KEITH WALLS

Keith Walls exemplifies the victory of the human spirit and has dedicated his own life to the benefit of others. Walls is best described as a “Christian Patriot,” as evidenced by his lifelong commitment to children and veterans. Because of a lonely and challenging upbringing in foster care, Walls filled the void of having no family life by serving others even less fortunate than himself- children, in particular. He has been able to rise far above a childhood of abandonment and abuse as well as ongoing battle with posttraumatic stress disorder to distinguish himself as a stellar citizen with an enormous heart.

Throughout his youth, Walls was active with charitable organizations and volunteered extensively with West Virginia MDA. But it was through joining the US Marine Corps that Walls finally found his home and a “family,” as well as a way to fulfill his unwavering need to serve God, Country and his fellow man. After a distinguished military career, Walls became increasingly concerned with assisting and serving veterans and became involved with the Marine Corps League.

As Commandant of the DHL Detachment #981 from 1999-2001, Walls has been able to combine his commitment to children and to veterans, utilizing the position to encourage others to do the same. He has coordinated and led funding drives for Genesis Youth Center for troubled children, holiday toy collections, educational projects and others, and has developed and implemented scholarship and recognition programs for youth, directly impacting the lives of countless young West Virginians.

Walls was instrumental in the establishment of an in-patient post-traumatic stress disorder treatment program at the VA Medical Center in Clarksburg and works diligently to raise funds for other efforts that benefit area veterans. Through his leadership, the League assisted with the purchase and display of American flags in downtown Clarksburg, and the group frequently Participates in Patriotic activities and flag education programs in local schools. Above the monetary support, Walls recruits volunteers to provide manpower services.

On a more personal level, he has also worked with Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross and remains active with his Church and their humanitarian efforts. He is also well known among his friends and family for his enthusiasm and willingness to help anyone with anything at any time, expecting nothing in return. He is a dedicated husband and father of two.

He routinely spends at least 30 hours a week on various volunteer activities, raising and disbursing thousands of dollars each year. Walls is a master at building community support for various charities by maintaining high visibility and personal networking. He is a familiar face around the Clarksburg area incessantly “pitching in,” and recognizing others for their community service work. He has been named a Distinguished West Virginian and was a finalist in the “Citizen of the Year” program of the Clarksburg Exponent- Telegram, in addition to numerous other acknowledgments from charitable organizations.

CARLOS SOUSA JR.

Carlos Sousa, Jr. has become one of the Milford Exploring Law Enforcement Post’s adult leaders after spending nearly five years involved in the project. He has taken a proactive position to improve the life of young people not only in his post, but also in the entire community. Because of his service to his own community, Sousa was featured in an article in the Community Links, a community-policing magazine published in Washington, DC.

During the last few years, Sousa has volunteered hundreds of hours to community service and improving the lives of others. He assists in the planning and coordinating of the KidCare Project. The Polaroid Corporation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children developed this project, which provides parents of small children with a recent photograph and a set of fingerprints of their child so that in the event the child is missing, the parents will have this to provide to law enforcement. The Milford Post has fingerprinted thousands of young children in the Milford area since starting this project. For its efforts with this project, Post 29 received the International Crime Prevention Practitioners’ 1998 Community Crime Prevention Award.

In May 1999, Sousa began to supervise the programming at Milford Youth Center (MYC). He has been a mentor and positive role model to many young people between the ages of 10-17 who attend the MYC. Because of the dedication and service of Leaders like Sousa, the MYC has truly made an impact on the lives of young people. One amazing statistic that can be attributed to his leadership at the center is the decline in the number of juvenile arrests in Milford. In 1996 there were 83,1997-76,1998-44 and in 1999-28. This marks nearly a 60% decline in juvenile arrests.

Sousa was promoted to the position of Educational Program Coordinator at the center. He has worked tirelessly to implement programs at the MYC, including the Computer Literacy Project, which required hours of correspondence with a local Internet Provider to get the access for the center, free of charge. Many who use the center are young people who may not otherwise have access to a computer. The Computer Literacy project works to help young people build skills that will help them compete in today’s technologically based society. Another notable project undertaken by Carlos was the GunLock Safety Project. He worked with the Police Department to obtain funds from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to institute a GunLock Safety Project. The project gives trigger locks to gun owners who may have children in the homes, free of charge.

