SENIOR CONNECTIONS AMERICORPS
The Green River Area Development District “Senior Connections” AmeriCorps seeks to improve the quality of life for the at-risk elderly in Western Kentucky by providing in-home assistance in the areas of chores, home management, home repairs and caregiver relief in an effort to improve the quality of life for more than 300 seniors in the seven counties they serve. Their service in the community goes far beyond the normal 8-4:30 routines. The program does not require weekend and evening activities but all of the events have had a team of members responding to recognized needs. “Senior Connections” members are assigned to various sites in the counties of the Green River Area Development District. Each placement is in response to recognized needs of its senior population within a given community. The members have a role description, which outlines their service. The “Senior Connections” AmeriCorps members go far beyond that what that role description entails. They do not need to be asked – they just do what needs to be done. Examples include:
- The City of Livermore has a citywide potluck on Veteran’s Day and 10 members went on a Saturday to set up the tables, roll silverware, serve the residents, wash dishes and take the tables down.
- Daviess and Ohio County’s “Repair Affair” each had a team of members respond on a Saturday to provide much needed repairs to the homes of low income senior homeowners.
- A garden was planted for the residents of a local nursing home as well as several special parties planned and implemented.
- The local Red Cross chapter provided additional disaster response training on a Saturday. Members arrived to assist and participate in the training.
- The Long-Term Care Ombudsmen needed additional volunteers to visit and monitor the area nursing homes and members responded.
- Hospice had patients who needed respite care on weekends so their caregiver could attend church services and members assisted with this request.
On January 3, 2000, a tornado struck Owensboro. By 7pm that day, the “Senior Connections” members were helping the American Red Cross set up the shelter to care for those who were displaced as a result of the disaster. For the next three weeks, in addition to maintaining their clients, the members staffed the shelter, delivered meals on the Emergency Response Vehicles, sorted and delivered cleaning supplies, and assisted with damage assessment. The members were also instrumental in providing a Christmas party for the 300 children who literally had their Christmas “fly out the window” as a result of the tornado. The members picked up toys donated by area merchants, sorted them by age groups, staffed the party and helped with the cleanup. All of this was in addition to serving their senior clients.
Clients often call and give thanks to members who stopped by to check them on a Saturday or came to the hospital to visit them or called to make sure they were all right in the evening. Clients have called the express gratitude for the groceries or rides to the doctor, or the fresh vegetables left on their porch. None of these activities are part of the “Senior Connections” members’ service assignment. What is done is volunteerism from the heart.
VOLUNTEERS FOR PEACE
Volunteers for Peace (VFP) has been a Vermont nonprofit membership corporation since 1982. VFP is totally membership supported and is in partnership with an international network of voluntary service organizations operating under UNESCO. VFP provides consultation and placement services for work camp host organizations (nonprofits) in the United States as well as providing thousands of voluntary service opportunities abroad for American students.
In 1982 VFP had its first work camp in Vermont where 19 volunteers from 11 countries came together to do a community service project. Since then VFP has introduced the work camp concept to dozens of nonprofit organizations in the United States and has provided them with volunteers to assist with their widely varied projects. Through its membership VFP has recruited thousands of U.S. volunteers to serve in projects around the world. While living in the community, the volunteers help to foster understanding between people of different backgrounds and cultures, promoting international peace.
VFP’s volunteers in the United States have provided thousands of hours of community service in the areas of: construction/renovation of low-income housing or community buildings; environmental education, trail building, repairing trail erosion, wildlife protection, park maintenance, organic farming; social services with children, the elderly, physically/mentally/emotionally disabled people, refugees, minority groups, people in drug/alcohol recovery, women’s shelters, homeless people, soup kitchens, halfway houses; HIV/AIDS education and services.
VFP’s programs are about intercultural immersion, communicating and adapting to different people, situations and living conditions. The programs are a way for volunteers to respond positively to the many challenges facing our planet. Because volunteers at each site usually come from several different countries they learn a lot about one another’s cultural, social, economic, and political conditions. Volunteers build bonds and friendships that often last a lifetime. They also have a strong impact on the community in which they are living and working.
