GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY

A day in which all offices were closed and all classrooms were empty may be noted as the most productive in the history of George Fox University. Normal routine ceased and the campus was abandoned as faculty, staff, and students – more than 1,400 of them – moved out to help in their surrounding community.

The university-wide Serve Day was established by University officials as an expansion of a smaller program that had about 500 new students each year involved in local service opportunities. Now the plan is to shut down the campus each year – for a variety of reasons – among them to set an example for other colleges and universities.

“Doing this allows us to show what service means,” said President David Brandt. “It provides an opportunity for personal growth in the George Fox community. And studies show that if we set a standard of service at the start of the year, students will be more inclined to get involved in service opportunities throughout the year.”

Serve Day also helps George Fox personnel become better acquainted with the many nonprofit agencies throughout the area and the service they provide to others. Twenty-member-teams – organized with a mix of both students and staff members – spread out into 70 locations in the community, spending time with residents in senior care centers, helping elderly with home repairs and cleanup, cutting brush and landscaping city roadsides, building a ramp for a disabled person at home, constructing a skateboarding facility for city youth, helping churches with projects long undone, and distributing information in the community for agencies so that others are reminded of city needs. Projects were arranged by contacting local nonprofit agencies, government agencies and churches.

The idea of encouraging others to commit involvement and service, and making the idea known was hugely successful. The project drew front-page photo and story coverage by The Oregonian, the Northwest’s largest newspaper. It was covered by Portland television stations and received front page treatment by regional newspapers. Thank-you’s flowed to the University from agencies and individuals and through letters to newspapers. “There was nothing glamorous about the work,” noted a university administrator. “But people went with willing hearts, put their backs into the labor, and did it.”

According to Campus Compact, a national coalition that promotes community service in higher education, Serve Day was apparently the first instance of a university shutting down for a day for such an activity.

“It’s crucial that we practice what we preach,” said President Brandt, who spent Serve Day helping paint a house. He said it demonstrates that a Christian education is more than just book learning, and it also means serving a needy world in practical, loving ways. With the success, University leaders already have endorsed it as an annual event, and members of the University Parents Council have decided they want to participate and alumni are asking to be allowed to join with students and faculty.

WINGS OF HOPE FOUNDATION

The Wings of Hope Foundation was founded in memory of Brian Christopher Lanier who died from injuries received in an automobile accident in 1992. Brian was a compassionate 19-year-old who cared about children who, in his words, “need a chance at a better life.”

Kathy Gautsch, Brian’s mother, together with tremendous support of family and friends, created Wings of Hope as a symbol of Brian’s soaring spirit. Its purpose is to help abused, abandoned and neglected children in Central Florida.

Since its inception in 1996, the Wings of Hope Foundation has raised more than $140,000 to help the plight of abused children. The Foundation’s main fundraiser is a live and silent auction held each November with support from a vast array of more than 300 individuals and businesses.

Based in Ponce Inlet, Florida, the Wings of Hope Foundation primarily supports the Children’s Home Society residential homes in Volusia County and the residential homes of Girls and Boys Town in Orange County.

Because of the Foundation’s fundraising and dedication, these program were able to secure vans for transporting children to medical and counseling appointments, recreational activities as well as school. They were also able to furnish an emergency shelter facility and provide home improvements where needed to existing facilities.

This year, in recognition of the assistance given by Wings of Hope, the residential home for teenage boys at the Children’s Home Society renamed its facility “Brian’s House.” Also, Girls and Boys Town opened their new emergency children’s shelter and dedicated the “Wings of Hope Nursery.”

In the spirit of Brian, the Wings of Hope Foundation’s goal is that all children have Wings – the strength of an eagle, the guidance of an angel and the new life of a butterfly and Hope – that they have the opportunity to make their lives better.

SHIRLEY BROWDER

Shirley Browder initiated and coordinates the successful Early ID Program at Turie T. Small Elementary School. There, 70% of the students entering Kindergarten have weaknesses in fine motor, visual perception and basic language capacities. Through the use of community volunteers that are trained by Browder, the students are screened and individual interventions are planned for the students. During the past three years, volunteers have worked individually with children three to five times per week in 30-minute sessions to help prepare them for the first grade.

