Daily Bread Christian Service Center

Orlando was a small town about to burst into a metropolis. Tourism, plentiful jobs, and a great climate teamed up to draw thousands to Central Florida. It was the 1970’s and the boom was on. Nobody was ready, however, for the changes the boom would bring.

It was only a matter of time before private and public resources were exhausted, leaving many who had come to share in the success alone and forgotten in the shadows of the community. Everyone joined in—churches, businesses, civic groups, foundations, and individuals—and the Christian Service Center for Central Florida was formed.

Through Daily Bread, meals were served, the hungry were fed, and many were given other assistance such as leads on jobs, overnight housing, medical assistance, transportation assistance, or referrals to other agencies. Twenty-six years later, it’s the new millennium, and yet poverty and hunger still exist in Central Florida. Thankfully the Christian Service Center is still there to help those who are hungry. Daily Bread will feed up to 500 people on any given day. To date, over 2.25 million meals have been served. Many that they serve are chronic homeless and/or mentally ill who eat at Daily Bread every day. They also serve those in the community who are commonly referred to as the “working poor,” those who are striving to make ends meet, and do—barely.

In September 2000, Daily Bread expanded its services once again. In an effort to keep the homeless off the streets of downtown Orlando, the Center opened a Friday night coffee house in the downtown Orlando Daily Bread building. The coffeehouse opens its doors the first and third Friday of each month. The Center provides coffee, refreshments, music and games to all who attend. The evening is co-sponsored by Inner-city Community Church and Barnie’s Coffee.

Daily Bread has allowed the Center to reach out and touch those in need at their most vulnerable time and lead them into a family of service organizations to offer a hand up, not a hand out.

Youth in Action Council

The Youth in Action council group has been working together for almost four years, implementing programs in the community. A result of a national pilot program sponsored by the National 4-H Council, this group has been credited for founding an after-school literacy program for the county.

More than 85% of the K through 5th graders in the community have been served by this organization, and volunteers ranging from ages 12-86 have been responsible for implementing this program. This group has written and received many grants and donation to fund their after-school program.

The city Chamber of Commerce recently recognized four members of the core team as the “Top Community Organization of the Year.” This group has worked very hard throughout the years and deserves to be recognized for their great efforts.”

Rev. C. Edward and Mrs. Gloria Shipman

In 1975, Rev. C. Edward and Gloria Shipman founded Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home, a residential school for severely disadvantaged children and youth in Granbury, Texas. The Shipman’s wanted to give at-risk young people safety, nurturing and the education they need to become productive citizens. Today, 110 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18 now live, work and study on the 500-acre farm campus located southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Because of the Shipman’s vision, sacrifices, commitment and talents, hundreds of young people headed for delinquency are now exemplary, happy and fruitful young adults. Hundreds more of today’s youth and those in the future will benefit from the legacy created by the Shipman’s. In addition, the Happy Hill Farm Academy model is inspiring other people to create similar programs in communities across the country.

Before creating Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home, Rev. Shipman was directing a private foundation and pastoring part-time at a rural church. One evening the city marshal called asking for help with two runaway teenage girls. The Shipman’s agreed to take the girls in temporarily while looking for a permanent home for them. The Shipman’s did find a suitable place for the girls to live; and out of this challenge, Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home was ultimately born.

Happy Hill Farm Academy/home was set up as a non-profit charity and the Shipman’s deeded their assets to the non-profit entity. The Shipman’s leased their first living unit from friends and both families lived together with five foster boys for the first three years. The Shipman’s two sons, Chuck and Todd, who grew up on the Farm, have gradually assumed a leadership role in the non-profit organization. Rev. Shipman is attempting to build an endowment to secure the future of the organization. Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home does not accept public funds but relies on foundations, corporations and individual donations.

Students at Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home come from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and other family trauma. Having experienced only disappointment from adults, Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home is a complete change of environment, with safety, security, a good education in small classroom settings and the experience of being valued by adults they highly respect. Students live in homes housing eight boys or girls, with married couples and their children, attend the accredited K-12 school on campus and participate in a wide variety of athletic, academic, vocational, leadership, spiritual (interdenominational) and cultural activities. Instead of treating these youth as “poor clients with problems,” students are given the clear message that they are worthy of this investment of time and money.

Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home changes students’ horizons and broadens their dreams of what can be achieved with their lives.