Sousa has also volunteered with the Violence Intervention Project of Southern Worcester County (VIP), an 11-town consortium of agencies and organizations that works to assist domestic violence victims. The group produces a tri fold business card, which contain emergency numbers and resources for victims of domestic violence. Sousa translated the card in Portuguese, allowing the VIP to offer these resources to victims in the community who may not speak English.

“Carlos is a valuable asset to the commnunity. He has worked tirelessly serving others and helping those less fortunate. His ability to speak three languages has been a great addition to the department,” stated Officer John D. Tiernan, Sr.

VAQUEROS DEL OIDO

As a board-certified audioprosthologist, Blaine Smith understands the challenges facing individuals with hearing-impairments. It was still painful for him to learn, however, that many children in Mexico and Central America who suffer from hearing loss go untreated because their families cannot afford rehabilitation services. Plagued with diseases such as rubella and scarlet fever, youngsters living in poverty go to the hospital only when their problems are life threatening. At that critical point, the children receive high doses of antibiotics that in many cases destroy hair cells, damage the middle ear, and cause hearing loss.

When Smith first learned about special education students who needed hearing aids at a school in Saltillo, Mexico, he set out to bring his services to the children free of charge. On that first trip in 1988, Smith used all of the 50 hearing aids he took with him, and wished he had brought more, because the number of children in need was larger than he had anticipated. Through subsequent visits to the region, Smith learned that hearing loss among children in Mexico and Central and South America is widespread, and, in some areas, reaches epidemic proportions.

In his research, Smith found studies that showed 60% of children in elementary schools living in border towns of Mexico failed a hearing test. This number, however, does not include the children who live in smaller towns or villages where they have no access to education, and therefore are never tested. Smith estimates the problem may be even more prevalent than research indicates. After that first trip to Saltillo, Smith formed “Vaqueros del Oido” (“The Hearing Cowboys”), a group of audiologists and other professionals volunteers committed to bringing hearing aids and hearing health care to indigent populations.

Over the last 13 years, Smith and his volunteers have cared for more than 2,000 children and adults during their journeys to Mexico and Central and South America. On average, the group makes two trips per year, bringing hearing aids to as many as 200 children per visit. All the services are provided free of charge-the group does not receive any compensation for their work. But they do rely on the generosity of their own patients in the United States, who donate their old hearing aids. Charitable and civic organizations have helped out by paying for airline tickets and donating hearing aids.

Smith hopes he will someday have the means to expand the project and is already planning a trip to Chile. The contribution Smith has made in children’s lives crosses borders of the United States, Mexico and countries in Central and South American. In San Antonio, Smith founded Advanced Hearing & Communications, Inc., a service-oriented practice he has run for 15 years. On many occasions, Smith also donates reconditioned hearing aids to indigent patients. For the past six years, Smith has also served on the Board of Directors of Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children in San Antonio. At the school, he is well known for sponsoring an annual “Cowboy Breakfast” for the l00 deaf children enrolled at the school.

EAGLE VOLUNTEER F.D.

Eagle, Colorado is the county seat of Eagle County. This small rural town has a population of approximately 3,000 and is located in the Eagle River Valley. In the fall of 1998, Eagle County Health & Human Services entered into a partnership with the Eagle Volunteer Fire Department, the effects of which would make a major impact on services to and livelihood of seniors in the community of Eagle. It is one of eleven communities, which lie along the I- 70 Corridor, a principal highway that connects eastern with western United States. The region is most noted for famous ski resorts located in Vail and Beaver Creek.

The ski resort industry employs a significant number of Eagle County’s workers directly and indirectly and contributes a significant percentage to the county’ s economy. While only two communities offer ski opportunities the industry has a tremendous impact on the cost of living index throughout the entire valley. Over the last 10 years, cost of living, housing, and health- and home-related services have increased so greatly that many seniors must struggle to retain their independent living status. In particular, services to remove snow provide minimal yard care or home upkeep, and appliance repair are no longer affordable to most seniors on limited incomes.

The goa1 of Health & Human Services’ volunteer program, Homemaker & Chore Services, is to respond primarily to needs of low-income seniors and disabled adults. In 1998 many clients seeking yard clean up and home winterization had approached the program. At that time, the program lacked the volunteer capability to fulfill those requests. Program supervisor, Nettie Reynolds, was aware of the Eagle Volunteer Fire Department’s regular use of Work Release Program trustees to complete various community service projects. Ms. Reynolds approached the fire chief with a proposal to join forces with the county to solve this community need.

