PROJECT ENHANCEABILITIES

Project EnhanceAbilities was birthed in December 1996 in Lee County, Florida. Prior to its inception, there were few community-based activities designed to provide recreation and social interaction for teens and young adults with moderate to severe disabilities. A series of Day Camps during Christmas break, Spring Break and in the summer, Saturday programs and Sunshine Days – recreation programs on teacher duty days during the school year – welcome families and the participants.

Before the program was started, the only option for most children and young adults with moderate and sever disabilities when school was closed was spending time at home with family members or paid caregivers. Few community activities had been designed to accommodate persons with special needs. Since the program began, it has organized social and recreation programs for 37 children and young adults ages 7 to 22 that have moderate to severe disabilities.

The program’s first partner was Gulf Coast Center. The center is a residential facility for more than 300 adults with developmental disabilities that is operated by the Florida Department of Children and Family Services. They provide EnhanceAbilities with a house as a base of operations and access to all facilities free of charge. By 1997, Lee County Parks and Recreation Services joined the partnership as primary sponsor of Day Camps and Sunshine Days by providing funds for program activities and salaries for the key staff.

EnhanceAbilities is an innovation. The organizers saw a need and created a new set of programs to fulfill that need. Two mothers and a caregiver of children with severe disabilities, Marci Greene, Barbara Wood and Carol Brotherton, wanted more for their own children and others with similar needs. They were the founders and advocates of the program, and they paved the way in accomplishing something that no one in the community had done before or even considered possible. The demand for providing for a child with severe disabilities takes a huge toll on a family. EnhanceAbilities’ programs provide support, space, and hope for the future that did not exist before.

To date, volunteers between the ages of 12 and 84 have given over 2,000 hours of service. As the organization grows and new activities are added, more volunteer opportunities are created. Volunteers are a vital part of the Day Camps and Sunshine Days, especially the young volunteers who serve as buddies to each of the campers.

A winner of the 1998 JC Penney Golden Rule Award of Southwest Florida, EnhanceAbilities gained the support of many other individuals and organizations. Since it was founded in 1996, the program has grown consistently each year. The vision for the future includes building a facility on the Gulf Coast Center campus to serve as a home to the day program serving 25 people.

STAR NIGHT VOLUNTEERS

The Kansas City Star newspaper encourages and supports their employees in volunteer endeavors throughout the community. One of those employees, Diane Scott, was an avid volunteer. Through her experiences, she saw a need for mentors and educational assistance for the children of the community. Scott had a vision to tutor and be a role model, so in 1995 she mobilized her co-workers and began a weekly youth enrichment program. The program had meetings and get tog ethers at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City’s West Bluff Site.

Initially, the endeavor began as an after-school tutoring initiative, holiday recognitions, clothes closet, and a reading club. Throughout its maturity, the program added dance classed to enrich the lives of the over 125 youth from the areas public housing complexes. Hundreds of at-risk youth have been tutored and mentored by the volunteers. Scott and her co-workers believe their work is an opportunity for the youth to get connected to the community through caring adults.

The site for the meetings had to change, and the program was moved to the Clymer Center Boys & Girl Club. Though they were in a different area, the youth from the West Bluff Site were still a part of the program. They were transported to the new site so they could continue to participate in the activities. The “Star” volunteers were encouraged because the children from West Bluff did not want to be left behind and wanted to continue in the program.

The program has blossomed into the Star Night Volunteers. Star Night now continues to benefit young people by providing them with non-traditional activities that celebrate cultural diversity. They teach Boys & Girls Club members about Cinco de Mayo, Hanukkah, Black History Month, and other events that they may not be exposed to in their every day life or through the school system. The volunteers pride themselves in being inclusive and sensitive to the various cultures that are represented in the Clubs. The members enjoy the time spent with the volunteers whether it is the tutoring sessions or special events.

Star Night is still running strong in 2001. The volunteers have also taken on the responsibility of chaperoning overnighters and field trips and organizing service projects for youth. They also sponsor an annual safety program during Halloween. Through the years, they have donated clothing, books, and other materials to the center. The Boys & Girls Club are excited about the partnership with the Star Night Volunteers and believe their work has strengthened the youth and continues to support their goals and dreams along with that of the National Club.

