Clarice Boswell

In 1990, The University of St. Francis and Joliet Central High School designed the Access to College Initiative (ACI) program, with Charles Beutel, Dean of Registration at The University of St. Francis and Clarice Boswell, former Joliet Central High School Director of Pupil Personnel, as its founders. Dr. Boswell’s intention was to serve potential first-generation university bound students of ethnic minority background. Her objectives were to increase the high school graduation rate, present college as an option, involve parents in the education process, increase students’ awareness of career opportunities, encourage a college prep curriculum, assist in their applying for financial aid and scholarships, and build self- esteem and motivation. Dr. Boswell worked to help the kids in her community, enabling them to do the most with their lives. She retired July 1, 1998, at which point her position as Coordinator was turned over to someone else.

Each spring, Dr. Boswell, with the help of junior high school representatives, identified 25 to 30 rising freshmen who would benefit from being involved in the program until their high school graduation. The students had to exhibit motivation and college potential, meet test score requirements, have acceptable behavior and attendance, exhibit good citizenship and sportsmanship and have parental consent in order to participate in the ACI program. All these requirements still stand.

Dr. Boswell devoted a minimum of 20 hours a week to ACI. She was a student mentor, oversaw all the programs, did scheduling, administered the budget, and worked to raise money for the program. The program has several means of helping the students prepare for college. The students take field trips to universities. They are helped with starting a college savings account and planning early for financial aid. Seminars and parent and student workshops are provided each semester on topics such as scholarships, resumes, and portfolios. In addition, summer employment is provided for the students. Various other services are also provided, depending on the students’ high school standing. Joliet Township High Schools (ACI has expanded to Joliet West High School) provides ACI with facilities, and identifies additional student tutors. The University of St. Francis provides program development staff for the students.

The ACI program receives support from the Caterpillar Foundation, First of American Bank, and Sam’s Club Foundation, as well as from private organizations and businesses. Costs include seminar materials, transportation, scholarship money, and fees for students who cannot pay test prep workshop or testing fees. The minority high school graduation rate has increased from 75% as a result of ACI and 95% of ACI’s previous class entered a two or four-year college.

Akira Sakima

Akira Sakima has dedicated years of service to his community. Since 1960, he has placed his focus on health care, social services and educational service. Now that Mr. Sakima is retired, almost all of his personal time is spent serving his community. To date, he has served more than 8,810 hours.

Mr. Sakima’s volunteer service is very diverse. He currently works with the Kalihi Palama Community Council, whose purpose is to help divert youth from engagement in crime and delinquency. Mr. Sakima has provided leadership in responding to the neighborhood and council’s concern for these difficulties that plague youth living in this disadvantaged community.

He has helped raise money for the Kalihi YMCA to provide activities, excursions, and educational programs normally unaffordable to teenagers and children.

For 23 years, Mr. Sakima has served on the board of directors and as board president for Kokua Kalihi Valley (KKV). KKV is a community-based and community-operated health and human service agency serving the low-income and immigrant families in Honolulu, HI.

Mr. Sakima is a former state legislator for Hawaii. His political skills have helped his community in many ways. He was chairman of the Education Committee on the State Legislature. Now, with his interest and skills, he is enhancing the statewide School Board, serving as a member.

As past president and board member of the Hawaii United Okinawan Association, he has helped with fundraising and has been most influential in building and strengthening cultural, social, and educational bridges between Okinawa and Hawaii. Mr. Sakima houses and hosts Okinawan exchange students every year, raised funds to build an office in Naha, Okinawa that provides information about Hansen’s Disease to Okinawans and taught Okinawans new agricultural skills.

In addition, Mr. Sakima has served as a congregational pastor, church administrator, and instructor for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There he spends time visiting sick or disabled members in their homes, in hospitals or in care facilities.

Among many other awards and recognition, Mr. Sakima was the Mayor’s Outstanding Senior Male Volunteer in 1998 and received a certificate of recognition from the government of Japan for fostering a goodwill relationship between Japan and Hawaii in 1985.

Rachel’s Table

Rachel’s Table, a food rescue program for the homeless and hungry of Worcester, is a volunteer based service project of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts. Established in 1989 by the Women’s Coalition and Synagogue Social Action Committees, Rachel’s Table responds to the critical need for food for the homeless.

Hundreds of hungry people in Worcester seek food assistance daily. Often they are families with young children whose paycheck doesn’t stretch far enough to cover the basic necessities. More than 13,000 children (23% of all children in Worcester) are affected by this problem. Agencies report that the number of individuals seeking food has risen this year by 22%. Deep budget cuts in programs of the welfare system will increase the need even more.

Rachel’s Table utilizes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to help meet critical food needs in Worcester. More than 80 volunteers work as dispatchers, drivers and solicitors of food donations. Drivers transport donated food in their personal vehicles and at their own expense. In 1997, Rachel’s Table distributed more than 337,000 pounds of food which included cooked food, produce, pantry items, baked goods, milk, infant formula and eggs. Rachel’s Table collects surplus food donations from more than 140 participating food service operations, including hotels, restaurants, corporate cafeterias, caterers, schools and hospitals. The volunteers distribute this food to 45 shelters in the area. In addition, Rachel’s Table also created a “Children’s Milk Fund,” which distributes fresh milk weekly to more than 2,000 needy children.

