BETH ANN NAVIDOMOSKIS

For more than eight years, Beth Ann Navidomoskis has volunteered her service with the American Red Cross in Germany, Korea, Okinawa and Utah. Since 1983, she has donated more than 7,500 hours of service to the mission of the American Red Cross.

Navidomoskis discovered the agency when she was overseas. She sought them out and worked with them in any capacity she was needed. Her efforts and attitude did not change when she came to donate her time in Utah.

She averages about 88 hours per month with the American Red Cross of Northern Utah. She is dependable, which is something that is required of the volunteers with the agency. It is important that when you have someone scheduled to work that they will be there on time and ready to serve. Navidomoskis comes to the office on short notice to assist with the phones and other administrative tasks. She takes the initiative to assist in any area needing support and successfully completes all assigned tasks. The agency is confident that callers are treated with respect and their inquiry is dealt with immediately when Navidomoskis is on the line.

Because of her time spent with the agency, customers and clients do not have to wait long to have questions answered and receive services they request. Her knowledge of the American Red Cross ensures that everyone with whom she comes into contact knows what services the Chapter provides. She advises clients where to donate blood, how they can be certified in life saving skills, when they can receive assistance with past due utility bills, how family members can get in contact with loved ones in the military and what the Chapter does when disaster strikes.

Navidomoskis mans the Clearfield American Red Cross office each week by herself. After the events of September 11, 2001, she was able to continue providing services in Clearfield for the Davis County residents. Without her, the office would have remained closed because staff members were not able to provide any coverage for several weeks. Navidomoskis also helped at fundraising drives that assisted those affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Though Navidomoskis has been challenged physically, emotionally and mentally due to an accident, she continues to serve. She admits that her volunteer work with the Red Cross helped her regain mental agility, has given her a continued purpose to improve physically and helps to heal some emotional wounds.

COMBINED VETERANS HONOR GUARD

The Combined Veterans Honor Guard is a group of veterans (all Senior citizens) who provide military honors at veteran’s funerals throughout the Northern Part of Utah. It is his or her contention that every veteran who has honorably served his/her country should have a dignified and meaningful farewell. To this end, they provide their services on a volunteer basis. Every member of the group is over 70 years of age. They are all absolutely dedicated to making their services available to families or survivors of veterans.

At the present time, World War II veterans are dying off at a rate of 1,000 to 2,000 per day nationally. As the population ages, this number will increase drastically. Many of those served are from Utah. Last year the Combined Military Honor Guard presided at over 200 funerals in Northern Utah They average more than 5 funerals per week (20 to 25 per month). They often serve at two or even three funerals in a single day. They are constantly busy and their services are in great demand.

The group has a core of four to seven members with eleven total on call. The real dedication of these volunteers is shown by the fact that this group receives no formal funding. They are required to look sharp and professional at every service. They provide their own uniforms and the upkeep and replacement of them (dry cleaning alone is a large bill). They also provide their own transportation, gasoline or fare; provide their own music, ammunition and rifles as well as their own sound system and electronics. They require constant practice and must keep up to date on military etiquette, customs, etc.

They are called upon to perform in all kinds of weather from hot, humid days to bitterly cold snow and rain. They are always vigilant. They have conducted services from Downey, Idaho to Bountiful, Utah. The volunteer services they provide are given out of their patriotism, dedication to country and respect for those they honor. This is done despite the fact that the group as a whole is all suffering the frailties of age and physical problems. They all place their service to others above their own disabilities and problems.

Their services are totally non-discriminatory. Military honors are provided to veterans of every racial and ethnic background, all branches of the service, every religion. The group works closely with local undertakers and clergy. Every American should be proud of groups such as this.

UPDATE March 21, 2022: Combined Veterans Honor Guard is no longer in service.

THE RICHARD GILMAN GROUP

In November 2002, the Philosophy 110 Ethics class at Northwestern was challenged by their professor to develop a service project that would benefit the community. Four students read an article in the paper about the suspicious death in Zimbabwe of a local man, Richard Gilman. For the last few years, Richard Gilman, together with his brother Howard Gilman, provided aid to poor children in Africa. Zimbabwe is a country plagued by the consequences of the HIV virus. One in four people has HIV or AIDS and the average life expectancy is 36.5 years with 1200 people dying each week from complications of the disease. To complicate matters further, severe drought in Zimbabwe caused mass starvation. Richard and his brother Howard, who lives in Africa, committed to providing funds and supplies to ensure that poor children in the village of Vambumu would have an education and one nutritious meal a day. Together they had set up a ‘maa-hey-woo’ feeding program for 850 children. On his third trip in this effort, Richard Gilman was suspiciously shot and killed.

