ASSOCIATION FOR GRAVESTONE STUDIES

The Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS), founded in 1977, consists of nearly 1200 volunteer members spread throughout North America, with a scattering of members on other continents. The majority of these volunteers lives east of the Mississippi and are passionately dedicated to the preservation and study of grave markers of all periods and styles.

These fragile, yet, irreplaceable stone markers are often the only remaining record of historical, artistic, and genealogical information for families, individual towns, or entire areas. The markers are slowly deteriorating due to inclement weather, vandalism, or poor cemetery maintenance. AGS volunteers not only aim to preserve these markers but to educate the public of their societal importance.

Each year, AGS conducts a number of free programs for this purpose, including arranging volunteer cemetery clean-up events, disseminating information on stone restoration techniques, and assisting local groups in the preservation of their own cemeteries.

Additionally, the Association is presently involved in the compilation and publication of the first comprehensive record of African-American burial sites and practices. AGS has saved numerous cemeteries and gravestones from the ravages of time and neglect. In the past few years alone, AGS, through its annual conferences, has led restoration projects in Boston, MA, Portland, OR, Providence, RI, Washington, DC, and just this past summer, in Savannah, GA.

CAPTAIN BARNARD, CAPTAIN TORELLI AND LIEUTENANT MINICH

Captain Bruce Barnard, Captain Andrew A. Torelli and Lieutenant Adam Minich volunteered their time with East Anglia Children’s Hospice (EACH) from January 2001 to January 2002. Officers Barnard, Torelli and Minich organized tremendous support from Royal Air Force Lakenheath and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom. The support they generated from these military base communities helped in EACH’s goal of maximizing the quality of life for terminally ill children, their families and all who are special to them.

EACH, a consortium of three hospices located in East Anglia, United Kingdom, operates as a support facility for 200 terminally ill children and an additional 100 bereaved families. In order to raise funds, the hospices have several “charity shops” located throughout East Anglia where they sell used clothing. Fund-raising is critical to the operation of the hospices, as only 16% of their funding comes from the government.

Officers Barnard, Torelli and Minich organized the collection and recycling of nearly 600 sets of Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs) by 41 units on both bases. They coordinated the collection of old, serviceable uniforms and removal of all rank, nametapes and patches. Once the hospices’ charity shops had possession of the BDUs they sold them to teenagers who think they’re ‘cool’ and to laborers who use them as work clothing. The project was nicknamed Kammies for Kids (K4K) and is expected to raise nearly $15,000 for EACH.

Because of the innovative and unique approach to generate much needed funds for EACH, the officers’ efforts were highlighted in the European Stars and Strips newspaper, United States Air Force Airmen magazine and newspaper, two military base papers and on the local television news. The officers helped establish processes and tools for others to sustain K4K over the long term. Due to all the assistance EACH has received, 352 children across the region have been helped as well as 100 bereaved families over the past year.

ASHLEY JO CARTER

Ashley Carter has served more than 500 hours on her Veteran’s project. This started out as a request from Ann Landers to send Valentines to Veterans in Veterans Centers and Hospitals and has grown into each major holiday. Each Veteran at the Clinton Center is remembers on the eight major holidays. Some of Ashley’s specialties are making and coloring cards, baking cookies, filling bags, buying treats, writing letters for help with her project, sending thank you cards, shaking hands and trading hugs with the 145 residents at the Center.

Ashley’s goal is to make every Veteran feel special and show them they are remembered. She also thanks them for giving their time serving our country. She makes it a point to do something unique for each Veteran on Valentine’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, July the Fourth, Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. She accepts donations to help defray the costs.

Her time has also been valuable to the Seiling VFW. Ashley helped build their memorial, helps entertain, cook and clean for fundraisers. She has raised more than seven thousand dollars to date. Ashley creates and distributes “Get Out and Vote!” signs in addition to raising, lowering and folding the 44 American Flags the VFW puts out on patriotic holidays.

Ashley is also very active in 4-H, FFA, Art Club and is the school mascot. She judges at contests, sells FFA plants and sausage. She has also been a 4-H camp counselor for several Years. In addition, Ashley teaches workshops for children for 4-H as well as for Community Education. She makes craft items for an annual Cancer Bazaar and has raised 800 dollars for that cause to help benefit a special cancer patients.