Since 1982, when VFP hosted 19 volunteers, VFP has placed more than 12,000 volunteers in international and domestic service projects. The volunteers come from around the world to work on worthwhile projects, providing thousands of hours of free labor to the host organizations. The U.S. programs have grown in number from one in 1982, to 65 in 2000. Through its partner organization network VFP offered over 1,500 volunteer opportunities worldwide in the year 2000.
VFP’s US programs are hosted by nonprofit organizations. VFP provides volunteers to these organizations to work on many varied and ongoing projects. Some of these organizations have been receiving VFP volunteers for more than 15 years. Some of them take time off to reorganize or fund-raise and then return as project hosts. Many programs have on-going projects that require volunteers to return every year. Many of VFP’s volunteers participate in multiple programs and come back year after year to serve in the same or new locations.
DON HAIDL
Although volunteer participation in meeting the public safety needs of the community has been a long-standing tradition of civilization, Don Haidl has taken it to a new level. With over 15 years service as a volunteer reserve law enforcement officer, he had come to the conclusion that while the existing benefits to the community were commendable, more could be attained.
The depth of Haidl’s convictions and commitment to this concept was demonstrated in January 1999 when he accepted the responsibility of the uncompensated position of Assistant Sheriff at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and was tasked with managing that department’s Reserve Division. Although directly involved in the management of a national corporation, Haidl has, for the past two years, committed between 30 and 50 hours per week to Sheriff’s Department operations.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is committed to providing a safe environment for all residents, businesses, and visitors; but as with any governmental entity, it must do so both effectively and efficiently. The members of the Reserve Division under Haidl’s direction have contributed significantly to the department’s ability to fulfill this commitment. Members of the eight specialized units under Haidl’s direction have logged more than 70,000 hours of service assisting the Sheriff’s Department in meeting the law enforcement needs of Orange County. These services would otherwise have cost taxpayers $3 million in salaries. This could not have been attained without Haidl’s planning, prioritizing and goal setting. His success in this endeavor is evidenced by that fact that over the past two years, the number of volunteer members in the Reserve Division has doubled.
Other units have seen similar increases in them membership also as a result of his dedication. This enables them to provide more support to departmental operations. The Uniformed Patrol unit augments the traditional law enforcement operational functions and provides security at major events. The Search and Rescue Unit is operationally active on an almost weekly basis. The Investigative Unit completes background checks for regular and reserve applicants. The Harbor Reserve Unit works with departmental personnel at three county harbors, the Administrative Unit handles recruiting, processing and testing.
Haidl designed and implemented an innovative Professional Services Reserve Unit. This program works as a mechanism through which law enforcement can avail itself of knowledge and experience professionals in highly technical and sophisticated fields have attained. This unit alone is comprised of about 200 members. These are experts in the area of law, medicine, finances, computer technology, arts and training who volunteer their expertise to assist the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in effectively incorporating cutting-edge technology and concepts into its operations to better serve the public. This program has been so successful that it has been duplicated in four other counties within the state.
SHORE INTERMEDIATE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY
Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity (SIMA), Norfolk provides a wide variety of community service efforts through the Adopt-a-School program with area elementary and vocational schools and Junior Achievement Consultant Programs. The team of volunteers takes on their tasks with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, providing positive role models to the communities’ youth and knowing that the students they train today will be future leaders of tomorrow. As the U.S. Navy’s largest maintenance activity, SIMA Norfolk has a proud tradition of assisting our nation’s youth by providing a unique perspective into the world of high production industrial maintenance.
Norfolk volunteers spend countless hours at Norfolk Technical Vocational Center (NTVC) and Church land Academy assisting students and teachers in teaching highly technical curriculums such as air conditioning principles, electrical repair, and computer network administration. The volunteers also serve as safety observers and guides during many school field trips and during laboratory work. Another example of SIMA’s sincere commitment to education is the scholarship fund awarded each year for the past three years to two graduating seniors at NTVC in the amount of $1000 each. The funds were raised through donut sales and volunteering off-duty hours manning a concession booth at Harbor Park during Norfolk Tides baseball games. In addition, SIMA Norfolk provided apprenticeship opportunities to three students from the Chesapeake Bay Academy. Students learned skills in database entry; computer aided engraving processes, and production documentation and tracking.