Chief Jon Asper and his staff were immediately excited about the offer. The department had endeavored in the past to offer their services to seniors in the community but did not have the resources to identify those needing the services. Ms. Reynolds was that missing link, and the partnership has blossomed into one that is admired by other communities in the Eagle River Valley.

Seniors and disabled alike are so grateful for walkways shoveled and de-iced, autumn leaves raked, windows covered against the winter cold and uncovered to let in the spring warmth, and on and on. These little things bring peace of mind to people who would otherwise have to figure out how to get them done on their limited incomes. Since October 1998, 112 volunteers have contributed $1,018 worth of service. The plan is to continue offering services to seniors and disabled persons. The department is a model nonprofit organization that has captured the respect and admiration of the entire Eagle County community.

JAMES RHODES

James Rhodes answered the call of his country to serve in combat in the Vietnam War. While serving with the 6th Special Operations Squadron Search and Rescue, he truly took to heart the meaning of duty, honor and justice, which served as motivating factors for Rhodes in serving his community.

Rhodes has been a part of the Camp Hill, Alabama community for approximately six years, and during that time he has been a catalyst for change. This small community of less than 1,500 people has accomplished extraordinary gains as a result of Rhodes. Camp Hill had the highest unemployment rate in the county, highest secondary dropout rate, lowest school test scores, highest rate of teen pregnancies, highest percentage of people on social services and they had no youth services.

When Rhodes and his family arrived in the area, the school system was ranked one of the worst in the state. That was a major concern to him so he began to take action. Rhodes began by establishing an after school and off-site tutoring program to give additional needed help. He founded a youth sports program with a “flagship” of American Legion baseball. He established a working relationship with the farm club of the Cleveland Indians, and professional baseball has hosted numerous seminars and clinics to upgrade the skills of the disadvantaged Camp Hill teens.

Rhodes also worked with the Children’s Trust Fund of the State of Alabama and established the country’s first programs for at risk students. They deal with potential dropouts, anger management, teen pregnancy and alcohol and drug abuse. Now the Camp Hill School System is no longer on the state probationary list, and several students who went through Rhode’s baseball program are in college on baseball scholarships. In addition, Rhodes assists in running local Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous programs.

Rhodes also takes the time to assist local veterans. He works with them one-on-one and on a case-by-case basis. Rhodes helps the veterans with requests to obtain medical and mental coverage that they are afforded by law but have not been awarded. Though many of the veterans face “red tape,” Rhodes takes the time to make sure they are aware of their rights and he fights to help them get what they fought for and are entitled.

Rhodes has produced change in Camp Hill, and sadly sometimes doing what is correct and needed has negative consequences. Initially, many opposed Rhode’s integrated baseball team. His family suffered vandalism to their property and vehicles and even death threats. However, Rhodes continued to make a positive change in his community. He taught residents about their rights and laws, and for the first time in Camp Hill history, community members signed state petitions against their own public officials because of corruption, misappropriation of funds and theft. Rhodes continues his campaign for justice and has generated statewide support. He has been featured on “20/20” for his tireless efforts, and he tells everyone his service has been a family effort.

DAWN MONTANER

In January of 1998, Dawn Montaner and her husband, Victor, discovered their youngest daughter had two eating disorders. The ravages of disease devastated them; however, they were more disturbed by the lack of information, resources and treatment. The Montaners looked for treatment facilities for their daughter and discovered she would have to go out of state for quality care. In addition, they would have to pay between $1300 and $1500 daily for treatment and this was a cost not covered by their insurance. The Montaners were on a mission to save their daughter’s life, and they did just that. However, Dawn Montaner decided she had to make a difference and make that road a little easier to navigate for the next family.

Montaner fought for basic coverage, and they were able to secure treatment for their daughter at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. She threw herself into a campaign for education, awareness, and prevention of eating disorders. Her time and energies resulted in Lifelines Foundation for Eating Disorders, an institution that is recognized not only in Texas but also across the entire county. It is one of the largest grass-roots eating disorder organizations in the United States.

Montaner has a full time job, but she uses her vacation days to travel all over and share the message of prevention to school districts and students. Last year alone, she traveled to Washington, DC to be a part of the Eating Disorder Coalition for Eating Disorders where she met with Hilary Clinton and representatives from her home state of Texas.