Ashley picks angel from the Angel Tree each Christmas and buys and wraps clothes and toys for needy children. She helps the VFW members repair, sand and paint bicycles for need children in the county for the holidays. She also works at the booths at the Town Halloween Carnival each year, and Ashley and other members of the 4-H club held a car wash to raise money for Cordel tornado victims. Another charity Ashley works to support is the Ronald Mc Donald House. She works to get donations to forward to the families and children being served at the House.

Because she sees the impact of her service to the Veterans, Ashley approached the elementary school principal about having a school-wide project. She suggested the children make Christmas cards for the Veterans.

Ashley has sacked 275 pounds of candy, signed more than 1,200 Valentines, baked in excess of 1,800 cookies and collected almost 650 pairs of socks. She has created, colored and cut more than 3,350 cards and filled almost 910 plastic eggs with candy. In addition, she has contacted 32 major companies for donations of personal items to give in the Christmas bags. All of this work is done to help the Veterans who have served our country with such dedication feel appreciated and remembered.

BABY HEALTH SERVICE

Baby Health Service was founded in 1914 to provide baby formula at no cost to needy families. Today the mission has expanded greatly to meet the changing needs of children in the community. Since well over 18% of Fayette County children have no insurance, the focus and mission has evolved into providing total health care to children between the ages of birth through 12 years. Baby Health Service is now a pediatric health clinic that provides free medical care to children whose families are ineligible for a medical card, yet cannot afford health insurance. These are the children of the “working poor”, who often fall through the cracks in the current health system.

The clinic is open five mornings a week. It is staffed by 15 physicians who volunteer their time on a rotating basis prior to attending to their own practices. Volunteer board members actually work in the clinic and facilitate the running of the clinic during clinic hours. The only paid staff consists of a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, an R.N. and an L.P.N. This personnel assists the physicians in providing well and sick child examinations, immunizations, x-rays and blood tests. Medicines are also dispensed at no cost to the families that come to Baby Health Service.

In 1998 over 3,500 children received medical care at Baby Health. Annually, the numbers of clients increase, but the clinic is operated without any United Way or federal funding. The board members work to meet an operating budget by soliciting funds through grants, foundations, corporations and individuals in the community.

Through the volunteer efforts the physicians and board members in 1997, President Clinton and the Points of Light Foundation presented Baby Health Service the prestigious “President’s Service Award”. Baby Health Service truly demonstrates what can be accomplished in a community without government reliance.

MILTON DYE

Milton believes that one should serve his country by serving others. For eight years, Dye has volunteered his time at the local VFW Post. He is the Chairman of the following Post Activities: Americanism, Safety and Youth, Youth Essay, Voice of Democracy, Community and Public Relations. Dye was selected as one of 25 All State Post Commanders out of 225 Posts in Virginia for 2000-2001. He also works with the Youth Essay Program at Richlands Middle School for 7th and 8th graders. This program gives the students the opportunity to express their thoughts about their country. The past year’s theme was, “Is Freedom Really Free?”

Dye has a Voice of Democracy Program, an Audio Essay for all 9-12th grade students. The theme this year is “Reaching Out To America’s Future.” He has held Safety & Youth Programs at three elementary schools on such topics as Drug Awareness, Home/Fire, Highway Safety and Recreational Safety, also.

Dye works with other organizations on community activities, organized and assists in Blood Drives, Neighborhood/Highway action, such as Planting of trees and set up days to help Parks and Playgrounds for the kids. He also helps set up the Relay For Life for Cancer, which is a 24-hour WalkA-Thon, which raised $65,000 last year. Dye works with the March of Dimes and works with others in our community on setting up programs for Veterans Holidays. On these days, school students also participate in such programs as Loyalty Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day and the Pearl Harbor Day.

Dye is a member of the VFW Post Honor Guard and helps with the military funerals. There were 42 this past year. Dye also makes himself available on as as-needed basis. If a school or business in the community calls him, he makes himself available to meet the need.

LOY DENNIS

Loy Dennis is a World War II Veteran who continues to give of his time and talents to benefit his country. He volunteers for the VFW Post #5686 in Billings, Missouri, the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon, Missouri, his church Bible study groups where he is a teacher on Fridays, Marionville Methodist Manor and specifically for his neighbor Mrs. Hicks.

The Billings VFW Post utilizes Dennis’s volunteer service. He is committed to helping others enjoy life, so he visits with Veterans, shut-ins and disabled persons. He also provides entertainment and parties for various people to bring a little sunshine in their life. The VFW can count of him whenever they call. He does not work for status or to be recognized, but he volunteers because he believes that is our duty as Americans who are fortunate to have that opportunity.