Browder was instrumental in the development of Word Wizards. This is a volunteer program where students from Embry Riddle and Bethune Cookman tutor students in reading and math four days a week. This particular program is an ongoing partnership between these colleges and the City of Daytona Beach’s after-school program and has affected hundreds of students over the past five years.

Browder has had a phenomenal effect on the city of Daytona Beach. At Turie T. Small, children with some difficulty in a particular area are identified early. They then receive one-on-one tutoring and an individualized plan. Consequently, these children enter first grade better prepared. The children that participate in Word Wizards also benefit from individualized attention. Their tutors assist them with study skills, reading and math. In recruiting and coordinating hundreds of volunteers and arranging partnerships with the city and colleges, Browder has helped to bind the school and community together. Opportunities are now provided for everyone to be accountable for the education of the community’s children.

The two programs that Browder developed have remained constants in the community. Her volunteers say that she does not merely develop a program and place volunteers. Browder is aware of the needs of the children and cultivates something that suits them while also acquiring the volunteers who will be a “perfect fit” for the program and the children involved.

She has used her organizational and social skills to conceive, initiate and coordinate outstanding and successful programs that have contributed to the well being of hundreds of students. Her vision is of the big picture, and she trains experienced volunteers to coordinate existing programs so she can put her efforts on new initiatives. She has spent her life serving her community. Initially, she gave of herself as an educator; now, after retirement, she is an educator still, but in the capacity of a volunteer.

Volusia County Schools named Browder their 1999-2000 Senior Volunteer of the Year. She was honored by the Florida Department of Education as the Florida Outstanding School Volunteer. She was given the Good Hands Florida Volunteer of the Year Award for a healthy start from the Florida Commission on Community Service and Allstate Insurance Company. Browder was recognized as the 2000 Honorable Mention Education Volunteer by the JCPenney Golden Rule Awards Program and a Volunteer Center of Volusia-Flagler County Award.

MARIA ROSE

Singing and performing for large crowds comes natural to Maria Rose. She is an entertainer and the product of Baltimore, Maryland. She always wanted to sing and feels fortunate that she has been able to spend her life doing what she loves to do. Six albums and a television show are just a few of the professional accomplishments that she could list. However, she gains a greater sense of joy when serving her community.

Rose has traveled around the world entertaining our Armed Forces at remote bases. On a flight back from entertaining some troops in Panama and Honduras, she met the Maryland Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies chairman, Rick Gesue. He arranged a performance at the next State Games Ceremonies; Rose and her band were hooked.

Rose has no children, but she is very involved with children in a special way. She uses her music performances and workshops to bridge the gaps in school between mainstream students and those students with special needs. Because disabled children are often laughed at and isolated, she feels an education through music will show that challenged persons have abilities also, that are too often overlooked.

In 1996, Rose wrote “ You Are the Flame” and several coaches and 12 athletes from Maryland and the District of Columbia recorded the song. The stamina, courage and dedication of the athletes inspired her to write and record this song. She wanted to the athletes to know their importance and have something special to call their own. Other groups that worked with people with disabilities requested Rose’s performance, and she has taken the song from Alaska to Warsaw, Poland to London, England.

In 1998, Rose formed the nonproft organization, Perform Abilities. This organization brings a public awareness to the abilities of challenged persons and was awarded the IRS 501(c)(3) status in 1999. In June of 2000, Perform Abilities was awarded their first grant from the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Arts and Culture. Maria continues her work in schools, recreation centers and other facilities while Perform Abilities continues to relay the message of hope for those with disabilities.

In addition to her work with the Special Olympics and Perform Abilities, Rose serves with the Schools for the Blind, the Arc, National Down Syndrome events and at many Special Education schools. Her demeanor, outgoing personality and musical encouragement continues to give self-esteem boosts to challenged persons and inspire them to continue to strive. She will continue to tell others that “it is what you CAN do.”

Rose plans to open a theater in the future. She wants challenged performers to have a home and a chance to showcase their talents. There they can also feel the acceptance of their peers and the public. In addition to this, she plans to film an educational documentary enlightening the public by focusing on the Performing Abilities.