Star Night Volunteers also have classes every Thursday evening. The youth come out in great numbers to attend classes on crime, drugs, violence and role models. The youth are provided with engaging alternatives and presented with the skills, knowledge, behaviors, and personal attributes they need to succeed.

DRUG INTERVENTION COMMUNITY EDUCATORS

In March 1997 Drug Intervention Community Educators (DICE) was born and consisted of approximately eight members of high school age. Since that time, DICE has increased their membership to 35 youth who are in either their junior or senior year in high school. This alone is a huge accomplishment, never mind the fact that they have planned, organized, participated in or attended more than 220 events.

DICE is a nonprofit organization, which meets once a week for two hours at the East Providence City Hall to plan events, etc. Besides weekly meetings, DICE has approximately 1-3 events in which they either plan or attend every week. They are a year-round group, which never stops, not even in the summers. On an average, every year, each member puts in approximately 700 hours of voluntary community service.

The DICE program enhances protective factors, empowers youth and helps to create a sense of community, thus reducing the risk of substance abuse, negative school experience, teen pregnancy, crime and prejudice. For example, in East Providence there are very few places where teenagers can “hang out”. The Recreation Department is out of the geographical area for the city’s neediest youth and has very limited offerings. There are no youth centers besides the school-based activities (none of which are community service oriented) and there are little to no opportunities for youth to get involved and have a voice in their community. As a result of being bored, youth get in trouble and often turn to drugs.

DICE by no means single-handedly solves this problem, but offers the youth an alternative to making healthy decisions. Through being involved in the youth-run program, the teens learn leadership and organizational skills, along with how to act responsibly and be an active, contributing part of the community.

In the past few years, DICE has had so many notable achievements that the organization is not only known citywide but also statewide. The media is constantly covering DICE events, and one newspaper has recently given DICE a weekly column in which they will feature a DICE member and all of his/her positive deeds. DICE has not only empowered youth, but in turn, has empowered an entire community.

INNER-CITY ARTS

Inner-City Arts meets the need of a community truly in need – arts education for the children of working class families of inner city Los Angeles. The organization bridges socio-economic gaps by connecting with key influential individuals, such as Mayor Richard Riordan and Michael Maltzan. Their service has been ongoing for more than 12 years and affects a positive impact on the children they serve and their families, as is evident through improved test scores and behavior. Finally, they use truly innovative and cutting-edge techniques to provide the students with the most positive experience possible.

Inspired by the idea that art is an invaluable educational tool, co-founders Bob Bates and Irwin Jaeger established Inner-City Arts in 1989. In response to severe funding cuts for art instruction in Los Angeles area public schools, the founders solicited the support of business leaders and educators in the community to establish a center that would bring the arts back to school curricula. A structured series of innovative bilingual arts courses was carefully developed to meet the specific needs of students at one downtown elementary school.

Since the organization’s inception, Inner-City Arts has grown from working with just one school in temporary facilities to serving 11 schools in a state-of-the-art six-classroom/studio campus. The facility currently accommodates courses in ceramics, dance, music, visual art, animation and drama for 8,000 students each year and affords each child the opportunity to explore the arts through hands-on activities in a real artist’s studio environment.

Programs have also been initiated to serve local children after regular school hours and on weekends. In addition, a series of workshops and events geared toward greater family involvement in the learning process are now provided by Inner-City Arts.

Inner-City Arts’ primary objective is to make a difference in the lives of inner-city children. The mission of Inner-City Arts is to foster the most progressive and effective arts education possible. It is the organization’s goal to maintain a culture that rewards innovative thinking, hired dedicated, visionary staff and enables them to flourish in a unique physical environment. In addition, close ties are maintained with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the educational standards established therein.

The ethnic makeup of Inner-City Arts’ students population is: 4.3% African American, 9.23% Asian, .87% Caucasian, .26% Filipino, 84.96% Latino and .25% Native American. Seventy-eight percent of the children served are classified by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as English Learners with limited English language proficiency. These children are among the nation’s neediest. More than 90% of Inner-City Arts students are in the free or reduced lunch (Title I) program.

Inner-City Arts, and the 11 schools served by the center, are located in the heart of the Los Angeles Downtown Industrial District. Most of the children live in an environment with violence and crime. Poverty and homelessness exacerbate the challenges students face each day. Students classified by LAUSD as homeless (their permanent address changes every 30 days) attend many of the schools served by Inner-City Arts; at one of the participating schools, 33% of the student body is considered homeless.