Dan Winchester

Dan Winchester has been performing community based mentoring since 1991. His Little Brother was seven years old when they were matched and Winchester still spends time with him. Over the years, he has spend many hours providing guidance and companionship, sharing the experiences of fishing, community service, farming and hunting, and just “being there” and “hanging out.” Most important, however, is the fact that he helped his Little Brother with life choices. He was being raised by a single mom, and they experienced some difficult times. Winchester was there to listen and give love and advice. Today his Little Brother has completed high school, trade school and is employed full-time.

Winchester was a Little Brother at the age of 11. His Big Brother mentored him until he was 19 years old. Winchester learned a lot about life and the importance of community service through his relationship with his Big Brother. One of the greatest lessons Winchester’s Brother taught him was to pass on the gifts, talents and opportunities that he received from his Big Brother. That is the reason Winchester became an active Big Brother. He wanted to make the same impact in someone’s life that his Big Brother made in his.

Since 1993, Winchester has also been an active Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Since becoming involved with the organization, he has raised in excess of 25,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend. In 1999 and 2000, Winchester also served as a mentor to a seven- year-old child and still drops in to the first grade classroom from time to time to read to the children there.

Winchester is a member of the Leon County Board of County Commissioners. The Director of the Leon County Volunteer Center believes they are very fortunate to have a member of the County Commission so in tune with the importance of mentoring. Strongly supported by Commissioner Winchester in 2000, the Board passed an Administrative Leave Policy that allows employees to use leave time to volunteer one hour per week to serve as a mentor in schools. He believes it is wonderful that the County employees will give of their time and energy to make a difference in the life of a child, but there is still a great need for more mentors.

In 2001, Winchester spearheaded the Leon County Mentoring Initiative and adopted Sealy Elementary School. This is a school-based “read to kids” type of mentoring initiative that started very small. However, it is now providing over a dozen mentors to Sealey’s Elementary students.

Winchester knows that the young people and the mentors are not the only people impacted by these relationships. Entire communities benefit from the youth receiving additional guidance and nurturing. Mentoring results in young people staying or being placed on the right track to a successful future.

Lawrence Fausti

Seven years ago, Dr. Lawrence Fausti brought his Bethune-Cookman College students to an inner-city elementary school in Daytona Beach, Florida to help tutor the children one-on-one. Regional statistics indicated that over 60% of these children enter school unprepared for the demands of education and burdened with limited social interaction. Dr. Fausti was committed to closing this “academic gap.”

The Word Wizards tutoring program was formed to provide Turie. T. Small Elementary students with academic role models and to create a sense of belonging for both tutors and students within their schools and community. In addition, the program serves to encourage B-CC students to value their educational experience, while providing critical mentoring and tutoring skills to younger students. Set in an environment outside of the college classroom, Word Wizards fosters the firm belief that reading is a necessary and valuable lifetime skill.

The program began with 20 tutors and 25 elementary students working together one day a week for two hours. Over the years, it has evolved to include a network of volunteer support within the community and faculty, with hundreds of tutors and partnerships with Bethune-Cookman College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University and Daytona Beach Leisure Service Department. During the seven years this program has been in effect, over 500 children have received individual academic attention.

Students from kindergarten to fifth grade are tutored four days a week, with an emphasis in reading and math. Enrichment activities were later added to the program. Word Wizards promotes the education, socio-cultural growth, and empowerment of the community’s youth while providing an opportunity for continuous intellectual and professional growth, leadership, and service to others by students, tutors and mentors.

An observable trend of academic and social improvement was noted in the students, supported by testing data, teacher perception, in addition to staff and parental comments. On a district-mandated standardized test, continually increasing test scores were evident in math, reading, and language skills. Word Wizards also provides a vital connection between the college and the local community and continues to be supported by many tutors who volunteer for the program even after they satisfy their college community service component.

An educator for over 20 years, Dr. Fausti has teaching experience in college, elementary, and middle school. Originally from Freedom, Pennsylvania, Dr. Fausti was named Volusia County’s Education Volunteer of the Year, United Way’s Educational Adult Volunteer of the Year, and received the “President’s Award” from Bethune-Cookman College for his commitment to community service. He credits the success of this program to Principal Betty Powers, retired Principal Shirley Browder, his co-director, Dr. Gloria Markette, faculty peers from Bethune-Cookman College, and his B-CC Word Wizard tutoring students for their generous support and donation of time.

Clara Delaney

Clara Delaney, an 18-year-old high school senior, has volunteered with Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship since the day that it began in February 2001. Since then, she has attended every session, whether they have been in the evenings or on weekends. This unique program, which provides disabled individuals the opportunity to ride horses, has relied on Clara’s experienced hands. She volunteers as a side walker with the riders, all of whom have a disability, to make sure that they are safe in their saddles.

