U.S.S. South Carolina
In August 1998, more than 100 sailors from the U.S.S. South Carolina were mobilized into a volunteer resources organization designed to channel the vessel’s manpower back into the Hampton Roads community. Command leaders were committed in helping as many community organizations as possible. The outstanding vision of these leaders resulted in the U.S.S South Carolina sailors volunteering over 3,000 community service hours while providing a rewarding work experience for the crew.
One of the striking characteristics of U.S.S. South Carolina’s volunteer efforts is the balance among several diverse activities. Mentor and education assistance volunteer programs include several local elementary and middle schools. The Hampton Roads Cerebral Palsy Association, the Southeastern and Tidewater Food Banks and the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth are only a few of the community health and wellness volunteer programs in which the sailors participate. Local civic activities and community volunteer efforts include the Princess Anne Sports Complex, the Virginia Marine Science Museum and several chapters of the YMCA.
Recently, U.S.S. South Carolina sailors were featured on WB33 television during a public service advertisement that recognized the outstanding mentor efforts at Brighton Elementary and Corporate Landing Middle Schools. Other notable contributions completed during 1998 were Haven House, where they completed 145 hours of service and the Virginia Beach Soccer Complex, where they completed a total of 409 hours of service. U.S.S. South Carolina continues to be a major influence in the community, emphasizing volunteerism and self-improvement.
Jim Call
Jim Call has been the Volunteer Garden Director for the CASA Community Garden located in Huntsville, AL since 1995. Through his leadership, a large garden is planted, maintained and harvested by volunteers of all ages. The harvested produce is then delivered free of charge to the homebound elderly in Madison County. Because of Jim’s efforts, more than 2,500 elderly received fresh vegetables in 1998.
Due to the rising elderly population, CASA saw the need to focus on enabling the elderly to live independent and healthy lives. Jim has been on the CASA board for many years and in 1998 initiated a new program called the GardenAngel Program. He succeeded in providing 20 homebound elderly with their own gardens along with a volunteer GardenAngel to visit weekly and assist in maintaining the garden. Jim solicited donations to fund this project, which gives the client fresh vegetables, a fulfilling daily activity and companionship with the volunteers. Jim is currently working to establish an additional 20 gardens.
Jim managed to mobilize more than 250 volunteers during the summer of 1998 and has enlisted the assistance of kindergarten students to decorate the paper bags used to carry the groceries to the seniors’ apartments. Each year the art class at Liberty Middle School constructs ten life-size scarecrows to be used in the gardens. Local high school students work yearly on painting a mural to be used as a volunteer signature board. In the last four years, Jim has impacted the community and has given hundreds of isolated elderly people a better quality of life.
Jane Hoppe
Jane Hoppe has been a volunteer instructor at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School since 1990. During this period of service, she has dedicated four to six hours of tutorial and small group instruction each day. Hoppe is described as an individual who is, “rarely absent and one that demonstrates rare consistency and devotion to service.”
Hoppe has achieved excellent successes in her role as tutor and adjunct instructor within the school’s Chapter I Reading Lab. She has improved the reading performance of many children and given individualized attention to at-risk students. In addition, Hoppe has planned and prepared numerous activities that actively inform and involve parents in their children’s academic performance. Her specialized training includes computer programs, Star diagnostic testing, Slosson Reading Screening, student assessment programs and strategies, providing individualized instruction and Assured Readiness Learning, a comprehensive phonics and learning styles program.
Hoppe’s volunteerism does not end with her weekly classroom instruction, but also includes several other contributions of her time. She has hosted reading celebrations at the school, operated reading lab booths at fairs to obtain funds to purchase additional materials, donated money, books, and materials to the school and has driven to a regional Book Fair and purchased many additional books for the classrooms.
Hoppe has become an essential staff member at the school. Her work with at-risk students fills a gap that rarely can be addressed by the classroom teacher alone. She has become the model volunteer of retirees and has attracted more than 20 others to assist with the school instructional program. The program of daily classroom trained volunteers has become very successful and a staple to meeting the diverse needs of at-risk children.
Most of the credit for the growth and success of the volunteer tutors and classroom assistants is directly related to Jane Hoppe’s years of service to E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School.