RACHAEL OPDYKE

In his prophetic book, The Graying of America, James Jorgensen warned repeatedly that America needs more resources for its aging population. More people are living beyond the traditional retirement age only to find out that the quality of their lives is greatly diminished.

Through her innovative project, Project Hope and Enrichment, Rachael Opdyke is adding quality years to the elderly and at the same time enriching the lives of many youth. She is currently working in three retirement homes. She has developed a monthly dinner/dance for area senior citizens, which is always well attended by young and old alike. In addition, she has started a fishing derby with young high school fisherman pitting their skills against that of an elderly retirement village resident. The activity is one-on-one, with much quality intergenerational bonding. There are frequent intergenerational bus trips that include a picnic and always a great deal of life-sharing.

Through her Adopt-A-Grandparent program, individuals who have long outlived their own family become part of an extended family. Students also gain much from a grandparent because they have either lost or in many cases, never knew their own. Socialization takes many forms: card playing, hymn singing, walks, lunches, letter writing, etc. Many of the retirement residents have discovered computers and its wide variety of uses. Rachael has enlisted the assistance of computer-literate high school students to teach, email, and even repair their computers.

Every other Saturday from 9am to noon, students in large numbers come to the retirement village to do residents’ chores. This can be anything from car washing, moving furniture, cookie sampling or just socializing. Every resident is remembered during the holiday season with a gift and a special holiday program. Twice each year, Rachael produces a talent show for the residents and each time every seat is taken and the elderly eagerly enjoy the talents of the young.

So many of the elderly cannot get to hospitals or pharmacies for medical assistance. To help with this problem, Rachael has enlisted the help of The Visiting Nurses Association. Through a monthly DOLLAR DAY at her high school, thousands of dollars are raised to buy mast ambulance insurance, which enables these needy people to get the medical help they desperately need by using the ambulance for a year, free of charge. Lives are saved, strengthened and enriched through this program.

Rachael’s efforts have now become a permanent part of her school and it has spread to several others. This year 400 students joined the volunteer program at Northwest High School, insuring this activity will not only continue, but increase in scope. A yearly prom is a highlight in which students and the elderly enjoy an evening of dancing, food and socialization.

Her work has caught the eye of the Kansas governor, who gave his coveted SPIRIT OF GIVING award for Rachael’s efforts. These efforts are certainly innovative, unique and effective. One 90-year old resident has adopted Rachael and they have mutually discovered the power of individuals. Project Hope hits the heart with enriching activities. Many elderly residents discover that they have a lot of living yet to do. Rachael will go on to college where she will specialize in social work.

EMY LOU BALDRIDGE

Emy Lou Baldridge has been an ardent volunteer throughout her adult life. Her contributions during the past year exemplify the distinct difference she has made within her community and entire state over many years of service. Throughout the past seven years alone, her passionate conviction that everyone can make a difference in the life of a child has led to over 50,000 abused or neglected children in Dallas being cared for in a more dignified manner.

To understand Baldridge’s efforts towards the past year, you must first understand her efforts this past decade. As an active volunteer with the Chance Center for Abused and Neglected Children from 1987 – 1995, Baldridge became acquainted first hand with the plights of many children in Dallas. In addition to this, she observed the great challenge Child Protective Service (CPS) caseworkers face in administering care to the children in need.

Because of her concern, Baldridge was one of the people CPS turned to for help to create a private/public partnership aimed at easing the caseworker’s caseload sot they could provide better care to the children. Baldridge, as part of a team of volunteers, established the Dallas Community Partners in 1989. The goal of this volunteer program, modeled after a Corpus Christi program, was to rally community support for CPS.

The first program established by the Community Partners was the Adopt-a-Caseworker program, which linked caseworkers with religious groups, local businesses, and civic organizations willing to provide financial and emotional support. As a chairperson and one of the most active volunteers with Dallas Community Partners, Baldridge adopted caseworkers, petitioned community members and organizations to adopt caseworkers, rode with caseworkers to assist in training parents, led the training committee, and contributed in countless other ways. Today, as a result of her efforts, 75 caseworkers have been adopted in Dallas.