Members of the Ethics class group were moved by Mr. Gilman’s story and decided that continuing this effort would make a positive impact on their community as well as pay tribute to a true humanitarian. The class group took on the ‘Richard Gilman Group’ as their project. The Northwestern class group decided to approach the Torrington Middle School students for their help because Mr. Gilman had taught here. However, Mr. Gilman had retired several years earlier and the current students did not know him. After several contacts were made with Mr. Gilman’s widow, Mary Gilman, and the administration at the Torrington school, the Northwestern students met with the middle school Student Council and were overwhelmed by the response.

Though the middle school students did not know Mr. Gilman, they sympathized with the students in Zimbabwe whom he was trying to help. This quickly turned into a students-helping-students project. Posters, and flyers were posted in the school. The media covered the story and collection boxes were set up. The Northwestern students planned to return at the end of the week to collect the first donations. They were called in just three days because the boxes were overflowing. Hundreds of pounds of books, pencils, supplies and clothing were collected. A local business donated a computer. (One long-term hope is to have instant pen pals between the two schools.) The donations have been packed and are now stored, as are the 25 boxes of books and supplies stored at Mary Gilman’s home before her husband’s death.

The Ethics class has ended. The Richard Gilman Group continues with another challenge. Two of the Northwestern students have continued their commitment, Charles Moore and Bonnie Birden. The next challenge is raising the funds and arranging shipment so the goods will arrive at their destination and be properly distributed. Shipping fees and insurance will cost thousands of dollars. The group has investigated several agencies and options that may help with affordable shipping. An account with a non-profit status needs to be established for the group before any full-scale fundraising efforts begin. In the meantime, local organizations including the Torrington Rotary and the Eagles Club have been contacted and have indicated that they would help.

The death of Richard Gilman was a tragedy for his family and friends as well as for the children in Vambumu. Only a true community effort could attempt to continue his work. What began with four students, a class assignment and a newspaper grew to include family, students and staff at a local school, local businesses and organizations. When completed, the impact of this project started by Richard Gilman, will not only have significantly benefited his community here in Connecticut and the community in Vambumu, but will have joined these two communities through the children.

CAITLIN GORSKI

Caitlin Gorski is a student at Hopkinton High. She is a quietly commanding junior who serves as Class President, actress, varsity volleyball player, artist, Church youth leader, community service volunteer and honor student. Caitlin believes relationships and people are most important. She values the years her family spent in Marlborough before moving to Hopkinton. There, the diversity gave her a great foundation for the work she is doing now.

Caitlin recently participated in the three-day, 60-mile Avon Breast Cancer Walk, and she raised over $2,800 for research. In addition, Caitlin has served with the Ambassador’s Club – welcoming new students to Hopkinton High School, Gospel Road – a volunteer group that works in soup kitchens and visits the elderly and the Bottle Drive for victims of the September 11th tragedy. Caitlin has also sponsored a child in a third world country, worked with DEL – a leadership workshop for children, the Connectors Club, Youth Outreach Weekend, Girl Scouts and Teenagers Against Drinking & Drugs.

A visit to a homeless shelter in Boston inspired her next project. Caitlin met a homeless man at the shelter who was getting up in early morning everyday to look for a job. She respected and appreciated his daily struggle to provide basic needs for himself. That moved her and changed her perception of those who were living in the shelters. Caitlin wanted to create a job fair for the homeless. In order to gain the skills necessary to move forward with her job fair, she applied for the “Take the Lead” program.

Chosen as one of 38 from a pool or more than 600 high school students nominated by teachers and community leaders, Caitlin is now a part of Mount Holyoke College’s “Take the Lead” program. She and the other participants were chosen because of their potential for leadership and ability to make a difference. This program entails the youth attending workshops in team building and organizational skills, and the participants work on a project of their choice under the guidance of a mentor. Caitlin’s project advisor advised that she exhibits commitment, passion and compassion when articulating her desire to reach out to the homeless. She believes that Caitlin will be a wonderful agent for positive change in the world.