Dennis also serves at the Missouri Veterans Home and Ozark Methodist Manor. He always brings a smile and encouragement for the residents. Dennis has been a fixture at these two residences for nearly 18 years. He provides musical programs, collects and donates books for the Veteran’s Library and adopts Veterans on a yearly basis. The part of his service that has the most impact is just listening to the needs and concerns of the Veterans, which shows them they are important and respected. He can also relate to them because of his prior military experiences.

He also serves the Veterans by going to various schools and talking to the classes about Veterans. He passes on a piece of history to them and lets the children know what he and other men and women did for their country.

In addition, Dennis is a valuable member of his local church. He makes sure the parishioners walk into a heated or cooled building, and he keeps it maintained, cleaned and stocked with proper bathroom and cleaning supplies. Dennis also tapes the church services and gives them to shut-ins as gifts. He also teaches a Friday Bible Study Class.

Loy Dennis is one of three Work War II Veterans left in the town, but he continues to persevere. Though he is in poor health and increasing in age; he will not stop giving of himself. For 11 years, he kept watch over his neighbor, Mrs. Hicks. He made sure she was physically well and took her to doctor appointments. He made sure her home was in good repair with regards to her doors and water. Though she passed in August of 2001, Dennis continues to keep a daily watch over her home because it is presently vacant.

CHARLES AND GAIL HELFER

Since 1996, Charles and Gail Helfer have been civilian volunteers for the Park Police Friends Board, a nonprofit group that provides additional funds and in-kind services to supplement the Montgomery County Park Police. The group works in cooperation with the Montgomery County Recreation Department and Montgomery County Park Police. The Helfers were elected to the board in 2000.

In 1998, Maryland Governor Parris Glendenning honored the Park Police’s civilian volunteer bicycle program with a Crime Prevention Award in Annapolis. Charles and Gail were both, personally acknowledged by the governor, during the ceremony. In October 2000, Park Police Chief Elizabeth Kreiter awarded the couple for their contributions to the Park Police and the Park Police Friends Board. They received the award at the Police Awareness Day, an event in which the police, fire and rescue agencies get the opportunity to build community support for crime prevention programs. The event draws 3,000 to 6,000 people annually.

Charles and Gail Helfer have been involved regularly in other Park Police special community awareness events including National Night Out, Friends of the Park Police Bicycle Time Trials, Capital Crescent Trail Opening and Trail Safety Initiatives, Brookside Gardens Light Show, Wheaton Bicycle Safety Program, Long Branch Community Day and Pathways Schools 5k Race. Since 1996, the couple has served over 1,600 combined hours of community service.

While on volunteer patrol, the Helfers report violations to the Park Police Communications Section. They assist in searches for lost children, evidence – under the direction of an officer after a subject has fled from the area, observe alcohol abuse incidents, controlled dangerous substances, parking and report any safety hazards in the parks they observe. The Helfers also recruit volunteers to the Park Police volunteer corp. They also helped to write two manuals used by Park Police Volunteers.

KEVIN MEDINA

Kevin Medina has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross in Greater New York since September 1996. He joined the Queens Chapter Youth Group after having visited the Chapter to obtain information on First Aid Services and Blood Donations for a school project. He has increasingly assumed leadership responsibility of the Youth Group’s management, including the recruitment and development of new volunteers and the implementation of service activities. In 1998, Kevin was appointed Vice-Chair of the Youth Program. In this capacity, he coordinated Fire and Burn Safety presentations for pre-school children and organized youth volunteers for disaster relief operations.

Kevin demonstrated his commitment to the Queens Chapter Youth Group when following high school graduation of the Youth Group’s Executive Board and in absence of a Chapter Director and staff, he had to assume full responsibility of the Youth Group’s administration. Determined to succeed in his effort to preserve the Queens Chapter Youth Group, he enlisted the help of adult volunteers Mario Velez and John McGee. He also traveled frequently to the Manhattan Chapter to meet with the Volunteer Resources staff and their youth leadership group and continued holding bimonthly group meetings at the Chapter.

In July 1999, as Kevin assumed the role of Queens Chapter Youth Group Chairman, he reconstructed the roles of the executive board to better meet the needs of the Queens Chapter. He created two new committees to assist the Chapter in its community outreach and fundraising efforts and delegated more responsibility to his new Vice-Chairs. Because of Kevin’s leadership, the Youth Group membership not only increased from 30 to 198 volunteers but has also diversified, including students from pubic, Catholic and private schools and from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Under his leadership, the Youth Group was able to raise almost $5,000 dollars in contributions during the 1999 Holiday Drive.