Harriet Tillman
During the 1992 Senior Recognition Program, as she looked across the street to see an old building that was much worn and barely useable, Harriet Tillman thought of an idea that would put Dorseyville, LA on a course of self-regeneration, self-improvement and self-empowerment. Her idea concerned the old Dorseyville School, which was constructed in 1892 and was the original building used to educate African American boys and girls from the village and nearby plantations. Armed with the strong belief that this building, one that has produced many successful educators and other professionals, should not be demolished, Tillman set out to save the building.
Tillman first tried to have the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office advised her that some of the antique features had been destroyed over time and this would disqualify the building for placement on the National Register. Somewhat dismayed, she did not give up her efforts and instead attempted to get the St. John Baptist Church, built in 1868, named to the Register. Tillman spearheaded this effort, which required reviewing court records, taking pictures of the church, developing a slide presentation, interviewing the senior citizens of the community and contacting elected officials for supporting statements. The church was put on the National Register on December 2, 1993, a happy day for the residents of the two-street rural community that is still surrounded by sugar cane plantations.
As a result of acquiring National Register status, a restoration committee was formed to maximize the development of the Dorseyville community. Tillman recruited twelve people from the church and community to serve and formulate functional objectives. She and the restoration group began by raising funds to begin the project. Under Tillman’s leadership, the group produced advertisement books, sold candy and held fashion shows and a Centennial celebration to obtain funding. These activities, along with several donations, yielded $24,000.
The Old Dorseyville School restoration project was eventually completed. The newly restored building is used to promote the Dorseyville community as a strong neighborhood. It is also a site for providing education and training to disadvantaged residents. Future plans for the building include establishing a literacy program in Dorseyville that places an emphasis on at-risk youth. Currently, Tillman and the Dorseyville Community Development Corporation, Inc., a community group formed as a result of Tillman’s vision, is at work keeping the dream of Reverend Bazille Dorsey, founder of the church and school, alive. They are actively restoring, renovating, closing ditches, adding street lights and traffic lights and generally cultivating the rich history of African Americans in a small rural community.
Harriet Tillman has invested countless hours of planning and implementation to community development and mobilization during that past six years. She did so because of her love for others and the belief that when one has been blessed they should pass it on.
Amy Bennington
Since 1997, Amy Bennington has volunteered for Arbor Circle Corporation Homeless Youth Services. She mentored for two clients, assisted in the planning of social-recreational activities and attends monthly mentor meetings. Homeless Youth Services offers case management to teens who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. The mentor aspect of the program is available to those clients who seek support in addition to that provided by the case manager. The two teenage women Bennington has mentored both have lacked a positive adult role model in their lives. She has provided support and nurturing to assist them in reaching their goals.
Bennington was first matched with an 18-year-old mother of two. She encouraged her mentee as she struggled to complete high school while working and raising her children. During their time together, she assisted this client in finding reliable transportation and helped her learn a variety of parenting skills. The children were included in many of their activities, as Bennington taught her mentee to find low or no cost activities that were educational. At the 1998 annual graduation party to recognize the program’s graduates, Bennington congratulated her mentee on this great accomplishment.
Her current mentee, Tanika, is a 19-year-old mother of one. Her home environment is unhealthy and she is trying to leave the house to live on her own with her daughter. Bennington has offered a great deal of support to this young woman. She has taken her on outings to a computer lab to teach her basic computer and keyboarding skills as well as introduced her to the Internet. This has had a large impact on Tanika’s self-esteem. She has taken Tanika to apply and interview for jobs as well as occasionally providing transportation when the client secured employment. This client relies on family for much of her childcare needs, however the family is often unreliable and Bennington has been flexible in adjusting her schedule when she needs to change plans. Most important is the caring she shows in listening to Tanika’s frustrations about her home, family and work. She is both motivational and compassionate with her clients.
Amy Bennington has been an asset in planning the social-recreational activities of the program. Since the program does not have the funds to provide these activities, the staff relies on donations, discounts and creativity to make these occasions special. Bennington is always willing to make contact with persons and businesses to request assistance. Homeless Youth Services offers reimbursement to mentor for their mileage while volunteering; however she has not utilized this option. Instead, she continues to offer new and unique ideas to secure supplies as well as provide insight about the types of activities in which her mentees may be interested.
Youth Volunteer Force
Students from John Glenn Middle School have teamed up to form the Youth Volunteer Force, a powerful group that greatly impacts the community and the students. What makes this group so unique is that the students reaching out to the poor and elderly in their community are working through their own challenges with special needs. All of the students in this service group are mildly mentally handicapped in some way.
