ASK PROJECT
AMBUCS is a national service organization composed of a diverse group of men and women dedicated to creating independence and opportunities for people with disabilities. There are 5,600 members currently in AMBUCS in 15 states across the country.
The Sooner chapter of AMBUCS in Norman, Oklahoma, had been engaging in a community service project when they met Linda Durbin. Durbin was a busy mother and active in her community when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1986. She has been confined to a wheelchair for many years but has not let the disease stop her from helping others.
Durbin learned about computers using Commodore systems. In 1995, a foundation gave her an IBM 286 computer. Her experience with that system was so positive that she decided to help others with disabilities obtain similar computers.
One of her early computers was given away to a five-year-old child with cancer. The look on the child’s face and the joy it brought to him was all that was needed to confirm to her that this is the work she wanted to do. Over several years, Durbin was able to give away more than 70 computers. She was hampered, however, by her lack of affiliation with a 501(c)(3) organization and her inability to provide tax receipts for donations. Enter the Sooner AMBUCS.
The Sooner AMBUCS met Durbin in late 1997 and surmised that her experience and contracts combined with their energy, resources and tax status, it was a “marriage made in heaven.” In 1998, they formed the ASK Project. Computers range from old Tandy machines to Pentium level systems. The very old machines can be fixed up and used by Head Start programs. They provide 286 level systems to Learning Disability labs in area schools. They also provide systems to children with disabilities to use at home. Machines with 386 and 486 processors go to individuals who need more capacity for schoolwork, record keeping, communication and sometimes home-based businesses. The Pentium level machines go to those who need voice recognition software.
Computers come from individuals, small and large businesses, and government agencies. Durbin and one of her relatives handle every system, building systems using donated components, making small repairs, and setting them up to match specific recipients’ needs and abilities. Other chapter members pick up systems, handle paperwork and storage, make small repairs and match up components for distribution. Financially, it is a very low-cost project, with primary expenses being the trailer rental ($100 per month) and most repair parts are taken from non-repairable systems.
Yet, the computers have brought so much joy to many. One mother said that her 15-year-old son, who was paralyzed from the waist down, was thrilled and could not wait to get home and get his computer hooked up. Also, a grandmother with teenaged grandsons, who have to be indoors most of the time because were born without pores in their bodies, no hair or teeth, and cannot handle cold or heat, use their computers as their lifelines to the world. They got matching computers for Christmas through the ASK Project.
SAN DIEGO POLICE OFFICE OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES
The San Diego Police Department’s Volunteers In Policing (VIP) program offers a unique opportunity for citizens to become actively involved in providing efficient, effective, and responsive service to the community. No police department is large enough to keep a community safe on its own. Effective crime prevention requires the active support of citizens – a partnership between police and the community. This growing recognition has increased interest in community oriented policing and problem solving in police departments across the country.
San Diego, like many cities, has introduced community policing into its police department. However, what makes their approach to neighborhood policing innovative, is the extent to which the police department has made its volunteers an integral component of its program. They are viewed as a leading force in law enforcement innovations occurring across the country. The adult workforce in San Diego is approaching 1100 persons. These volunteers play a vital role in the department’s vision to engage the community in a problem solving partnership that will reduce crime and positively affect the quality of life in all communities. In 1999, the volunteers generously donated more than 198,000 hours of service to the department and their community.
The San Diego Police Department has used volunteers for a wide variety of assignments for several years. Programs throughout the department are considered models of volunteerism in the public sector, and the volunteers are essential to the departmental operations. They help provide a level of customer service that could not be achieved by the department’s staff alone. Volunteers represent all segments of society. The special activities within the VIP program are: Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP), the Crisis Intervention Team, and the Volunteer Interpreters Program. The volunteers also assist with research and writing reports, working with computers, doing fingerprinting, help with crime prevention, and clerical work.
The Office of Volunteer Services is dedicated to providing an exciting, challenging, and meaningful work environment. The VIP program offers a unique opportunity for citizen volunteers to become actively involved in providing efficient, effective and responsive service to their community. The VIP program is a result of two decades of change in policing philosophy that has heralded San Diego as a pioneer in many areas of law enforcement. The officers, staff and volunteers make the San Diego Police Department’s Office of Volunteer Services the most advanced and well-respected police volunteer program in the nation.
RITA MARINELLO
As a retired elementary school teacher, Rita Marinello is no stranger to hard work and education. The commitment she brings to her volunteer work at OASIS is unwavering. She is a tutor in the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program. In this unique and rewarding program, Marinello helps local schools recruit and train older adults to work with children in Kindergarten through fourth grade that are having difficulty learning to read. She and other tutors work one-on-one with the students for an hour each week throughout the school year as mentors and friends.
