ARTHUR FINOCCHARIO

Compeer, Inc. is a nonprofit agency that recruits, screens and trains community volunteers to be matched in supportive, friendship-based relationships with adults and youth who are coping with mental illness or emotional disorders.

Arthur Finocchario came to Compeer in September 1998. Another Compeer volunteer who spoke of his experiences as a youth mentor at a luncheon fundraiser inspired him. He was matched with 10-year-old Clayton. Clayton was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Depression. He lived with his mother and was having behavioral trouble in school with his teachers and his peers.

Finocchario approached his match with an open mind. He is patient, calm and most importantly, consistent. He meets with Clayton every Tuesday evening for about three hours. They go out for dinner, a movie or miniature golf. They spend a lot of time just talking.

It wasn’t long before Clayton began to open up and share some of his feelings with Finocchario. He listened, respectfully, and gave advice when he thought it was requested. In one instance, Clayton won the “Citizen of the Week” award at school. Clayton and Finocchario had a special celebration. Although there have been many ups and down since with Clayton, Finocchario is always there for him.

After realizing the tremendous need that Compeer has for volunteers, Finocchario encouraged family, friends and business acquaintances to volunteer. He agreed to be the speaker at that same luncheon and tell his and Clayton’s story stressing how much he had gained from the relationship. He also came up with a new strategy for how to recruit volunteers from that luncheon. Last fall, he co-chaired another luncheon in which nearly 1,000 area business people attended, breaking previous fundraising efforts.

Finocchario is now a very active member of Compeer’s Board of Directors and has recruited community members for various board committees. He is also a board member for the local Ronald McDonald House and is taking a major role in their building renovations. He manages to volunteer in all of these capacities while maintaining his job as vice president and partner in a large wholesale building supply company, which also sponsors gold tournaments for other youth charities. He is also a family man, married with three children. His wife and daughter have followed his lead and are also Compeer volunteers.

ERIC WOLFE

Eric Wolfe helps others on the local, state and national levels through service as a member in the 4-H program. Specifically, he has been on the Indiana 4-H Foundation Board of Directors for two years as the Junior Leader Representative. While on the board, Eric has served on the Allocations, 4-H License Plate, and Indiana Congress Committees. The Allocations Committee decides what state 4-H programs are to be funded. The 4-H License Plate Committee promotes the sale of the new 4-H license plate to help fund programs that will teach youth vital life skills. The Indiana Congress Committee plans and organizes the annual Indiana 4-H Congress scholarship presentation, Junior Leader programs, and banquet to recognize outstanding youth accomplishments. He has also been a member of the Foundation’s Speaker’s Bureau, which is a small group of people who tour the state, speaking for the 4-H program and the Indiana 4-H Foundation.

Along with being a 4-H advocate, Eric has been the Master of Ceremonies for the Indiana 4-H Round Up, Area Five Share the Fun Contest, and the 1998 and 1999 Indiana 4-H Congresses. He has served on the State Junior Leader Council, which develops a leadership conference for all Junior Leaders in the state to attend. The conference is one week annually, and it demonstrates to young people how they can improve their community through service. He has taken an active role in this by actually teaching classes at the conference. He has also been an Indiana delegate to the National 4-H Congress, which builds leadership skills and does networking with the best 4-Hers in the United States and Puerto Rico. Along with these many prestigious titles and service works, he has been a delegate to many state 4-H events, representing all of the youth in his community.

Eric has given thousands of hours of volunteer service to the 4-H program and his local community throughout his 4-H career and involvement in other service groups. He improves the lives of all the young men and women who come through anyone of the state events that he has helped to make possible. These programs that he is involved in teach leadership, citizenship, and so many other life skills to youth that may not otherwise have the chance to learn these life-long assets.

Eric acts as a youth advocate setting an example of leadership for every other young person that he comes in contact with. He gives American youth an alternative to the many negative situations that they may become involved in. The governor has recognized him for outstanding 4-H leadership. The 4-H programs that Eric is involved with provide ways for hundreds of people to come together to achieve the common goal of service to their country. Most of the programs are also annual programs that have been going strong and will continue to do so. He has given so much time to these fantastic programs that promote youth learning life skills and participating in service. He has also taken his service to another level by becoming an AmeriCorps member.