CAB WATCH

New York City is known for being a busy place, and in the midst of the hustle and bustle, you usually will find a cab. Many people utilize cabs and public transportation to get around. The taxi is one of the most visible institutions in the city. Currently, most cab drivers do not have a means to communicate for help in emergencies. Furthermore, taxi drivers are eight times more likely than the average person to witness a crime or emergency, and they have one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

Jason Diaz was a student at the Wharton School of Business five years ago when his friend was mugged and shot on the front steps of his home. Struck by this experience, Diaz was determined to fight crime in his community. When Jason moved to New York he continued in his community efforts to fight crime, but he wanted to create something that would have a larger impact on preventing crime. He believed a program that could tap into existing resources would be more cost-effective and sustainable in the long run. With these ideas in mind, Diaz and his friend, Steve Libenson, founded Cab Watch.

Cab Watch is a citywide neighborhood watch on wheels. It is a non-profit public/private partnership devoted to crime prevention and public safety. The program uses the expansive reach of the taxi system as its eyes and ears to report crime and other emergencies on New York’s streets. Cab Watch started as a rough concept – no funding and no volunteers. Diaz and Libenson led the design and development of this idea into a strong, new, not-for-profit organization. After extensive research, Diaz developed a business plan, got his taxi license and targeted public and private sector entities for support.

Initially, Cab Watch established a partnership with the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to provide emergency response training and general assistance in program development. Then Sprint PCS agreed to become a funding corporate sponsor by donating initial funds and phones for the program in its inception; then $1,000 for the expansion phase. In addition to that, The John A. Reisenbach Foundation (JAR) – named after an advertising executive who was murdered in Greenwich Village- and La Fres Ford, the leading Ford and Taxi dealer in New York, joined the Cab Watch team and are providing financial and marketing support. Gaseteria, the fuel of choice for many cabdrivers, also provided monetary support and free gas to Cab Watch.

This program combines the strengths of the cabdriver community, corporations, city officials and concerned individuals. Police relations have improved and the highly fragmented and independent taxi industry has been united. When seconds can mean the difference between life and death, having an immediate link with 911 is critical. New York City cabdrivers are caring, concerned individuals who are very willing to help in any way they can. Cab Watch provides these drivers with a unique opportunity to make a safer New York.

DARYL FOLKERTS

In the spring of 1999, Daryl Folkerts, the Executive Director of Manhattan Habitat for Humanity (MHfH), came up with a idea to help some disenfranchised high school students get excited about education and given them prospects for future success. This idea would also help ease the low-income housing problem in Manhattan, Kansas.

Folkerts created a project where local builders would train a Manhattan High School (MHS) class and build a home in conjunction with MHfH. He convinced the Manhattan Area Builder’s Association (MABA) to provide technical expertise and training. MHfH agreed to coordinate, publicize, and fund the project, and the Unified School District (USD) 383 and MHS created a combined technical English, math, and construction science class so the students could learn construction and build the house. When the fall 1999 semester began, Bob Kelly’s Technical English class began construction on MHfH’s 8th home.

This collaborative effort of MHfH, MABA, and USD 383/MHS, known as Manhattan Student Mabitat, concurrently deals with two major community ills: isolated marginal high school students and lack of affordable housing. Annually, too many MHS students drop out because they are not interested in education, which appears to have no relevance to the real world. This is particularly true for students who are not college-bound.

The Student Mabitat program has been wildly successful with a long list of students wanting to get into the classes. Many youth reported they would have dropped out of school had it not been for this class. Other students came back to high school to take this class so they could move on to construction careers. Young people are now excited about their education and the opportunity to learn and serve at the same time.

Folkerts worked with the project from day one and remained the major figure in its success. He is a builder and the owner and operator of two local construction businesses. In addition to that, he served as Executive Director of MHfH. His work on the Student Mabitat, however, far exceeds the time for which he was compensated. He worked every Saturday to construct MHfH homes, and during the week, he was in class with the students and their instructors on training and building five days. Additionally, he has worked diligently to get local construction suppliers to donate building materials and get other businesses and individuals to donate money to fund this project, making this the least expensive house MHfH has ever built.