Caitlin is working to implement a job fair for jobless and economically disadvantages individuals. This event has grown from an idea to a large event that will occur on May 20,2003 at City Hall Plaza in Boston. It will be called “Job Fare 2003” and her slogan for the event is “ Putting Care Into Careers.” Caitlin has reached out to St. Francis House, Impact Employment Service, Community Work Services and Boston Employment Services. All of them have offered their resources to assist with Job Fare 2003. Caitlin has assembled a committee of individuals from these organizations to guide her in creating an important event that could potentially improve the lives of people who are currently facing serious economic challenges. She is doing the fundraising, contacting of employers and organizing the specific details.

GLORIA JOHNSON-RODGERS

Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers is a family practice physician, humanitarian, author and coordinator of the Gwendolyn Wilkes Rainbow Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Columbus, Georgia. Since its inception in 1994, the Gwendolyn Wilkes Rainbow Center, a multifaceted Child Care and Adult Day Treatment center, reaches out to the community and is inclusive of the whole family unit. It seeks to empower wholeness in the family unit.

The Rainbow Center has sought a high standard of excellence in all that has been attempted; a free clothing and food pantry, which serviced more than 60,000 locally last year; a Child Care Center that gives honors for educational achievement, working with 90% low-income families, and an Adult Day Treatment Center that provides warm meals, professional staffing, transit shelters, and some assistance with homeless. All of these services are a part of the Center and most efforts are facilitated through volunteer service.

Another humanitarian cause supported by Johnson-Rodgers is the hunger crisis in Nigeria, West Africa. Last year almost one million children in Nigeria died before the age of five due to starvation. In 2002, the hunger situation has heightened to the worst level in history; families are dying on the streets. Dr. Gloria Johnson-Rodgers has begun work to alleviate the suffering of families, especially women and children in Nigeria. The plan is to build feeding stations in three distinct regions of Nigeria, which will give access to the whole country, as most states are within one hour walking distance of each other. The stations will be able to give goods to 10,000 residents at one time, therefore feeding hundreds of thousands daily. Johnson-Rodgers are her team of volunteers are also building several orphanages throughout Nigeria to help solve the problem of homelessness.

Thousands have already been fed in Nigeria, West Africa, since the project was begun in the year 2000. Scholarships have been donated for 1,500 children from very poor areas. These children are very gifted, but have no means for school. Johnson-Rodgers has helped to build two schools and donated medical supplies, along with toiletries, to the women and children in the villages of Nigeria. Nowhere else in the world has anyone attempted to build such feeding stations which will accommodate the masses. Instead of several trucks per month, several million can be fed easily. Physicians, educator, various people from all walks of life and many other volunteers are on standby and willing to join in this project to educate, donate time and service.

Recently, Dr. Johnson-Rodgers was named one of the 100 winners of Charming Shoppes’ VOICES essay contest – 100 remarkable women who raised their VOICES to create positive change in their communities. This award was based on work being done in Columbus, Georgia, and Nigeria, West Africa, through MISSION NIGERIA/Operation Feed Worldwide. This contest was sponsored by Fashion Bug, Lane Bryant, and Catherine’s.

In addition to her work being done locally and abroad, Dr. Johnson-Rodgers is a loving, devoted wife of Dr. Charles Rodgers, mother of four beautiful children. She provides personal counseling to anyone who needs her, regardless of race, nationality, background or religious affiliation. Because of her love for people, she is willing to help anyone who asks. The children in the neighborhood have adopted her as “Mom.” She gives them odd jobs to do throughout the ministry. There are times when she stops her busy workday, whenever the neighborhood children come to visit, to spend time with them, allowing them the opportunity to “express their thoughts.” She always has a “loving smile” and plenty of love for anyone. Because of her compassion for the children, on her next visit to Nigeria on last year, she describes the suffering that the people are experiencing.

Dr. Rodgers is a member of the Homeless Task Force, Columbus, Georgia, and provides transient shelters for the homeless. She was also responsible for setting up a Feeding Program for Senior Citizens in Atlanta, Georgia, whereby she assisted the elderly to ensure they had sufficient food for the entire month. She is also well known for her words of wisdom given during her weekly TV program, Morning Inspiration, which airs on a local television station and reaches 197,000 households.