Wolfe has served on the national level as the Administrative Coordinator for the National 4-H Youth Directions council, where he coordinated youth and adult partnerships within the national 4-H system and championed the youth voice on the national, state and local levels of the program. he served as the emcee during the National Power of Youth Ceremony at the National Conversation on Youth Development held in Washington DC this past February. Eric has served on such national groups as the National 4-H Strategic Directions Team, National 4-H Leadership Trust and Centennial Initiatives Coordinating Committee.

Eric Wolfe has also finished an entire year as an AmeriCorps member in Clay County, Indianna as the Cooridnator of the Youth As Resources program, where he established a board of directors and managed the program that issues grants to groups of youth to conduct community service projects that address community needs. The Youth As Resources program that Eric reorganized is still in existence at the YMCA of Clay County in Brazil, Indianna.

LYNDA HALES

Lynda Hales is aware of her community’s serious social problems – the problems that face children and youth. She has been involved with many service activities that address these problems. Hales represents Kids Cause, and organization supported by educators in the Alpine, Provo and Nebo School Districts. Hales’ work through Kids Cause enables many children with literacy difficulties to receive clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, food, vision care, dental care, and medical care. These basic needs are being addressed so students will have more success in school.

Hale brings her commitment to both the South Utah county Medical Coalition and the North Utah County Medical Coalition. Her knowledge and resources assist in finding ways to improve health care access for low income or uninsured families. She has selflessly given her time to the Nebo School District Summer Migrant Program. This program is a service offered to children of migrant farm workers who are at-risk students due to the fact that they are highly mobile.

Hales has also spent many hours with United Way, Kmart’s Shop-With-a-Cop, migrant students, Utah County Community Connect, Sub for Santa, Taylor Elementary School, public health fairs, and Kids Cause pilot programs. She had been a valuable asset writing grants for Kids Cause.

In addition, Hales serves as a volunteer Board Member for the Nebo Foundation for Excellence. There she works to fill the needs of education for Nebo District students. She also serves as secretary of that organization. Her service with the Foundation, the medical coalitions, migrant students, and Kids Cause each compliment the other. Lynda Hales believes in children.

BILL AND MARY LOUISE KINGSBERY

Women’s Protective Services (WPS) has grown from a three-bedroom home to a 27-bed, 11,000 square foot shelter to their current facility with 204 beds and 45,000 square feet. Mary Louise and Bill Kingsbery have been dedicated to WPS since the late 1970’s. The agency’s mission is to reduce and prevent incidents of family violence by providing a safe haven that promotes an atmosphere of empowerment for women, children and families. They accomplish this mission by providing a shelter, community prevention and training, rehabilitation for violent family members, transitional services and intensive counseling. Their goal is to enable women to become and remain self-sufficient.

The Kingsbery have volunteered and assisted financially since the organization’s inception. Initially, only Mrs. Kingsbery was serving, but her enthusiasm inspired her husband to come and support the mission of WPS also. Both now work to save lives of women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. Because of their financial support and dedication, the new WPS facility has been named Kingsbery Haven.

The Kingsbery have been instrumental in helping to provide most basic needs for the women and children clients, love and security. The Kingsbery also were instrumental in helping WPS to develop their capital campaign list, which allowed WPS to raise the money to build the new center. WPS received a grant funding a portion of the annual salary for a Children’s advocate based on getting a match for that grant, the Kingsbery’s paid for the matching portion. In addition, they decided that the children at the center needed a fish tank in their playroom, so they purchased the tank, the fish and they paid for a maintenance contract.

In addition to working with the clients at the center, the Kingsbery are committed to the staff members. They provide encouragement, support and guidance to them, and even sent the past Executive Director to a spa for a week to improve her personal health. The Kingsbery have also taken a personal interest in the Coordinator of the Children’s Service to empower her to build her skills and expand her knowledge so she can become a leader in advocating for children survivors of domestic violence. She has since been invited to speak at Texas Council on Family Violence Conferences.