Because of her dedication and commitment, Eckerd’s Drug Store’s National Division selected Montaner as one of the Top 100 Women Volunteers in American. She has received two proclamations from now President George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas, one from Governor Rick Perry, two from the Texas House of Representatives, two from the Texas Board of Health, one from the Texas Senate, and many letters of support and endorsement from Senators and Congressmen from all states.

Montaner has made presentations for the American Cancer Society, The Texas State PTA, 6 of 20 Educational Service Regions in Texas, Texas Board of Health, the Texas State Board of Education, and many school districts. She has been an advocate for the cause and has lobbied for the revision of the Texas Mental Health and Parity Act along with the commitment of the Texas legislation in mandating insurance coverage of eating disorders as a severe mental illness.

GAYLE CRABTREE

Gayle Crabtree founded HopeforHealing.org . In 1995 she was raped while working for a national motel chain. In the town where this traumatic incident occurred, there was no rape crisis center for her to turn to. To help make it through this ordeal, she turned to her family and searched the Internet. She had to battle with the motel and worker’s compensation, and it was a long fight that caused her to have to relieve her ordeal over and over again. Finally, she was able to resolve a portion of the incident so she could close a chapter. However, the offender has not been captured or brought to trial. Now, Crabtree is deeply involved in innovative work with the survivors of rape and sexual assault using the medium of the Internet.

Crabtree has taken a personal tragedy, a violent workplace rape, and turned it into the basis for a Web site where rape survivors can get help and encouragement from someone who has been in their shoes. Her site, HopeforHealing.org, is one of the largest on the Internet and often the first stop for a person seeking help. She has offered words of encouragement, healing and hope, and has made a life and death difference by helping those who were suicidal over the pain of dealing with rape.

When she first put up the site in 1996 it was one of the first of its kind on the Internet – it continues to be one of the largest and most comprehensive. Through her site, Crabtree reaches over a quarter of a million people each year and emails literally thousands. She does this without pay, just to help others. There are a huge number of women and men dealing with the aftereffects of rape, a group often shunned by family, friends, and society. She has devoted countless hours to emailing with those who need help without concern for race, gender, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.

Crabtree’s efforts have had a tremendous impact, which is evidenced by the amounts of “hits” for the site. There is a plethora of information on the site for both survivors themselves as well as their loved ones. You can learn about Crabtree and her story, advocacy, awards, books poetry by other survivors, police departments, child abuse information, Christianity, crisis centers and date rape drugs to name a few. There are more than 40 topics on her Web site alone. One portion of the site is a guest book sign in used to give encouragement and hope to all in need.

Crabtree is continually working to improve the site. Since the site’s inception, it has grown to more than 200 pages and there is a forum on Delphi and Yahoo Club. Crabtree is constantly corresponding with survivors from all over the country, to encourage them and help them with the healing process. She also speaks to churches and survivor groups as well as advocating. Crabtree’s selfless devotion and her positive impact on a group that is often ignored or marginalized will hopefully result in a book to continue to aid some in their healing. She also hopes to turn the Web site into a nonprofit organization.

JENNIFER RIXMAN

Jennifer Rixman is an inspiration to her classmates. Throughout the four years she has been a student at Manchester College, Jennifer has demonstrated a commitment to service that is second-to-none. As part of, and in addition to her campus leadership role as Director of Communications for the col1ege’s Office of Volunteer Services, Jennifer has organized and participated in countless volunteer efforts in the community and beyond.

Jennifer is adept at finding innovative ways to meet the needs of others. One example is Haunted Forest, a fun Halloween activity cosponsored by the col1ege’s Office of Volunteer Services and North Manchester Community Service Parks and Recreation. She was responsible for recruiting enough student volunteers to staff the forest, which included costumed tour guides, assorted ghosts, ghouls and monsters, a set-up and teardown crew, and registration table volunteers. In addition, she mobilized and organized several campus groups and clubs who participated as haunted forest sites. Registration volunteers col1ected a smal1 entrance fee and the proceeds went to North Manchester Community Service.

Jennifer has also worked to fight hunger and homelessness. She helped organize a petition to end hunger, Offering of Letters for Jubilee 2000, Give Up a Meal Day (students skipped one meal, and food service donated the money to Oxfam America and Heifer Project International), and a service project (students raked leaves and sorted clothing at the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission). She also helped recruit students to raise money to provide food for those in need.

She organized several on-campus blood drives for the American Red Cross, helped organize and participated in a food drive that brought 35 student volunteers together to col1ect needed food and supplies for the North Manchester Food Pantry, and spent two spring breaks in West Virginia & Mississippi helping to build homes for families in need with Habitat for Humanity.