With the Adopt-a-Caseworker program successfully underway, in 1992, Baldridge and the Dallas Community Partners sought to increase their support by asking caseworkers for their suggestions about what other items they could improve on. They requested a resource room be established to provide aid to families, and after much planning and petitioning for assistance from various groups, the Rainbow Room was opened in 1993 to meet the caseworker’s needs. In addition to that, needed supplies like cribs, diapers, shampoo, clothing and other miscellaneous items were provided. The original stock of 29 items has grown to 29,000.

Baldridge’s work has garnered the attention of Laura Bush who requested her to replicate the success of Dallas Community Partners statewide. Because of this, in 1996, the Greater Texas Community Partners was formed.

Though Baldridge is busy taking the program statewide, she remains very active in service to other organizations: The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, The Child Advocacy Center, The Junior League of Dallas, The Mental Health Association, Suicide Crisis Center, St. Michael & All Angels Volunteer Round Table, and the Bob Beavers Family Center Task Force.

OPERATION: LEADERSHIP BOOTCAMP

Samuel Jones, a Staff Sergeant (USAF) stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), started Operation Leadership Bootcamp (LBC) in Tucson, AZ in January 1998. In 1997, serving as a tutor in middle school, SSgt Jones noticed something that troubled him. Many of the kids were there for two very alarming reasons: 1) they had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, and 2) their poor grades were a direct result of low self-esteem and a sense of not feeling that what they were doing in school and in their life was important. This led him to begin Operation LBC.

LBC is an after-school program that operates Monday through Friday, two hours daily. An LBC session lasts for six weeks and concludes with a class graduation attended by civic leaders, school board members, military officials, parents, and schoolmates. Each session enrolls 20-30 children, with five instructors. Instructors are volunteers from Davis-Monthan AFB and the students are enrolled by various means, from volunteering, school referrals, or parent recommendations.

The program gained local accolades after two years of existence, graduating more than 300 trainees, with 30 instructors from the Air Force involved. Currently, in 2001, six schools have LBC as an after-school program.

What makes this program so unique and worthwhile? How is it impacting Tucson? LBC is based on five core values: Respect, Discipline, Social Awareness, Physical Conditioning, and Teamwork. Activities range from visiting retirement communities, clothing drives, and participating in the National Christmas in April Program. It has proved beneficial for all involved with Tucson youth, the real winner.

An in-your-face approach is used to deal with the toughness of the streets that many youth possess. In order to prepare the students to face drugs, gangs, sex, or alcohol, the instructors create pressure-filled situations. They “break the kids down” and build them up with pride and self-esteem. They create an “us (instructors) against them (students)” environment to foster their need for each other and spirit of cooperation. The students become a part of a team and have a sense of belonging. By the end of the program there is a sense of accomplishment. The trainees are sent back into the community with a greater respect for themselves, pride, and a sense of giving that stays with them.

The results of LBC are immediate. The parents and teachers take notice because they are able to see the tangible difference in schoolwork, more respect for adults, and a higher respect for authority. The Operation Leadership Bootcamp identifies a need for youth to learn respect, belonging, and self-esteem and creates an environment to meet those needs.

The program is the only one of its kind in Arizona. Operation LBC operated without any military or school financial support; funding comes from donations of local businesses.

DR. CAROL CHRISTOPHER

Dr. Carol Christopher is founder and executive director of Our House, Inc., an agency and safe house dedicated to providing immediate help to teens in crisis and their families.

Dr. Christopher has helped more than 3,000 teens and built the only youth services agency for non-adjudicated youth in northeastern Louisiana. The program serves runaways who have a variety of problems. Our House does not receive per diem reimbursement. All services are provided without cost to those who cannot pay. All funding comes from donations and grants.

“Adults can be sent to agencies, but usually kids can’t. So, it got to be very problematic for me to answer the phone and not have an answer,” she said. Her inspiration came one Sunday afternoon when she received a phone call from a 12-year-old girl who wanted to run away. The girl was 30 miles from Monroe. “There wasn’t a thing I could tell her and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back, “ said Dr. Christopher.