WPS is not the only organization served by the Kingsbery. They also volunteer their time with the south Plains Food Bank, Breedlove Dehydration Plant and Second Baptist Church. The Kingsbery’s donated 27 acres of land to the South Plans Food Bank for construction of a dehydration plant. Their gift is now home to 2,500 apple trees that have provided more than 100,000 pounds of fresh nutritious fruit for the hungry. As a result of their generosity, Breedlove is able to provide food banks and international hunger relief organizations with dehydrated vegetables and soup blends to feed the world’s hungry. Breedlove products are included in food boxes distributed by the Food Bank throughout the South Plains as well as food aid for disaster victims throughout the world.

UNITY HEALTH HOSPICE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

In her present position as Associate State Coordinator for Community Operations (ASCCO) for West Los Angeles County, Nita Jones has consistently demonstrated the skills, sensitivity, creativity and insight AARP California seeks in its community leaders.

Jones worked for many years in the private sector as an accountant. She spent 10 years with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) employed as an Administrative Assistant and Director. Since retiring in 1992, Jones has become a full time volunteer. Her energies are divided between Vermont Square United Methodist Church where she has been an active member for more than 20 years and AARP where she has been past president and Membership Chairperson of the Carson Chapter #3320. In addition to her current assignment as ASSCO for AARP, Jones along with her husband, Henderson, is involved with the California Congress of Seniors and the Retired Teamsters Association.

In her leadership role, Jones helps organize and recruit AARP volunteers for major events such as the Martin King Luther Day Parade, Fiesta Broadway, Tournament of Roses Float Viewing, and Modern Maturity Mall shows, to name a few. She continuously manages numerous community activities. Her resourcefulness resulted in successful partnerships with the Children’s Defense Fund and L.A. County for Public Benefits Outreach projects in East Los Angeles and with the National Association of Black Nurses during their national convention & health fair in South Central Los Angeles. She mobilizes large groups of volunteers who repeatedly provide the services and deliver the information needed to improve the quality of life for persons 50+, their families and caretakers. Examples include the L.A. Mayor’s Forum where volunteers from various AARP entities, such as 55 Alive, Tax Aide, and Chapters, including non-English speaking individuals dressed in their traditional cultural garbs, worked side by side and sent a message of integration, inclusion and acceptance.

During the past year, Jones interacted with 1) grassroots, political and religious leaders in the community, 2) city, county and state government officials, 3) local neighborhood groups, 4) service organizations and social change agencies. She has built a network of persons and groups that work in concert to make a difference for persons who live in the multi-cultured communities of her West Los Angeles County discipline. Her high work standards, strong people skills and sense of fairness are reasons she is well respected by volunteers, community partners and the staffs with whom she frequently participates.

Jones is a trusted and respected community volunteer because she is a good listener and keeps her promises. Her personal and timely communication helps volunteers, particularly multi-cultured groups of African Americans, Latinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and other ethnicities that make up the diverse communities of West Los Angeles County focus on a common vision, eagerly participate and have fun together. Bottom line, individuals in the community benefit because of Nita’s caring and accomplished leadership.

STEVE CURTIS

Steve Curtis is a fixture in Layton, Utah. He looks for opportunities to make Layton greater daily. In addition to the many hours he typically gives in service to the community, last year he went the extra mile in his efforts towards creating a Veterans Memorial Park. Curtis has served as a member of the Layton Community Action Council (LCAC) for 3 1/2 years as city council representative. He has been the liaison with the city council and the mayor's office. He has also been very helpful in providing information and connections with the city and the police department when help was needed for the neighborhood watch program, the youth court program, and the literacy program. He was also instrumental in the special service project we had last year providing rescue bags for foster children to be carried in he police cars.

Over and above his normal responsibilities of home, family, work and church service Curtis added becoming a member of the Layton City Council. Along with his many responsibilities involved with that elected position he also has been involved at E.G. King Elementary School for the past six years as "Merlin the Magician" who comes to the school to promote reading.

Curtis has been very supportive of the Youth Court program by being at the city offices every Wednesday night during their sessions to be available for any problems or special needs. He also filled in as a city council representative with the Youth Council Program when another assigned member failed to be involved.

In addition to the above, Curtis began an enormous undertaking in November of 1999 when a veteran approached him and asked him why there wasn't a special place or tribute for Veterans in Layton City. He took it as a personal quest to see that there was something more than a small neglected park with five trees in Layton City to honor Veterans. With the support of the LCAC, Layton City and Wal-Mart, he began this project by sponsoring a contest among the drafting classes of Layton High and Northridge High School to design a statue or monument honoring our Veterans. Following the competition many students commented on how much they had learned about their country, and its armed services, during this project.