Operation School Supplies was developed to gather much needed school supplies for low-income children. Through their partnership with WAVY TV-10, a program was developed for the drop-off, pick-up, sorting, warehousing, and distribution of donated school supplies. In 2000, 65 SIMA Norfolk volunteers provided more than 2,300 off-duty man-hours collecting, transporting, warehousing, and distributing 22,000 different school supplies, double the number of school supplies collected from the previous year. More than 62,000 low-income children across the Tidewater community, in eight different school districts, benefited directly from this project.
The Coats for Kids Project collected useable winter coats for low-income children of Hampton Roads area. This project was a combined effort between WAVY TV-10, McDonalds, Albano Cleaners, and SIMA. In 2000,47 SIMA volunteers provided 1,200 off-duty man-hours collecting coats. As a result of their efforts, over 10,000 needy people were provided with a warm winter coat to wear last year when the area experienced severe inclement weather.
Southeastern Virginia Food bank works to ensure food is provided to low-income families. The partnership between the Food bank of Southeastern Virginia and SIMA has been long and beneficial to the people of South Hampton Roads. In 2000,350 SIMA volunteers provided 6,000 man-hours making this project a great success, evidenced by SIMA Norfolk winning the food bank’s military volunteer award for two consecutive years.
RUSTI LANG
Rusti Lang, a senior at Santana High School in Santee, California, was like many other students involved in the line of fire when another student opened fire from a bathroom, killing two and wounding 13 others on March 5, 2001. The next morning, Rusti met with community leaders to propose a student-led rally of hope for Santana students as well as all Grossmont High School District students. Rusti felt that students needed a time to meet where they could grieve and comfort one another as well as send a positive message about themselves to the community.
When Rusti had secured a location and date, she contacted fellow students to assist with planning and implementation of the rally. Rusti contacted students from the Denver area who had been involved in events after the Columbine shootings and invited their participation in the rally.
Rusti organized student prayer time at the flagpole on the day students returned to the Santana campus. More than 200 students attended this prayer service, in addition to community leaders and school staff. Rusti also attended community meetings in the following days to promote the rally of hope with the goal of showing that students at Santana could find hope and did not need to be held captive by fear. Internationally known musicians offered their services at the rally at no cost; the 1,200-seat auditorium was offered also at no cost. Rusti appeared on NBC 7/39 for a Townhall meeting to advertise the rally, was interviewed on local radio and in print media, all of which provided promotion countywide at no cost. In short, the event was held debt free with donations from the community.
Originally the rally was to be held in an auditorium in the city of Santee, but when the family of a student who died asked to have the funeral there Rusti and her friends’ responded by expressing that the student’s family was more important than whether or not the rally took place. Due to the students’ response to the family’s need, in less than three hours Rusti was contacted with news that another auditorium was being offered at no cost. The rally was held in the sister city of El Cajon.
Approximately 800 people attended the Rally of Hope, including groups of students, parents with their teens, teachers, youth workers, pastors and local politicians, who came together to grieve, find hope and look to the future.
The following week Rusti contacted local merchants for water donations to the campus Christian Club “Fresh Jive.” The Santana Peace Council, a group in which Rusti is an active member, sponsored Peace Week and Fresh Jive gave away the bottles of water to students during lunch as a random act of kindness. Rusti has since had the opportunity to speak at schools, community meetings, churches and camps in Southern California, Oregon, Washington and Romania regarding her experiences, encouraging students to work for a violence-free school and community. Her involvement has been on a strictly volunteer basis.
She is currently working on a performing arts outreach from Santana students to students of New York City, in the wake of the Sept. 11th attack.
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD/OMAHA WOODMEN LIFE INSURANCE SOCIETY
Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society is dedicated to helping people when disaster strikes, as seen through Woodmen’s Disaster Relief program with the American Red Cross. The innovative program encourages local Woodmen lodges to volunteer with their local Red Cross chapters and provides support for Red Cross relief efforts across the nation.