DON LAMBERT

They were an unlikely duo for 15 years. Elizabeth Layton was a depressed housewife and grandmother in Wellsville, Kansas. Don Lambert was a 27-year-old newspaper reporter in a nearby town. At the age of 68, Elizabeth Layton took her first and only art class. By looking into a mirror and drawing pictures of herself, she cured a 30-year depression and emerged as a nationally recognized artist.

Don Lambert ignored the advice of the “art experts” who told him no one would want to look at any pieces of art created by an old woman from Kansas, but he was undaunted in his mission. Because of his persistence and her work, Lambert was able to promote the relationship of art, medicine, and ethics. He helped thousands of individuals reach a better understanding of mental health and how it relates to art and community independence.

Lambert led an uphill battle arranging for Layton’s exhibits and for promotion of her work, which included feature stories in Life, People, and Parade Magazine. Together, this dynamic duo became best friends. Their mission was to let people know there is hope from depression and other conditions. They shared with the world that art can be more than a mere decoration, and the arts can elevate the human condition.

Elizabeth Layton died in 1993 at the age of 83. Her exhibits have been in more than 200 art museums and centers across the country including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Art. Lambert, now 49, carries on Layton’s life-saving mission. Before her death, she acknowledged that learning to draw saved her life and realized it could do the same for others. Art was a miracle for her, but she did not believe you could “sell” miracles so she gave all of her drawings away. Many went to charity auctions that raised nearly half-million dollars for the arts, mental health, women’s causes, civil liberties and the visually impaired. It was Lambert who was able to facilitate those gifts, and shortly after her death; Lambert and Layton’s husband gave 50 drawings to the Lawrence Arts Center in Lawrence, Kansas.

While nearly half-million people attended her shows, Elizabeth Layton was not there; and she sent Lambert in her stead. He would drive an hour each week to visit with her and talk to her over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They discussed her latest drawings and the state of the world.

Many people do not “buy” into his theory that art is a pathway of healing for mental issues, but Lambert still perseveres. He survives resourcefully on a limited income and goes beyond what is reasonable of a volunteer. When he met Elizabeth Layton, he became committed to sharing her life and experiences with others. He continues organizing her exhibits and gives slide lectures about her art. Thousands have learned to draw their self-portraits as Layton did, through looking into a mirror. Through her art, he has improved life for many on the planet Earth.

RAMON GONZALES

Some say Santa lives at the North Pole, but many children in Tucson know that he lives with them there. On Christmas Eve, Ramon Gonzales closes down the street in front of his South Tucson home to have an annual Christmas gala for his community.

Gonzales was a former sheet metal worker who is now on disability. About 29 years ago, he threw a Yule fiesta for his children, nieces, nephews and neighborhood children totaling about 25. He had limited resources, but $125 allowed him to purchase some trinkets for the children. He spent about 50 cents per toy, and though they were not expensive; the trinkets meant the world to the children.

Gonzales has always wanted to give to children and make their lives better, so he uses this annual party to do just that. The second year he held the fiesta it grew, and year-by-year it got larger and larger. Each year he said it was too much and it was going to be his last year, but he could not stop. He gets great satisfaction seeing the children happy. This is one day out of the year for him where he can forget about how tough it is to live with his illness, the bills and limited income.

Gonzales lives in a small stucco home on West 31st Street. Initially he cooked hot dogs in the backyard, but today he gets donations. The community knows about the annual event and love to lend a helping hand. The party has grown so that it goes on all day and they have special visitors. There is mariachi music, radio stations, Santa Claus arrives on the Tucson fire truck, and a local steakhouse provides food.

The cities of Tucson and South Tucson have many low-income families. Gonzales, though he does not have much formal education and is disabled, mobilizes the community and helps the disadvantaged children there. The party has grown so that children from other communities now participate. Gonzales has recruited more volunteers because of the growth. They assist him in soliciting gifts, prepared foods, organize activities and welcoming Santa Claus.

Ramon Gonzales is a man of modest means and has never been paid any remuneration for the work he does. He wants the children to believe in the goodness of people and that they are valued by the community. He has made such an impact that Congressman Ed Pastor entered his praises for Ramon in the Congressional Record of the United States of America on October 19, 1999. Though he never expected his Yule fiesta to become an annual event for his city, his 6,000 children party is now called the “Miracle on 31st Street.”