After a winning design was chosen, then came the huge task of raising $20,000 to have the monument built and erected. Curtis spearheaded the fund raising events. Many businesses and organizations were contacted for donations. Money was collected at various city events and through a donation program that was mailed out with the city utility bills. He then worked though the Parks Department to have the Veterans Park improved and a special base prepared for the monument. Curtis also sponsored an essay contest for all the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at the nine local elementary schools. The essay was to be on patriotism with the winners receiving cash prize and the opportunity to read their essays at a special ceremony at the park. Curtis planned the unveiling of the monument, which included city officials, Hill Air Force Base officials, and many veterans. The highlight of the event was the beautiful essays read by the winning students.

JOHNATHAN PAOLETTI

Jonathan Paoletti has organized community projects since he was in grade school, long before it became a recognizable event. All fall he would collect blankets, shoes, and coats and then deliver them on Christmas Eve to the homeless, along with food. He then started to become involved in other’s service events. As he continued to mature, Jonathan became concerned with the plight of Veterans. He saw that they fought for our freedom, but they were being forgotten and unappreciated.

Jonathan began writing letters of remembrance. He started locally initially, but it has become a national campaign. Jonathan presented letters to posts in his community, local and major papers, state and government officials and the National Veteran’s Headquarters. He reads his speeches and letters at Memorial Day events to honor the men and women and let them know they have not been forgotten. Moreover, Jonathan has provided the VA hospital residents with personal visits and items that they need. His task has taken many hours of letter writing, meeting with people and businesses in the community and soliciting companies to help with donations. This program has provided many veterans with personal hygiene items and other things we look at as necessities.

Jonathan has also organized and completed the restoration of a Veteran’s Memorial. He cleaned the bricks, base, and plaque and eagle figure above it. He also repaired the cracks in the base, repainted the Memorial and replaced the flags and flowers surrounding it. Jonathan took the time to receive donations for the supplies and help he needed to conclude this task.

Jonathan created a library of new books, videos and audio books for St. Christopher’s Hospital for children in 1999 and added additional books the following year. This involved many hours of meetings, collections, stamping, and cataloging and the help of others. He received books from local and national government officials, a diversity of cultural organizations, sports teams as well as fellow scouters, students, family, community and friends. He made it, as a real library would be, so the children confined to the hospital could experience the fun of “going” to the library. He used initiative by having books donated in honor or remembrance of people, this helped donations considerably. This was above and over the requirements he needed for making Eagle Scout, simply having collected some books and donating them would have been sufficient, but he wanted to do more knowing it would make a difference to the children. Jonathan did not just want to provide then with books, but with an experience many of us take for granted.

His projects have not stopped there. He has been helping a local shelter for women and children with school supplies, backpacks, and what he calls “hugs”- stuffed animals. He is currently gathering winter items for them and is continuing to look for additional opportunities to serve.

ALLEN BACA

Allen Baca was born in Orange Grove, Texas. He is a World War II Veteran, married in 1945, lived in Corpus Christi, Texas and had three daughters and two sons. He worked as a cabinet wood worker about 10 years. During that same time, he also published a newspaper for the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi and went back to school and received a degree in Criminology and Corrections. He then worked with the Probation Departments of Corpus Christi, Karnes City, Houston, and Austin.

After working with the Probation Department, Baca realized that one of the reasons people had so much trouble with the law was their literacy problems. He realized this and while working as a District Supervisor, he worked with probationers encouraging them to earn the GED. Baca volunteered weekends for 16 years with the Bell County Jail’s GED Program.

From 1980 to 1993, Baca also worked with the Department of Aging. The Public Information Director said that Baca wanted to serve his fellow man, and he was always looking for ways to do a job better. One enhancement that was suggested by Baca was using a bar code as opposed to a lot of paper for tracking. That was thought to be unworkable in the 1980’s, but it did.

Baca started a GED Program for seniors, which in turn birthed a senior literacy program. With grants from private foundations, nearly 100 senior centers had programs. This provided the people with the means for a better job or to gain their citizenship after living in the United States for years. As a result of this literacy program, several senior centers around the state participated in the first Senior Spelling Bee.