Kevin has played an important role in major disaster relief operations, mobilizing youth volunteers during the Times Square Scaffolding Collapse where he provided support in areas of mass care, logistics, record keeping and communications. He also worked long hours with volunteers during the floods that affected the Queens neighborhood of Springfield Gardens. During Tropical Storm Floyd, he mobilized a team of volunteers to assist in the distribution of clean-up kits and to provide support to the staffing coordinators.

As a member of the American Red Cross in Greater New York Youth Board, Kevin has participated in numerous state-level conferences and was instrumental in the success of this past summer’s New York State American Red Cross Annual Youth Summit. In June 2000, he was appointed a member of the Queens Chapter Board of Directors and in September of the same year, he was designated a Youth Group Advisor.

ANGELINA KELLY

Friendship House of Christian Service has been serving the Billings Southside since 1958 when the American Baptist Churches, Yellowstone Council of Churches and committed leaders organized to create a neighborhood center. They are an agency of the United Way of Yellowstone County and provide direct services to children and youth, which is one of the priority areas identified by the United Way. The mission of the program is to minister to children, youth and adults as individuals, groups and as a community. The need may be physical, social, educational or spiritual.

Angelina Kelly is a 16-year-old young lady who came to the Friendship House as a child and grew up through some of the programs. As she matured, Angelina continued to develop healthy life skills she needed to break the common cycle of defeat and despair in her life. Angelina had the ingredients that normally result in failure. Her neighborhood was full of negative elements such as drugs, violence, anger, racism, abuse and neglect.

Angelina chose not to be a negative product of her environment, and her drive and parental support is causing her to succeed. She has ambitions and wants more than to just settle and end up where many in her neighborhood do as adults. Her drive to success inspires other young girls her age to follow in her footsteps of excellence and to also become a volunteer.

Angelina did not ever abandon her friends; however, when they were involved in unhealthy choices, she chose to remove herself from their activities. She believes that everyone needs to know they have a friend that will give them good, sound advice. Her friends around her soon succumbed to her peer pressure and found themselves making positive life choices and being “role models” to other girls their age.

Angelina has been a part of “Keepers of the Hood”, which is a creative club founded to provide children with opportunities to become productively involved in their neighborhoods and their cities. Children become aware of community needs and as a group makes plans and a commitment to minister to those needs in the best ways they can for their special neighborhood. Through positive and challenging opportunities, Angelina took ownership and contributed to her community by serving others. One service project Angelina has been involved in through this program engaged 30 preschool through junior high school students to distribute over 300 pairs of mittens and hats to their neighbors in need.

Angelina has also volunteered numerous hours with her father’s Volunteer Incentive program. Her work has resulted in program’s receiving matching dollars. To date, through Angelina, $2,000 has been donated. She serves as a mentor, tutor, friend, and Junior Program helper, Teacher’s Aide and Snack and Nutrition Helper. She is also active in volunteering with her church. Angelina was honored recently with the Dominoes National Teen Volunteer of the Year Award for her tireless efforts, and she was also chosen for the 1st annual 20 Under Twenty Community Service Academics Leadership Award for Billings, Montana.

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Rainbow Bridge, co-founded by Linda Holloway and Sharron Brandrup in 1993, enhances the lives of nursing home elders and brings generations together in mutually rewarding relationships. This is accomplished through volunteer programs involving youth, families, individuals, businesses and community organizations.

Rainbow Bridge is dedicated as a living legacy to Holloway’s grandmother, Bessie “Granny” Stephens. It was her nursing home experience in Texas that flamed a passion within the two co-founders to shine a light on the forgotten elders. The work of the organizations is just as beneficial to the youth who volunteer. Participation in activities designed by Rainbow Bridge enhances the youths’ reading and writing skills, as well as interpersonal and leadership skills. The youth and the nursing home elders feel needed and valued by each other.

Recognized largely for its intergenerational and service-learning work, Rainbow Bridge trains and works with thousands of youth each year. There are Rainbow Bridge Volunteers of all ages in nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the Front Range of Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Rainbow Bridge trains all volunteers, coordinates and facilitates the visits, provides activity planning and materials and creates the structure in which deep bonds and special life-transforming relationships are cultivated between the elders and the volunteers.