The need for Marinello’s service to the community is immense. Teachers have found that a growing percentage of school children are failing to learn to read well in grades K-3. The most recent National Assessment of Education Progress, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” shows that more than four in 10 Arizona fourth graders lack basic reading skills. The survey of Phoenix schools revealed that many perform at or near the Arizona average. Many Phoenix area elementary school students need more reading help than they now receive. Students who benefit most are often stuck in the “gray area”: they do not qualify for special services, but they need extra help. A fundamental principle of education is that during the first through third grades, children are learning to read; after that they are reading to learn.
Tutors such as Rita Marinello provide the individual attention and instruction that is so effective in the early stages of development. She and her partner, Janet Keyser, provide the training for new tutors. In the 12-hour training, volunteers are taught from the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring model and are required to break into one-on-one sessions with each other to become comfortable with this process. Recognizing the need to maintain enthusiasm and skill development during the summer when school is not in session, Marinello began conducting a series of seminars called “Helping Hands.” These sessions include guest speakers and hands-on activities that promote sharing, cooperation, and interaction.
In addition to her one-on-one sessions during the school year, Marinello also reads to approximately 1,800 students in the five schools in which she tutors, using a single innovative toolherself. Knowing how important it is to reach today’s young people in an effective, positive manner, she developed a wholesome method to capture and hold the student’s attention. She has had an impact on thousands of children since she joined the OASIS volunteer ranks. They have learned to read, build up their self-esteem, and have become better students.
ALFRED CIFFO, III
Alfred Ciffo, III, a 10th grader, discovered that Hallandale Beach has many senior citizens over the age of 65 and he felt that he could do something to improve the quality of life of the seniors. In 1998, he founded Teen Connect, a program through which high school students are paired with mature citizens. The pair talks several times a week to provide company and an outlet from solitude. Not only does the project help alleviate the negative effects of isolation for some elders, it also helps others to embrace the opportunity to share their perspectives with a youth. Teen Connect was initially a partnership between Pine Crest High School students and the elderly, but Alfred has spread Teen Connect to schools throughout Broward County and the State of Florida.
Alfred penned a manual titled, Teen Connect, A Social Service Guide. This was produced to help other youth start more Teen Connect chapters in their schools as well as other intergenerational projects. Through the office of Dr. Thomas Geismar, Executive Director of Educational Programs for Broward County, the project has been presented to all 24 school districts throughout the state. To further assist in the advancement of Teen Connect, Alfred will spend the summer as a volunteer intern in the Secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs offices.
Alfred speaks at schools as well as radio and television programs. Through his efforts, Teen Connect has had an overwhelming response as membership and new chapters continue to expand. Annually, Alfred and the charter chapter host a Valentine’s Day Luncheon, which brings together teens and seniors. There, they can put a name with a face and strengthen their bond.
To date, Alfred Ciffo has logged more than 1,200 hours in support of Teen Connect. He has also donated his manual and designed and maintained a Web site for all of the Teen Connect chapters. Alfred’s diligent efforts have impacted the lives of countless teens and seniors. A recent survey found satisfaction high between both groups. The intergenerational sharing has become important for both the teens and the elders. Teen Connect is a simple way for teens to bring hope, care, and friendship and the elderly to bring a different perspective to the lives of youth.
DECATUR GENERAL BOOT SCOOTERS
The Boot Scooters are a group of senior citizens who have danced their way into the hearts of hundreds of area residents from children to the elderly. What started as a six-week healthy exercise class has branched out to a community outreach program that has encouraged many who needed to be uplifted.
The Boot Scooters began line dancing for exercise in 1996. With a bond that will never be broken, they soon became a support system for one another; and now they have evolved into a program that increases self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and healthy lifestyles.
The Boot Scooters have worked in Decatur and have branched out further in the State of Alabama also. They teach and perform at the Wesley Acres Retirement Home monthly. They have been providing special dances and parties there for the past three years. The Boot Scooters also work with Decatur General as a Partner in Education with Somerville Road Elementary School where they participate in work parties to provide goodie bags for the children on each holiday and for other special occasions.
In addition to this, the Scooters work with NARCOG Annual Health Fair for Seniors. They provide entertainment and staffing at the event, which encourages seniors to move in any way they can to contribute to good health. They provide entertainment for the Decatur Chamber of Commerce Annual Health Fair, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, and donate money to the Mental Health Association. The Boot Scooters were instrumental in encouraging other seniors to utilize the Decatur/Morgan Senior Center, and they provide entertainment at Delano Concerts in the Park, Decatur General Hospital’s Camp Bluebird and the Girl Scouts of North Alabama Country Hoe Downs.
In their special way, The Boot Scooters meet the emotional, physical, and social needs of all age groups. Members are constantly identifying both large and small needs of the community-at-large and individuals, and then igniting their network into action. The amount of time they spend together has also encouraged the free exchange of ideas that led to innovative programs such as an investment club designed to guide seniors through financial management.