While he worked with the Department of Community Affairs, he was appointed to find ways to expand the resources of senior programs. He developed a manual “Project Bootstrap” which provided information on setting up fundraising activities and foundations. He is aware that foundations offer people an incentive to give because they can see what their money is doing.

Moreover, Baca was responsible for starting Grandparent’s Day in Texas. He convinced former Governor Mark White to declare a special day to honor the mature residents who had helped to make Texas what it is today. He also helped begin “Project Daffodil.” This program attracts sightseers in Texas to the Round Rock area during the spring when the flowers are in bloom.

Though Allen Baca is retired, he is still volunteering his time. Currently he is working with House Bill 514 that will allow the Tiguas and two other tribes to have gaming operations on existing reservations. He is still living by his motto,” all it really takes is a little imagination and a lot of determination.”

STEVEN BURDA

The Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) is a nonprofit grassroots organization whose aim is to identify and feed needy Jewish families throughout the Philadelphia area. Steven Burda has been volunteering for JRA since its inception. He was surprised to find out there are approximately 57,000 Jews in greater Philadelphia area who live in poor and low-income households. However, Burda works to make all of their lives better.

Some of the families served by the JRA receive support from established Jewish agencies, but many do not. Most of the hungry and needy are recent immigrants from Russia whose language barrier and lack of familiarity with the established agency structures have left them outside of the existing net of Jewish aid. Others have been in the area for a while, but have fallen through the cracks.

JRA was able to identify 20 families in need for their first distribution in September of 2000. After their first distribution, the word spread about JRA and their clients grew to 48 for the month of October. By November, the number of families had increased to 92; and in four months they had received more than 1,500 calls requesting their service. From September to January, JRA had compiled one of the largest databases of Jewish persons requesting food assistance in the greater Philadelphia region.

JRA’s aggressive approach includes a monthly door-to-door distribution of food that includes rice, pasta, potatoes, canned vegetables, tuna and other products. Their delivery strategy has proven particularly helpful to those who are restricted in their homes or have limited means of transportation. Most importantly, JRA could not reach their goals or be such a viable resource to those in need without the efforts of their 119 volunteers.

Burda has been a consistent part of the work of JRA. He balances his work and study schedule to find time to work at the monthly distributions. He also has translated the JRA flyers from English to Russian and takes the time to communicate and translate for the JRA clients who speak very little English. Not only has Burda been a constant servant to JRA, but he has also taken the time to recruit his peers. Because of his encouragement, there have been numerous additions to the monthly distribution volunteer staff, and the actual volunteer base for JRA has grown. Burda receives no stipend or salary for his work. He believes it is his duty to give back and help where help is needed.

PROJECT HOPE FOR THE HOMELESS

Project Hope for the Homeless, sponsored by The Ecumenical Shelter Network of Lake County, is an effort on the part of churches in Lake County to serve men, women, and children who find themselves homeless. Temporary emergency shelter is provided from November through April from 8.00 p.m. until 8.00 a.m.

The mission statement of Project Hope reads: "To serve the human hurts and hopes of persons in Lake County who are homeless by providing emergency shelter, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ." The shelter is the only emergency overnight shelter for homeless persons in Lake County. Project Hope is more than a temporary emergency shelter, however.

Through its eight-year history it has evolved into providing several important services to the shelter guests, including individualized goal-setting programs. Mental health groups offer counseling to guests who are dealing with mental health issues. Other services such as substance abuse prevention, survival skills workshops, Bible study, assistance with job interviews and transportation to work are offered. Shelter guests are helped to find housing once they are "back on their feet."

The backbone of Project Hope is its volunteers. From spending overnights at the shelter to providing food and other services, the shelter could not exist without its volunteers. Several of our former guests return as volunteers because they realize the support they received at the shelter from the volunteers turned their lives around for the better.

The shelter is an effort on the part of the entire community working together to make a difference in the lives of others. Groups of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds have devoted time, effort, and money to provide the necessary funding to keep the shelter open. Local businesses offer food vouchers, public transportation and laundry services. The shelter brings together all members of the community in an effort to help those men, women, and children less fortunate than themselves.