ELIZABETH BULL

Elizabeth Bull is enrolled at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, which has strong programs for Interpreting majors and programs for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. She is studying to earn a double major in Interpreting for the Deaf and General Studies with a focus in Criminal Justice. Though these programs require contact hours and fieldwork, the contributions mentioned here are all volunteer services.

Early in her coursework, Bull became proficient in sign and the general college community. Her natural ability to engage with her peers, together with her sign language skills has benefited the campus community by comfortably blending two diverse groups, the hearing and the deaf.

The Northwest Deaf Club was the lead organization in the Captioning Now effort to lobby for legislation that would require movie theaters to provide closed captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing customers. Bull was very active in this effort. Currently, she monitors the local theater web site and relays movie information to the larger deaf community. She regularly attends captioned movies, notes attendance and encourages people to gather socially afterward for pizza sponsored by the Deaf Club. She is the campus contact person with the CT Recreation Association for the Deaf for an upcoming movie and social event.

Bull makes herself available, pro bono, to make theater and other community experiences accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing. In December, the Art Department hosted the opening of a 30-minute documentary, “9/11 Numbers That Echoed Through a Nation,” which was produced by students and shown at the Gilson Theater. Bull participated in the panel discussion that followed. During the Fall 2002 semester she volunteered as a peer tutor in class, Selected Topics for the Deaf, where she took notes and made herself available to assist deaf students with their homework assignments. This past January she attended a presentation on lobbying in Ashford, CT, sponsored by Self Help for the Hard of Hearing.

The Northwest Deaf Club elected Bull as Secretary and she was voted as the ‘sign to voice’ interpreter for the deaf officers. (Beginning in Spring 2003, Bull was granted fieldwork hours for the voice interpreting.) She is also a Senator for the student government and she has assisted as an interpreter on several occasions. She has made it possible for a deaf woman to serve as the Senate Secretary this year.

Bull is truly a catalyst who can successfully motivate people to take active roles. In addition, she bridges the communication hurdle between the hearing and the deaf. The number of deaf students on the Student Senate has increased since Bull has been a Senator. The number of Senators and associated friends who have attended the Deaf Club meetings and events has also increased, as well as the number of hearing students who have learned the basics of sign language either on their own or who have chosen it for elective credit. Bull proposed that the Student Senate and the Deaf Club coordinate joint social events. These two groups now cosponsor an annual semi-formal dance and are planning a trip to Boston later this spring. She is a co-chair for both events.

LYNN CARROLL

Lynn Carroll has been a volunteer at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) for the past 16 years. She possesses a unique skill of being a nationally certified Braille Transcriptionist for the blind. Carroll has volunteered her special skills to enable the blind to access educational materials in Braille. She devotes seven to ten hours per week helping the USDB produce educational materials in Braille for blind students.

Carroll has also shared her unique talent, training two staff persons at the USDB in Braille transcription. Under Carroll’s guidance, these two people have obtained national certification in Braille transcription. She has taught classes in Braille transcription and in the Nemeth Braille code, used in science and math, for teachers and aides at the school. Recently Carroll finished team-teaching an introduction to Braille that was broadcast to other parts of the state via Utah’s EDNET.

Educational materials in Braille are costly and can be difficult to find. One textbook or reading book in Braille may cost anywhere from $600 to $2,000. Many books are not available in Braille and must be transcribed. Carroll has employed her specialized training and expertise to enable hundreds of students to access educational materials while saving the school thousands of dollars. USDB now has a Braille production department staffed by people she trained, and together they produce text books, tests, worksheets, pamphlets and an array of additional materials that otherwise would have been unavailable to a blind student.

Carroll has had unique challenges in her service to the deaf and blind. She earned her Braille Transcription Certification in 1981 and has volunteered in various ways since then. She has studied specialized Braille codes at home and traveled to workshops provided by the National Braille Association. Carroll worked with the Lion’s Club to secure two Perkins Braillers as a donation to USDB. She is also active throughout her community and has taught classes in reading Braille by sight for Ogden City Schools Continuing Education Program. In addition, Carroll is active in the Ogden Community Choir and the Audubon Society. The list of students, teachers and community members that have received direct and indirect benefit from Carroll’s volunteer service is abundant.