WILLARD CUMMINGS

Many children in Tennessee communities will live richer lives with normal vision because of the efforts and leadership of Willard Cummings and the Lions of Tennessee, who accepted the challenge to make a difference.

Cummings is a member of the Cookeville Evening Lions Club. During the past four years, he has given over 4,000 hours of service to the community of Cookeville as well as the state of Tennessee. He, as well as the Lions, has devoted hours to saving and protecting the sight of Tennessee’s children. Operation KidSight was born to do just this.

The Lions of Tennessee have known and worked with Dr. Denis O’Day, head of the Vanderbilt Ophthalmology Department, for many years. Through contacts and available research, Lions found that many children were losing sight at an early age, yet their sight could have been saved. It was believed that more than 50% of the children at the Tennessee School for the Blind could have had their sight saved if their problem had been detected and treated at an early age.

Cummings, while serving as a District Governor, was a leader in promoting the development of Tennessee Lions Eye Center (TLEC) at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital to help save children’s sight. The Lions Clubs of Tennessee in their crusade against darkness established the Tennessee Lions Charities, Inc. as the charitable fundraising arm of their organization. That entity was able to solicit, collect, and otherwise raise money to establish the facility at Children’s Hospital. Cummings visited Clubs, made radio and TV appearances, and used other mediums to promote the project. He has also spent hundreds of hours in training other volunteers to support the project. The Center opened in 1997 with its mission to provide high quality preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic eye-care for all children.

In addition to this, another program was initiated to identify children with vision disorders in the state. This Outreach Project is a unique part of TLEC in that it serves as a clinic without walls. This outreach-screening program, which is operated by trained Lion’s Club volunteers, uses special-designed camera equipment to photograph a child’s eyes. This hand-held screener can screen children from ages six months through 48 months at various sites such as day care centers, nurseries and Sunday schools. This proactive outreach can identify at-risk children and refer them to local eye specialists for proper treatment. The project is unique in that it makes a full circle, which includes planning, screening, and follow-up to ensure the child sees a doctor, as well as feedback from the doctor.

Cummings has personally participated in the screening of more than 3,000 children at local facilities. The project successfully assisted over 500 children during 1999. Prior to TLEC, the Children’s Hospital was seeing about 4,000 patients annually. TLEC opened three years ago, and there were over 8,000 visits in 1999 alone. Because of TLEC, the Outreach Project, and the work of dedicated volunteers like Willard Cummings, thousands of Tennessee children will have normal vision.

COMMUNITY SERVICE YOUTH COUNCIL

The Community Service Youth Council (CSYC) is a non-profit organization targeted to youth in the 7th through 12th grades. This mentoring program places emphasis on giving back in observance of America’s Promise fundamental resources. John Musgraves conceived the youth council and continues to act as its leader.

The Council requires youth to do community service projects monthly. These ventures range from visiting senior citizen centers to participating in national initiatives. The organization addresses social issues of lack of mentoring in our young people today. We see so many crimes committed by youth and the Council believes it is imperative for them to get the appropriate nurturing and guidance to end this cycle. In September of 1999, CSYC sponsored a countywide Black tie event, Community Service Awards. The event’s purpose was to recognize and promote volunteerism as well as bridging the racial barrier in the county. U.S. Representative, Marion Berry, was a keynote speaker that addressed volunteerism.

In addition to this, CSYC supports Make A Difference Day. They do a scavenger hunt for a domestic abuse shelter called The Haven. The household items collected helped abused women and children. Another project the group supports is Family Matters Day. This program collects toys for a Christmas party for handicapped children. Hoop It Up Fest was another event CSYC participated in. This basketball tournament got the youth of the community involved to help revive a park in the community. The organizers anticipated 100 in attendance, but about 1000 volunteers came out to support the event.

The Council also has partnered with the Lights of the Delta. They hang Christmas lights throughout the City as well as the park. They also partnered with the Main Street Festival of Trees. The young people showcased their creativity and helped to beautify the city by decorating trees.

CSYC does not receive stipends and solely raises funds to stay afloat. They are becoming an integral part of their community and their goal is to increase their presence. CSYC will continue to motivate, encourage and nurture the young people of Blytheville, which in turn will cause those youth to continue giving back to their home.