“We are pleased to work with such an outstanding institution as the American Red Cross, which has long been regarded as the world’s foremost disaster relief organization,” said Woodmen President James Mounce.
In June 1998, Woodmen signed an agreement with the American Red Cross to provide disaster relief to people and communities nationwide. The Woodmen/Red Cross program brings together the people and resources of two organizations who share a commitment to help people in time of need.
Nationwide, Woodmen has 1,500 members certified by the American Red Cross serving on 150 Disaster Action Teams. Team members receive training from their local Red Cross chapters and, once certified, are on-call to respond to a number of disaster situations, such as floods, fires and hurricanes.
In addition to the volunteer efforts of the Disaster Action Teams, Woodmen provides vehicles, equipment and supplies to assist in disaster relief efforts across the nation. Woodmen also coordinates the use of its youth summer camps and lodge halls as Red Cross training sites and temporary shelters.
“By taking part in Disaster Action Teams and through their support of local Red Cross chapters, Woodmen members are making a great impact on the lives of those in need,” said John Clizbe, American Red Cross Vice President of Disaster Services. “I salute their fraternal spirit and the important contributions they make.”
In November 2000, former American Red Cross President and CEO Dr. Bernadine Healy visited Woodmen’s Home Office and met with Society officer to discuss ways to expand the program. At its National Convention in July 2001, Woodmen presented the American Red Cross with 33 automatic emergency defibrillators for use in emergency situations across the nation.
Through the commitment of its members, Woodmen is pleased to support the American Red Cross and help people when disaster strikes.
VIVIAN HANSON MEEHAN
Vivian Hanson Meehan, R.N., D.Sc. serves as President and Executive Director of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), and she continues to lead ANAD through the extensive programs she created. During her tenure, and currently, thousands of lay people and health professionals have volunteered to work to change the lives of victims of eating disorders and to prevent anorexia nervosa and related illnesses.
Meehan has contributed more than 25,000 volunteer hours. Last year, other volunteers contributed more than 40,000 volunteer hours to ANAD. She began volunteering in March of 1976. At that time, few people or health professionals were aware of anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Because of that, she created ANAD; and it is the oldest nonprofit education and support organization in America dedicated to providing caring services for victims of eating disorders and their families.
Though Meehan works to effect change, she has been recognized because of her dedication to this cause. She led the fight to develop extensive education and prevention programs that have impacted the lives of millions of people. Today, there is a plethora of community based and national programs that she has instituted. Some of the free services Meehan founded are ANAD Support Groups that are in the United States and 14 foreign countries. There is a National Counsel Hotline, National Referral List, Early Detection, Consumer Advocacy, Education and Prevention Presentation, and Presentations to State and Federal Congresses and Health and Education Departments. In addition, Meehan and ANAD fight Insurance Discrimination. Each of the programs she has developed was in response to the unmet human needs of more than eight million people suffering from life-destructive illnesses.
Meehan sought to provide desperately needed programs and services. Her work has evolved into an ongoing system of recruiting and mobilizing volunteers to work with fulfilling the purposes of ANAD. For more information about ANAD, please check out the website at www.anad.org
MADGE BURTON
Madge Burton lost three of her children at one time in a brutal murder and had to deal with the paralysis of her young son only a few months later. While dealing with these tragedies, Burton turned her grief into a positive collaboration. She made changes in her community and even within her state to make life safer for many. Her love for people has caused her to become an advocate for those who never had a voice.
Madge Burton impacts the lives of thousands of individuals by standing with them through their darkest hours. She organized and founded, Victims United, an emotional support group. Victims United’s voice has been heard throughout the state. Burton was a key factor in opening up Ohio’s parole authority to public scrutiny; and she has helped to make changes in laws that have given victims a stronger presence in the legal process.