Our House, Inc., hung their first sign in 1990. The signs are publicized at schools and the children can go there and ask for help, at which point a volunteer would talk with them and just discuss the options. If needed, the children can find shelter at the agency. The profile of a typical runaway who seeks shelter at Our House is a child that has been thrown out of the house and doesn’t have any place to go.

Dr. Christopher retired from her position as a professor of music at Northeast Louisiana University to fully devote her efforts to Our House. She works a minimum of 60 hours per week.

Dr. Christopher’s volunteer efforts have awarded her with national recognition as the Safe Place Volunteer of the Year, the Bacos Salutes America’s Volunteers Award, and the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

THOMAS DUFFY

“With every decision Thomas Duffy makes, he tries to find the quickest and most forceful way to grab people’s attention and direct it toward his cause.” This is how a recent article described Thomas Duffy’s latest effort to raise funds and awareness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Families of SMA.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is the leading genetic killer of children under the age of two. It is a degenerative neuromuscular disease that causes the loss of all voluntary movement in its victims. It is one of the most prevalent disorders, yet one of the least known.

Thomas Duffy learned about SMA when his daughter, Morgan, was diagnosed. He turned to Families of SMA for information and support. He quickly became one of the organization’s strongest supporters, fundraisers and advocates.

Duffy took his commitment to new “heights” this year. On March 28, he climbed atop a billboard in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and sat there for 24 hours. He raised nearly $25,000 and conducted countless interviews, helping to education the public about SMA.

Based on the success of this innovative fundraiser, Duffy convinced Audrey Lewis, executive director of Families of SMA, to join him in an even more ambitious challenge. He and Lewis climbed up under the JVC Globe in Times Square and sat outside, in blowing wind and sleet, for 36 hours. Those 36 hours represent 10 seconds for every child that dies from SMA each year. They were joined by dozens of volunteers on the ground that passed out materials and collected donations. That effort raised more than $40,000.

With these successes most people might quit, but Duffy forges ahead. He has developed a packet for other individuals interested in a billboard fundraiser and has enlisted car dealerships around the country to help support the research and services provided by Families of SMA.

SMA is an orphan disease; it does not receive the attention or funding of other well-known diseases, yet one in every 6,000 live births is affected. One in 40 people carries this disease, yet until it is diagnosed in their family, most individuals are unaware of their status as carriers. Thomas Duffy has helped to inform thousands of people about SMA, helped to connect families living with the disease to Families of SMA – the only group that provides patient and family support, equipment loans, educational seminars and research dollars, and helped to raise critical dollars in the search for a treatment and possible cure.

HEDY MARTIN

In October of 1989, Hedy Martin came to Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County (LVMC) in Phoenix, Arizona to help adults learn to read. Since then she has volunteered more than 3,000 hours as a one-to-one tutor, English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher, and office assistant and has been with LVMC longer than almost any other volunteer in the organization. In essence, Martin represents the mission of Literacy Volunteers and embodies the true spirit of volunteerism, which has given many a chance for a brighter future.

Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching adults how to read, write, speak English and prepare for the GED. Each year, more than 1,800 adults come to LVMC who are disenfranchised from society because of their lack of reading skills. Martin initially started with LVMC as a Basic Reading Tutor to help these adults. She tutored 2-3 hours per week, teaching them to read, write and speak English. She then went on to help in the Matching Office, assisting students with their initial appointments, interviewing and testing the students, placing them with a one-to-one tutor and following up to verify the success of the student-tutor-match. She became the Instructional Coordinator for a Tutor Support Group, helping other tutors and servings as a link between the volunteers and the staff of the agency.

In 1997, Martin recognized the need for an English as a Second Language (ESOL) class at the main office, because of the increasing influx of immigrants who could not speak or read English. Martin started LVMC’s first large group ESOL class and has maintained it ever since. Her class has been the prototype for other ESOL classes around the metropolitan area and she has helped students from more than 25 different countries increase their English comprehension, obtain better jobs, and improve their overall economic and social condition.

Martin continues to be a tutor, ESOL teacher, Instructional Coordinator, office assistant and an agent of hope. On average, she devotes at least 15 hours per week to LVMC. Not only has she dedicated almost 12 years of service with LVMC, but she has also helped in almost every facet of the organization with a vitality and zest that cannot be measured. The work that Martin does, not only affects her students, but also, affects generations to come by helping to break the cycle of illiteracy in America.