She also organized service projects and performed important services at several organizations, including South Bend Homeless Shelter, Fort Wayne Rescue Mission, Tumstone Center for Disabled Children and Adults, Fort Wayne Food Bank, and Path Finder’s Group Home. Services included raking leaves, sorting food and clothing, and fundraising.

Jennifer Rixman is especial1y good at connecting with student volunteers to help them understand the importance of service, and to motivate them to actively participate. Although she is graduating this spring, she has planted the seeds for further volunteer opportunities at Manchester College.

JAY GOLDINGER

After much research, Jay Goldinger single-handedly founded, funded, and facilitated a unique feeding program for the homeless and poor in Los Angeles called Food on Foot. What began as a few dinners out of the trunk of his car in 1996 has expanded to the distribution of hot, nutritious chicken dinners, healthy snacks, and clothing to more than 500 homeless and poor toddlers, youth, and adults. Food on Foot is available every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year, rain or shine. Food on Foot is in areas that make it accessible to the homeless so they do not have to worry about finding transportation to get to a nutritious meal.

Sensitive to the needs of the homeless, Goldinger buys prepackaged chicken dinners that are healthy and nutritious. He also buys granola bars, fruit roll-ups, peanut butter crackers, fresh fruit, bottled water, milk, and bread. He realized those living in the streets need food with a long shelf life. In addition to food, he also purchases clothes and blankets. Goldinger is present every Saturday and Sunday personally; he is consistent and reliable.

In addition to meeting their physical needs, Jay also helps to change their economic situation. Goldinger works to find the homeless full-time job opportunities through a trash clean-up program he developed called “Work for Food.” In return for a $5.00 food gift certificate he purchases, any individual can receive two empty 64-pound trash bags and fill them with street trash. Not only does the food certificate provide food, but also it rewards them with the confidence needed to get back on their feet again. Through “Work for Food,” after an individual trains for at least two months and shows a desire for full-time employment, he or she is given an outside job opportunity he has found for them.

Since Food on Foot is made up of over 1,200 volunteers that he has recruited, all donated funds go directly toward the purchase food. When donated funds are not enough to cover the cost of almost $2,000 per weekend, Goldinger supplements the remainder of the money from his own pocket.

SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING EDUCATION RCPI

Southeastern Community Oriented Policing Education (SCOPE) is a Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) formed by the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office to provide assessment, planning, technical assistance, and instruction to law enforcement agencies and communities in Tennessee and seven surrounding states. Its specialty area is to build and sustain community policing. The SCOPE staff focuses on the issue of youth violence so that teens, as well as adults, have the opportunity to gain skills while working to make their communities a safer place to live.

A community policing team consisting of various community representatives is formed in each participating community. The SCOPE RCPI provide skilled facilitators to assist with the initial organizational meeting of the team, teach problem solving skills, and bring in other subject matter experts to teach community and agency representatives the process for successful organizational transformation. The Challenge to Change model is distinctive in that it provides communities the flexibility necessary to determine the problems they face and develop solutions that will work in their community. By introducing the problem solving techniques that have been successful in community policing, the SCOPE facilitators encourage team members to focus on problems that are unique to their community.

The Challenge to Change project focuses on the reduction of youth violence and brings all the service providers; educators, community volunteers and most importantly – the young people together to participate in an ongoing community improvement program. The project was developed by The University of Tennessee’s SCOPE RCPI in December 1998 to combat youth violence. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services approved the plan, and SCOPE has provided these services and technical assistance to a total of eleven communities in seven southeastern states.

The Challenge to Change model relies heavily on the involvement of youth members on the community policing team and includes a ten-month project timeline so that both short and long-term successes are experienced. While many programs initially meet with success, the Challenge to Change model is consistently effective in meeting the needs of young people in communities throughout their region. One project was so immediately successful it was adopted as the statewide model for all schools to follow during the 2000 school year. A Youth Summit was convened in Knoxville during 2000, and more than 200 Challenge to Change participants (teens and adults) met to learn about topics of importance to young people. Most importantly, the teams developed an action plan to take back to their communities that will help them combat youth violence in their schools and neighborhoods.

The SCOPE staff is working to select the 2001 Challenge to Change communities, and they planned the 2001 Youth Summit. While their model undergoes occasional refinement, the successes of the first and second year participants continue to positively impact the communities with a reduction in the incidents of youth and school violence.