Burton provides a service to victims at night and on weekends after other offices are closed. These services are invaluable when someone is dealing with a traumatic event and has nowhere else to turn. Every year, she organizes a candlelight vigil for the community at the local courthouse. She involves crime victims, accident victims, the prosecutor’s office, the sheriff’s office, local churches, and county commissioners.
Last year, Burton helped observe the first National Children’s Memorial Day. She placed red roses on deceased children’s graves. This year, she and other members of Victims United placed angels in memory of young people on a tree that was placed in the Governmental Services Building.
Burton has donated thousands of hours of her time and money into this program since 1987. The past two years, she has received funds from the county commissioners. She is recognized throughout the state of Ohio because of her work as a community activist. She has strived to dedicate her life to helping the unfortunate. Burton’s personal story has been the driving factor of her advocacy. Though she had to deal with personal trauma, she kept living and has helped others work through their own tragedies.
DEBBIE PARNHAM
After her teenage son was shot to death, Debbie Parnham wanted to prevent others from a life of devastation and pain, so she turned her pain into a nonprofit organization, Life Sentence.
Her son’s murderer was found and sentenced; however Parnham and her family have received a life sentence without their beloved son and brother. Debbie Parnham passionately shares her story and talks to teens about choices. Her message has been taken to schools, churches, detention centers and prisons. Since she co-founded Life Sentence almost four years ago, she has spoken to approximately 27,000 adults and children.
She is not compensated for her labor; all of it is done on a volunteer basis. The donations received are used to pay for expenses. Parnham lets the people she meets know that choices have a rippling effect. The young man that killed her son made the choice to commit his crime – whether it was anger, a moment of passion or indifference. However, that one choice has had an effect on a marriage and other siblings who now have to deal with the loss of a family member. It only takes one split second to change someone’s life forever; the split second that killed her son almost destroyed her family.
Debbie Parnham has a hard time reliving her son’s death over and over again. For the most part, she still is not able to get through a presentation without shedding tears and taking time to regroup. She will continue with her mission, because it is well worth it. She will cry and talk and cry and talk with hopes of sparing at least one family the suffering she endures daily.
JENNY EVANS
Jenny Evans has been involved in service and volunteerism her entire life. She has traveled to foreign countries to offer aid and has always worked as a valuable volunteer within her local community. She is currently serving as the President of the South Summit High School Interact Service Club, and in September 2000 Jenny organized a mentoring program that utilizes high school students as positive role models for every seventh-grade student in their district.
South Summit School District is located in a small town called Kamas where the youth were struggling with drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and crime. With the help of other concerned youth, Jenny established this program as a preventative measure to address the issues that were facing these young people. With the recommendation of the principal at the school, and because of the generally impressionable nature of that age group, Jenny and the club chose to focus their efforts on the seventh grade class. The volunteers help the children feel accepted while teaching them about the benefits of service. They join together monthly to participate in the service endeavors that are planned and carried out solely by members of the Interact Club. The younger children are given important responsibilities that help them feel a sense of ownership for the projects they participate in.
This program truly connects not only the middle school and high school students, but also affects the entire community. The youth carried out a program for local senior citizens for Halloween and joined with other clubs at the school to collect money and sponsor a Sub-for-Santa project for needy families in their area. They are currently planning a hunger banquet that will involve the entire community as they raise awareness about world starvation and invite attendees to make a monetary pledge to a charity of their choice.
The effects of this program are significant and enduring. Although this particular program began in September, the Interact Club has been participating in service since 1997, and club members plan to continue their mentoring efforts into next school year. Most importantly, as these young people realize the wonderful benefits of service, many will embrace an attitude of service that will continue throughout the rest of their lives. The young people that are participating in this program are gaining self-esteem, learning the value of service, and are truly helping to improve others’ lives. The volunteers are providing positive role models for the children as they teach, and learn themselves, more about the powerful impact of offering selfless service.
The idea of a mentoring program in general is not new, but the approach that these youth, led by Jenny Evans, have taken is very impressive. They are addressing so many needs through this one program because they have integrated numerous goals into one program that benefits everyone involved. Through innovative service ideas that reach out to a variety of people and address a plethora of community challenges, they truly are making a difference.