Since its inception, Rachel’s Table has provided more than 2 million pounds of food, valued at more than $4 million, to thousands of hungry people. In addition, Rachel’s Table has greatly reduced the waste of nourishing food.

Daniel J. Flavin

In McLean, VA there is a need for the repair and maintenance of the houses of low-income families. Daniel Flavin and many of his high school peers were looking for a way to give back to their community and were interested in construction and renovation.

In 1996, Daniel Flavin established Hearts and Hammers, a Robert Pierre Johnson Housing Development Corporation program, at his high school. The program serves low-income homeowners, particularly people with disabilities and the elderly in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Flavin was the first person to form a Hearts and Hammers high school club. He also motivated another area high school to form a Hearts and Hammers club and hopes to have clubs at two additional area schools this year.

Daniel and his 10-15 fellow Hearts and Hammers friends fixed up two houses this year. Their goal for 1999 is to fix up three houses. It costs about $500 for supplies to renovate and refurbish each house. The students spend countless hours doing fundraising to pay for supplies and have raised more than $3,000.

Due to safety and insurance concerns that the school had about the Hearts and Hammers club, Dan restricted the students’ volunteer activity to cleaning, painting, and lawn work. He also produced certificates of insurance so school officials would approve his club charter. To expand his program to other high schools, Dan has documented the application process and placed the required forms on computer disks to make it easier to replicate the club.

Judy Riley

Judy Riley is a first grade teacher at the Fairfield School in Saco, ME. Prior to taking her current teaching position, Ms. Riley taught at another school in Maine that had been a site for the Foster Grandparent Program. The Foster Grandparent Program recruits people, age 60 and over, to work with at-risk children to support quality education.

The purpose of the Foster Grandparent Program’s “America Reads Initiative,” in Saco is to improve reading and comprehension among at-risk first and second grade students. Testing scores indicate that 40% of first graders and 43% of second graders in Saco tested below grade level.

Upon taking her position in the Saco School System, Ms. Riley discovered that the Foster Grandparent Program did not yet exist there. She asked the Saco School System administration to work with her to bring the program there. She organized the initial meetings and prepared the application for funding from the Corporation for National Service, under the president’s “America Reads Initiative.” The funding was awarded and the program began in fall 1997. Ms. Riley is the site coordinator for her school. She works with the school principal, participating teachers, grandparents and the program coordinator to make sure it is a positive experience for all, especially the children. Ms. Riley helps develop training, troubleshoots concerns and serves as an advocate for the Foster Grandparent Program in the community.

Lisa Paul

Project Linus provides “security blankets” to ill children reassuring them and helping them feel safe and calm with the presence of something as simple as a blanket.

Lisa Paul, a senior at Wichita East High School, has devoted countless hours to starting the Project Linus Program in her state. This nationwide program provides blankets to children at hospitals and battered women’s shelters.

Project Linus was named after the security blanket-toting character from the “Peanuts” comic strip. Nearly 175 chapters of Project Linus exist, with more than 37,000 blankets having been delivered nationally. Lisa learned about Project Linus two years ago when the project was featured on a talk show. When she realized that no chapter existed in Kansas, she contacted the national coordinator of the program and was named the Kansas State Coordinator. As the state coordinator, Lisa contacts volunteers, collects blankets, delivers them to hospitals, makes media appointments, crafts blankets herself, sends out brochures to publicize the program and mails thank you notes to all participants. Through her efforts and supervision, 172 blankets have been donated and distributed to needy children in the state and hundreds of volunteers have made blankets for needy children.

Janice Grabowski

Janice Grabowski started volunteering at Villa Maria, a treatment program for children between the ages of three and 12 who are experiencing emotional and behavioral problems, in September of 1986. Ms. Grabowski has shown up week after week ready to tackle whatever assignment awaits her ever since. Every visit is unpredictable with children who have psychiatric and behavioral problems.

Ms. Grabowski has given much of her time and effort to the children, particularly the girls, at Villa Maria’s Residential Treatment facility. As an apartment volunteer, she has provided the girls with valuable resources. Through this role, Ms. Grabowski initiates arts and crafts activities, egg hunts, cooking sessions, and often plans special recreational activities, such as Bingo Night and Karaoke Night. She even brings games and prizes and always provides assistance to staff whenever she is needed. In addition to her role as an apartment volunteer, Ms. Grabowski also serves as a mentor. Over the years, she has often been matched with children that find it difficult to express their feelings. These girls have exhibited anger on several occasions, sometimes totally rejecting Ms. Grabowski’s efforts. She does not give up, nor does she personalize such temporary setbacks. Rather, she is consistent, encouraging, and patient. Through outings, activities, and talks, she tries to foster relationships where she and the children she is matched with can try to explore the world and learn to understand it a little better.