This group of fun and energetic teenagers ventures to Sharing & Caring Hands in Minneapolis, MN once a month. Sharing & Caring is a homeless shelter that provides daily meals, basic necessities and shelter to people in the area who are in need. When the students arrive in the morning, they dive into whatever needs to be done to prepare the morning meal. Preparation responsibilities include, but are not limited to, wiping 50+ tables and chairs to provide a clean atmosphere, arranging the donuts on trays and washing the many pots, pans and dishes used to prepare the morning breakfast. During this whole process, the students are eager to help where they are needed and maintain a positive attitude in the midst of some difficult jobs.
After all of the preparations are complete, the real challenge for the students begins. These youth each are responsible for serving a certain dish to the people who are homeless, while smiling at each person and giving each of the guests the utmost respect. The students refer to individuals as "Ma'am, Sir or Miss" and politely asking if they would like the dish they are serving. The most difficult, but also beneficial, part for the students is when the hungry individuals ask for a larger portion than that which they are given. The volunteers must tell them gently that they must return to the end of the line if they desire more food. They have done this task with kindness and respect in the midst of angry, sometimes crabby, guests.
The achievements the students have made are reflected in the positive feedback from the homeless individuals and the students themselves. Those who have been served appreciate the smiles of the youth and the respect they receive. The students are also impacted by the experience. One boy commented, "My favorite part about school is going to Sharing & Caring Hands, it makes me feel so good about myself." Other students have gained a greater respect for people and realize how fortunate they are to live in a house and eat food regularly. They also have realized that there is no difference between them and the people they are serving except these people do not have a place to live.
The project began two years ago with a small group of students that continues to grow. Many students are eager to attend, but in order to handle the challenges of this service project; they must be at a certain maturity level before they are allowed to volunteer. The project is an ongoing partnership between the John Glenn Middle School Youth Volunteer Force and the Sharing & Caring Hands homeless shelter.
ACES
The Association for Children for Enforcement of Support, Inc. (ACES), a grassroots nonprofit organization, is the largest child support advocacy agency in the United States. ACES has grown from ten single parents in 1984, to 390 chapters in 48 states, with over 40,000 members. All are united in the ACES mission: to assist disadvantaged children affected by parents who fail to meet legal and moral support and/or visitation obligations. ACES began a movement which empowers parents and gives them the determination to fight for what is owed to their children.
U.S. ACES was the catalyst for enactment of child support laws in the Family Support Act of 1988 and the Child Support Recovery Act which makes it a federal crime in interstate cases not to pay child support for one year. ACES developed time frames for government child support agencies. It has also developed "how to" instructions to enforce child support, visitation rights and paternity establishment. The organization has helped many low-income parents who have sought assistance to establish local chapters. ACES members, 85% low-income families, go on to empower more families on how to collect child support.
ACES leaders see beyond their own child support cases and help others empower themselves. An ACES poll showed that the outreach programs reduce poverty by 50% among single parent households. Seventy-seven percent of ACES members received child support within six months of becoming involved in self-help programs. Eighty-eight percent of those previously dependent on welfare became self-sufficient when child support payments were joined with earned incomes. ACES has helped over 500,000 families collect approximately $2.25 billion since 1984. ACES also created a 24-hour hotline for parents who need advice.
ACES has changed the way that child support agencies work by advocating for collecting support via payroll deduction at the time of divorce or establishment of paternity. ACES is working to pass a law making child support collectable through the same system as Social Security taxes. ACES is unique because it provides families a voice in the development of public policy and supplies assistance to parents.
Blacks in Government
Blacks in Government (BIG) is primarily a volunteer membership driven association that functions as an employee support group, community resource and an advocacy group. It is a non-profit organization focused on three basic principles—equity, excellence and opportunity. On-going annual activities of BIG include professional development training, mentoring/youth development and employment enhancement. BIG has more than 230 chapters throughout the country.
The professional development training offered by BIG includes an annual training conference, initiated in 1978 with the purpose of maximizing talents and skills of employees. The conference brings together nationally known experts, policy makers, administrators and grassroots leaders to address critical issues of the day that affect government workers in the workplace and in their communities. Training provides professional development and self-improvement that lead to career development and upward mobility. More than 3,000 individuals attend and participate in the conference. The achievements of the training have resulted in employees and managers being prepared to deal with common workplace problems creatively. The end result is a public servant who is better able to contribute to their organization’s mission and to their communities.