EDITH CALLAHAN

Ms. Edith Callahan started volunteering at The League for People with Disabilities, Inc. two years ago as part of her school’s service program. She started a program called “Tips-n-Wash” that provided a rare service – cleaning of wheelchairs/mobility equipment and replacement of tips on canes. Ms. Callahan is being nominated for her insight and unique way of addressing a health and safety hazard. Although this particular project has ended, accorded to her school’s service program, she still makes quarterly visits to The League.

Edith is graduating this semester with a degree in Physical Therapy and was first an intern in The League’s Wellness Center. She became aware of many issues her clients face and started addressing some with her program. People who use wheelchairs are often dependent on care providers to help them with personal hygiene. Unfortunately, their wheelchairs are often neglected. Those who are able to wash their chairs may not have the space to do so at home. Also, the rubber tips of canes wear down and are sometimes lost. She provides for a very basic need that is not addressed.

WENDY WERKMEISTER

Wendy Werkmeister currently serves as President of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC). For over eight years, she has led the statewide economic development corporation providing business education and access to capital to those interested in starting or growing a small business.

Under her leadership many accomplishments have been realized. The organizational revenue increased from $200,000 to $1,600,000, staff increased from 1.5 to 20 fulltime individuals and the WWBIC has been recognized through numerous local and national awards including United States Small Business Administration (US-SBA) New Market Awards, Rural Partnership Awards andUrban Economic Development Association Leadership Award. Werkmeister has been recognized as Milwaukeean of the Year and Rotarian of the Year. WWBIC now provides training to over 1,500 individuals per year and loans close to $1 million annually due to Werkmeister’s leadership. WWBIC has also been a subcontractor for both the US-SBA’s Egypt Initiative and US AID for international business development.

Werkmeister has actively served in a leadership role on many local committees, boards and civic associations. She has been past President of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Civic Alliance and Milwaukee North Shore Rotary Club. She is current Assistant District Governor of Rotary District 6270, Group Team Leader of Rotary Group Study Exchange to Nigeria, Vice President of the Association of Women’s Business Centers and Vice President of St. Francis Children Center.

In addition, Werkmeister has been involved in numerous local, national and international developments including a Rotary Group Study Exchange to Nigeria, International Host to delegations recently from Ghana, Tanzania, Russia and Ukraine, Cocoa-Organic and Sustainable Farming Project in the Dominican Republic and the building of a school and well in Kadoka, Nigeria. She is also serves in the development and coordination of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Hank Aaron State Trail Run/Walk and the development and lead in Milwaukee’s Public Market.

MARY WILSON

Mrs. Wilson is currently the director of the Mt. Olive Community Development Corporation Village Center After School Program, which is funded in part by grants.

This rewarding task has enabled Mrs. Wilson to help the children realize their full potential as they receive assistance with homework. Emphasis is placed on math, reading, spelling, English, history, writing and public speaking and computer skills. Additionally, attendees are taught cultural and human relations skills.

Mrs. Wilson takes children to the library, amusement parks and other outings, which allows them to see and know that knowledge is power and that education, coupled with common sense, will help them to go anywhere and be winners for life.

She helps the Youth Minister at Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church with Monday night bible study and also assists with fundraising activities for the Mt. Olive baseball teams.

Mrs. Wilson is the Asst. Director for the Mt. Olive Church 2003 Young Disciples Camp, which will be held for six weeks this summer. She will assist with camp registration, preparing and serving breakfast and lunch for about 30 – 35 children. She will assist in organizing and operation of the overall summer camp activities. She has assisted with organizing other children's summer camps, including being responsible for preparing and serving breakfast and lunch for the students and counselors in the programs.

Mrs. Wilson still finds time to make scrumptious cakes, pies and other dishes for sick and shut-in persons in the church and the community. She brings fresh vegetables from her garden and puts them aside for anyone who will take them (without cost.) She also serves on culinary committees that prepare food for church activities.

Moreover, Mrs. Wilson has found the time to join the Historic Health Center as a Board Member and extend her volunteer role in the community. She is also serving, and has served for over 15 years, in Stewardship and Finance positions for church.

In May 2002, she received the "Mother of the Year" award from Mt. Olive A.M.E. Church and also received the 2002 "Volunteer of the Year" Award for Anne Arundel County, MD.