The issue of trust with many of the children at Villa Maria has created many difficult barriers in forming and developing meaningful relationships with volunteers. A one-sided relationship, week after week, can be frustrating and not very enjoyable. As a volunteer at Villa Maria, one might begin to question if time spent there is really appreciated, especially if the child seems to pay little attention and shows no emotion during visits. Wondering if she was getting through to them, Ms. Grabowski came face to face with this issue only to discover, one year later, in a letter from a child, how wrong she was about these feelings. In this letter, the child shared with Ms. Grabowski how thankful she was for the time they had spent together. The child wrote, “I made it through because of you. Thanks!” This letter confirmed for her, and others, that what she was doing was important, and that she was making a difference in her community.

Options fro Individuals

Options for Individuals is a small group of mentally challenged young adults. This group has delivered more than 1,000 meals to the homebound and elderly senior citizens throughout the Louisville Metropolitan area in 1996.

The pilot program began in the spring of 1993, with only a few mobile meal clients and one mentally challenged person willing to help bridge the gap. Today, Options for Individuals delivers along four routes each week, reaching out to more than 50 meal recipients. Many times, like the meal client, the volunteers themselves often become isolated and lonely, separated from the rest of society. The volunteer is able to provide a warm smile, along with a much needed hot nutritious lunch, while the seniors can foster a special friendship with the volunteer.

The Meals on Wheels Program in the Louisville area serves over 750 meals daily and is dependent on a core group of dedicated volunteers performing deliveries. “Options” volunteers help by freely giving their time. Both of the frail, homebound elderly and mentally challenged young adults are sometimes feared and often ignored.

Many senior citizens remain on long waiting lists to receive meals, in part due to the overwhelming need for volunteers. By incorporating the needs of the mentally challenged with the needs of homebound senior citizens, we enter into a win-win situation that provides tangible benefits to both segments of our population.

Due to the tremendous success and amount of positive feedback, similar agencies have joined Meals on Wheels, forming a growing relationship between the mentally challenged and homebound elderly that has created a larger volunteer base. Currently, six of the meal routes operate weekly, delivering over 70 meals to elderly seniors.

As resources become more limited, our society will enter into the 21st Century with a greater need for volunteerism. By developing innovative solutions that broaden community support, all people can become a vital asset to one another, regardless of age or abilities.

AD2 Advertising Club

AD2 is an organization made up of 15 young advertising professionals. Annually, AD2 selects a nonprofit organization that would benefit from a public relations campaign. AD2 develops the campaign using their own funds, resources and time.

An example of one of their projects was with Kentucky One Church One Child, an adoption service for special needs children. This service works with approximately 300 children who need homes. AD2 successfully provided a comprehensive statewide public relations campaign that significantly enhanced the public’s awareness of the need for adoptive parents. The campaign was also successful in informing and educating the Kentucky community of the unmet needs of these children.

After an initial fund-raiser to fund the project, AD2’s members developed a strategy to accomplish their goal. The plan included reaching out to churches, the corporate community, potential adoptive parents and the media through a variety of advertising techniques. The group developed new posters, new brochures, print ads, letterhead, business cards, camera ready copies, radio spots/ public service announcements, a redesign of the agency logo and the placement of 20 billboards in the Louisville area. In addition, AD2 conducted a survey, pre- and post-campaign, to assess the overall success of the project.

AD2’s efforts inspired people to adopt and for those who didn’t wish to adopt, it inspired them to donate their time and their dollars toward helping to find healthy, permanent families for the children. In total, AD2 supplied more than $20,000 worth of advertisement for Kentucky One Church One Child.

Their success is evidenced in the increase of placements—in the first year of this campaign, 8 children were placed with families. This year, that number has tripled to 25 children.

Ashley Michelle Anderson

Three years ago, Ashley Anderson, a Houston teen, founded “cheeREADing” to address the lack of parental involvement in early childhood literacy. As a volunteer with the Keep Pace program, she noticed that many of the children lacked the necessary encouragement that creates excitement about learning, especially in reading. A former cheerleader, Ashley recognized what a powerful influence she, as an athlete, could have on these and other children. With this in mind, Ashley decided to form “cheeREADing” (Reading helps Everyone Accomplish Dreams).

Each week Ashley puts on her cheerleading uniform and goes out to the YMCA after-school programs in seven elementary schools in the Klein Independent School district. Each session begins with a “cheeREADing” pep rally, where the children are encouraged to yell for reading. This is followed by an interactive puppet show, which Ashley puts on herself. Following the puppet show, Ashley plays games with the children, gives away prizes and then ends each session with a story presentation.

In addition to the pep rally, the children are also encouraged to be a part of the Dream Team of reading. To complete the reading challenge, children must read 10 books or have 10 books read to them by their reading buddies. Once this is completed, they can receive a certificate of completion and become full-fledged members of the Dream Team, which often gives them a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.

Over the past three years, Ashley has gained the support of more than 350 members of The National Charity League.

In addition to her own work with program, Ashley also trains others who are interested, as well. Since its inception, the program has reached approximately 4,800 children in the Klein area of Texas. In addition to her work with “cheeREADing,” Ashley is actively involved in the school choir and student council.