BIG believes in the importance of programs and activities that benefit youth and thus conducts two annual national youth programs. This innovative community effort meets the need to better prepare youths for the future. Computer knowledge and the ability to communicate are identified areas of greatest need for youth development. The Training in Communications Program is aimed at helping young people acquire the communication skills they need for success in the workplace; the project provides youth role models and support systems through one-on-one mentorships with BIG members. The programs are aimed at youth in grades 9-12. Volunteers within the organization and alliance organizations are asked to provide support through sponsorships and active involvement.
The Information Superhighway Student Competition generates greater interest in computer sciences and is also for students in grades 9-12. The competition provides students the opportunity to develop their computer skills and demonstrate their expertise and creativity on the information superhighway. The project is based on studies that show that African-Americans students substantially lag behind the national average in the use of computers. Students are awarded computers and scholarships for completing web site presentations.
Sister Rosario
Sister Rosario serves as director of the Louis Infants’ Crisis Center in Houma, LA. Founded by Rosario in 1979, the facility is a licensed child care center for children whose ages range from newborn to 8 years. These youth are victims of neglect, abuse and abandonment.
The Louis Infants’ Crisis Center is a center that aims to prevent child neglect and abuse by offering protective services to children through a 24-hour, 7-day a week emergency shelter. It also provides counseling to parents. It is a licensed child care center working with the Louisiana State Protective Services and Child Placement Agency and/or the parents themselves toward meeting the needs of children and their families in a crisis situation or those in imminent danger of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Sister Rosario describes the center as a step before foster care. By offering emergency shelter to children and intensive counseling services to parents, the center hopes to prevent a potentially dangerous situation from worsening and causing the involuntary removal of the child from the home. Long-range solutions also focus on public education and structured programs to teach basic parenting skills.
When the Center first opened, it was contained on the first floor of a two-story convent. Through Sister Rosario’s efforts, the Center has since expanded to include three buildings that house an immediate care facility and a long-term care facility for a total of 20 children.
Sister Rosario has been quoted as saying: “We strive to make the Louis Infant Center a beacon of hope and happiness and peace, and especially serenity for and in the lives of young children, and that every child who enters through the doors of the Louis Infant Center will leave with nothing but happy memories, safe memories and will have been enabled to cope with their situations.”
Alisia Orosco
Alisia Orosco, age 12, has devoted her time and energy to encouraging others, children especially, to look inside their hearts and help other children in need of comfort or compassion, in times of illness, tragedy or triumph. The oldest of four children, Alisia’s personal family tragedies have served as an inspiration for her service. Alisia’s sister, Katherine, passed away at birth due to a premature delivery. Her brother, David, died at age three, after many hospital stays. Her surviving brother, Georgie, now 10, has Cerebral Palsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Alisia knows first-hand the pain of losing a sibling and the pain that is felt when a sibling is the brunt of jokes, stares and whispers from strangers.
Alisia’s experiences motivated her to start a volunteer project that involves extending expressions of compassion and caring for others. After her brother had emergency surgery, Alisia met a boy in intensive care with severe Cerebral Palsy and an infant who was born with his abdominal organs on the outside of his body. She overheard the nurses talking about the fact that these two children never had visitors because they had been abandoned and left in the hospital’s care. Alisia asked if she could leave balloons or stuffed animals for them, as her family had done for David, just to cheer them up and let them know that someone cared.
Alisia’s kindnesses to those children lead to an ongoing effort where Alisia and her brother make similar overtures of compassion to other children in need by distributing baskets full of gifts, called “hugs.” In the first year of the project, Alisia and Georgie saved their allowance and purchased 15 stuffed animals, attaching hearts cut from paper with “You’re Somebody Special” written on them. The second year, Alisia had help from her school’s PTA, Delta Airlines and other friends. They bought and distributed 225 stuffed animals. In October of 1998, Alisia, her friends and anonymous donors were able to give 350 stuffed animals, Beanie babies, school and art supplies and red wagons to two hospitals for children, Hospice, Youth Skills, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Hero Program, and a Head Start program in Arizona. Alisia also wrote to 20 large companies asking, not for money, but for anyone who so desired to send a stuffed animal in honor of someone they love.
Alisia hopes to reach a new goal each year and reach more children, those needing help and those wanting to help. She continues to give up her allowance, birthday, and Christmas money to make sure every child has a “hug.” She is pleased to get smiles from sick children and nice cards from grateful parents as a result of her hard work.