The Boot Scooters overcome challenges everyday. Individuals in this group have mobility problems, but they are able to overcome this by modifying the dance to meet their individual need. Others have hearing and or vision disabilities and some are cancer survivors. Many have also overcome the loss of their spouses. It is easy for some to give of their money, but it is hard to give of your time and self. This group gives of their time, talent, and financial support, along with their mental, social, and emotional support to all they encounter.
TIMOTHY BRUNGARDT
After graduating from Youth Leadership Jeffco, a yearlong leadership training program in his county, Timothy Brungardt wanted to put into action what he had learned. He conceived of a community program which he titled “Each 1 Reach 1.” The program’s purpose is to help families within the Wheat Ridge community by encouraging people to contribute goods to needy families.
Timothy recognizes that the need exists for this service, not only during the holidays, but all throughout the year. Yet, virtually all of the supply drives in the area occur only around the holidays. Although it is good that people are helping others in need, what about a week after Thanksgiving, or the month after Christmas?
Each 1 Reach 1 fills the need year-round. Supply drives are held the third week of each month. To make the drives accessible so that everyone in the community is able to participate, Timothy organized 12 drop-off locations, one at each of the Wheat Ridge High School feeder schools. Through Each 1 Reach 1, he has challenged local principals, elected officials, students and community members to help fill the needs of those in the community. Local newspapers have written about the project several times. The turnout has been substantial and area principals are supportive of the project. Everyone has faith that Each 1 Reach 1 is making a difference.
During the month of the diaper collection, Timothy received many full cases and numerous packages in various sizes. One little girl brought a single diaper with her name taped onto it. This simple act was the project in a nutshell. People giving not from their abundance, but from their own sparse supply. It is reminiscent of the woman in the Bible who gave her last two coins.
Tim also volunteers in the ER at Lutheran Medical Center four hours per week. Since 1987 he has been a SHARE Colorado volunteer where he packs, sorts and distributes food on a monthly basis. He’s also President of Student Voice, member of the National Honor Society and key Club at Wheat Ridge High School and was recently honored by a local Denver television station as a “7 Everyday Hero.”
AL BEHRMAN
When Al Behrman returned to his hometown almost 20 years ago to care for his ailing mother, the only job he could find was driving a school bus. While driving the school bus, Behrman discovered the career he wished he would have found when he was younger – teaching. He saw the need in the children he befriended on his bus routes and decided to help them. During the past 20 years, he has found creative ways to make a difference in kids’ lives and the community has come to recognize him as an advocate for all children, especially those who come from single-parent, low-income homes.
Behrman has refurbished donated desks and desks he finds at St. Vincent de Paul for children who need a quiet study space at home. He checks out books from the local library and delivers them to children in trailer parks and apartment complexes. Children who meet reading goals are rewarded with treats and trips to McDonald’s, Devil’s Lake State Park to go swimming and Baxter Hollow, a local nature area, to spend the day exploring – all hosted by Behrman at his expense.
For seven years, Behrman ran a year-round tutoring program for children aged four to nine – volunteers helped him transport and tutor the children. Last summer a local elementary school’s parent support group paid for a school bus and Behrman transported children to and from his program. He makes sure that every child makes regular trips to the library and got their own library cards. Over the years, more than 100 children have benefited from his informal, fun approaches to learning.
In 1996, the Baraboo Literacy Council awarded Behrman its first Individual Award, given annually to individuals who show outstanding support for improving literacy and ongoing education in Baraboo. In 2000, he was awarded the J. Martin Wolman Outstanding Service Award, given by Wisconsin State Journal Youth Services Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin, to recognize people who have made a significant contribution to the welfare of children and who have inspired others to do the same.
Due to poor health, Behrman, 69, hopes someone else will take over his tutoring program. He continues to volunteer almost daily at South Elementary School in Baraboo – tutoring, telling stories with handmade puppets, helping in the computer lab or helping to fix things that break. One year he gave every teacher in the school a boom box so that the kids could be exposed to different kinds of music. Another year he donated money so that the teachers could buy something they needed for the classrooms.
Behrman says that he does not understand why more retired people do not see that the kids in their communities need them. He said he could see it the first day on the bus.
THE VIVA MUJER GROUP OF LINCOLN MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Viva Mujer is a grant-funded program at Lincoln Hospital. This program is designed to improve timely mammography, Pap smear, and related screening and preventive health care activities for women. A key program component involves use of volunteer Community Health Educators (CHE), which are unpaid volunteers concerned about the health of their neighbors and trained to provide education, advocacy, and case management assistance with targeted patients. The purpose of the program is to reach out to minority women at Lincoln Hospital and women living in the South Bronx who have not had breast or cervical cancer screening done in the past two years.
