthropy so they can continue to provide resources to other youth who want to make a difference in their community. Gennifer organized a local youth summit called Something to Say Yes To! and they worked with FORCE on Make a Difference Day.