The volunteers are currently providing services through this program that are directly beneficial to the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center and its patients. Some of the services include assisting in scheduling patients’ appointments, completing referral forms, calling patients a day in advance to remind them of upcoming appointments, and calling patients at home to follow up regarding missed appointments.
These volunteers also assist patients in completing Medicaid and other medical coverage applications, provide Spanish and English translation services, escort individuals to various clinics at Lincoln, and provide general assistance related to accessing medical services and navigating the health care system.
The Viva Mujer volunteers also educate patients regarding the importance of preventive health care and provide outreach in the community an average of once a week. Along with the normal fears and misunderstandings about breast and cervical cancer screening, the volunteers at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center have had to overcome many socio-cultural and language barriers in their efforts to reach out to the inner city women. The time they dedicate to making a difference results in women being healthier and living longer.
CALVIN ROGERS
Calvin Rogers has been matched with his Little Brother, Sean, for more than five years. His primary goal as a mentor has been to be a positive role model and friend. Rogers is reliable, consistent, responsible and dedicated, someone on whom Sean knows that he can depend. Rogers role as a mentor is filling the need of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, which matches school-aged children primarily from single parent homes with positive adult role models and mentors. The organization has 100 young boys on the waiting list and is always in need of male role models; most of the boys on the waiting list have an average of a year wait before being placed with a mentor.
When the pair was matched five years ago, Sean was living with his mother in a single parent home. Sean needed a male role model and a boost of self-esteem. Sean was not a troubled or terrible child, but he needed male guidance and nurturing. Rogers has played an integral part in Sean’s maturing process. He has learned many positive lessons from his Big Brother and the lessons are on-going. Sean is excited and aware that he is special, and he can be a success in life. Sean’s self-esteem has increased by leaps and bounds, and he knows Rogers is in his corner whenever he needs encouragement and advice. Rogers and Sean are friends. They have developed a true relationship, and Sean now has a male in his life that he can respect and on which he can depend.
Rogers is a priceless asset to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the community. Due to the positive influence and guidance, Sean will now be a positive, productive member of his community and follow in his Big Brother’s footsteps and encourage others to do the same. Sean values Rogers’ friendship and constant encouragement.
In addition to being a major part of Sean’s life, Rogers recruits other volunteers and continues to secure funds for the agency. He solicits donations and corporate support and does his best to ensure that the day-to-day operations of the agency run smoothly. His service will enable Big Brothers Big Sisters to serve more children in the community.
Not only is Rogers a Big Brother, but also he is a Past Board President and active with the Executive Committee. He is looked upon as a leader in the agency, and he always encourages others to give their best. He is continually working towards the betterment of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
RUSTY MINICK
Rusty Minick, a native Oklahoman and avid fisherman, found the trips he took with his grandparents to be therapeutic, helping him to recover from the trauma of losing his parents at the age of fifteen. He founded Kids, We Care, Inc. in December 1995 as an outcome of his vision to aid the children of Oklahoma City after the bombing of the Murrah Building on April 19, 1995 and provide them with hope for a drug-free and gang-free future. Minick knows that his grandparents sharing in his life enabled him to heal and work through the death of his parents. He, in turn, wants to share with the children of Oklahoma.
Kids, We Care, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to help restore faith in religion and country for children that have suffered tragedies in their lives, is based in Edmond, Oklahoma. Initially, Kids, We Care, Inc. was designed to provide the children and chance to learn how to regain control of their lives with the help of learning to fish. Now, the program has expanded to include any child who has lost a parent or parents to tragedy or have suffered another harsh loss in their life.
Minick’s goal is to attract all children who need good influences in their lives. He then focuses on directing them toward healthy activities such as fishing and the outdoors. With the help and involvement of others with the same goals, Kids, We Care, Inc. makes a difference in the Oklahoma City areas children’s lives. Minick realizes that children are our future leaders, and they need encouragement now to reach their potential in the future.
Minick has seen the tremendous impact on children’s lives and is encouraged by the work he does. Through simple acts, such as fishing trips and taking children to sporting events, he has helped put smiles back on the children’s faces and laughter in their voices. The program now has many corporate sponsors, but Minick has dedicated his life and livelihood to helping the children of Oklahoma become caring, prosperous and productive members of their community.
He is currently working on the Kids, We Care Ranch, to be located near Guthrie, Oklahoma. Located on 160 acres, this camp will be completely handicapped-accessible, and the premier camp in the state. We have four ponds completed so far, and we’re seeking help from builders, road contractors, lumber companies, utility companies, and anyone interested in making monetary or in kind donations to speed up the process of building this $6 million project. The sooner this happens the better. Then we can make a difference in the lives of so many children that need guidance and encouragement. Come join in with us, and we all can say: Kids, We Care!