Clara receives special education services and her single mother has battled cancer for the past several years. Before volunteering with the program, she had never even ridden a horse. Clara has now overcome all of these challenges and accomplished well beyond her desired results.

In the beginning of the program, it was desperate for volunteers. Since Clara has been so dependable she knows all of the riders very well and trains new volunteers about the individual strengths and needs of each rider. Clara has made a positive difference in the lives of more than 10 children because it is so important for the riders to have a stable volunteer who works with them week after week. This allows her to recognize improvements or changes of any kind concerning the riders and thus adjust the level of support provided to facilitate continued growth. Clara also offers many suggestions within the program and is always quick to help with anything.

Clara is a special young woman and although she has had to face many challenges already in her life, she cares more about others before caring for herself. She is willing to give large amounts of her time and energy and expects nothing in return. Many young people with Clara’s background would have turned to drugs, alcohol or other dangerous behaviors, but Clara has chosen to help others.

Mel Arnold

Mel Arnold became a Hospice of Volusia/Flagler volunteer in 1991. Since that time, he has consistently contributed over 2000 hours and 4000 miles of documented volunteer time, although it is probable his official hours far exceed what he actually reports. Arnold is a patient and families volunteer. He works with his patients and families by providing whatever he can. This includes home repairs, errands and lending a listening ear.

Arnold has had a tremendously positive effect on the families he is assigned. In hospice volunteer training, perspective volunteers are taught that the most important attribute of a hospice volunteer is to meet people where they are and to never be judgmental. He truly loves unconditionally. When he accepts a patient assignment he never questions how far he has to drive or how much time will be needed for the patient. His only concern is how he can be of service. He then sets out to support and help his family, no matter the need. Arnold realizes that the patients and families he is assigned to are strangers. He sets out to make sure they know he is sincere in his efforts by calling, visiting and keeping eyes open for areas of need.

Arnold has replaced plumbing, installed doors, pruned trees, ran hundreds of errands, and taken patients’ pets for grooming or veterinary appointments. He lets patients know that they can call him anytime day or night. One of Arnold’s most marvelous skills is his ability to listen to people and to make them feel safe, secure, and unconditionally loved. Arnold is always available to stay with a patient to give the caregiver a chance to get out and take care of him/herself. Arnold always arrives at the patient’s home with some kind of treat: fresh fruit, homemade bread, a milkshake, or the patient or caregiver’s favorite food. He even brings treats for the family pet.

Arnold is an inspiration. He is always there with a kind word, a loving gesture, a shoulder to lean on and beautiful prayer.

Brittany Wilson

Brittany Wilson, a sophomore at DeLand High School, has volunteered in many areas of hospice care. As an eleven year old, she began her volunteer work in the hospice office by helping with large mailings, filing and trying to keep up with the shredding of confidential patient documents. At the age of twelve she began working in the Hospice Care Center patient kitchen preparing and serving patient meals. As she became more confident she began visiting with patients, delivering their meals and offering her assistance to them in any way she could. Brittany continued her work in the Care Center during school breaks and on the weekend.

After becoming a licensed driver she decided that she would like to become a home patient volunteer. The first assignment she accepted was to mentor and support a twelve-year-old girl whose grandmother guardian was terminally ill. Her duties included being a friend, taking her to doctor appointments, taking her grocery shopping and being available to listen and support the child as she dealt with the impending death of her beloved grandmother. Brittany gave up much of her Christmas holiday from school to spend time and support the patient and her granddaughter in any way she could.

Brittany’s latest volunteer work has been working with a terminally ill patient in a local nursing home. This patient had begun to isolate herself from others and repeatedly refused visits from volunteers and staff members. After hearing her mother talk about this particular patient Brittany had an idea. She told her mother about an article she read concerning pet therapy for people who were sick, isolated or homebound. Brittany wondered if maybe she could try to connect with the patient by taking her three-year-old dog to visit. At the care-planning meeting, the team decided it was worth a try. Brittany took her dog in to visit the patient and the patient responded positively. Brittany has continued to take her pet in once or twice a week, even enlisting the help of her mother. Brittany is a member of the Stetson Children’s Choir and recently traveled to North Carolina for a performance. Brittany asked her mother to take Hannah in to see the patient in her absence. The patient lights up when Brittany and Hannah walk in her room. Brittany and the patient are developing a warm and loving relationship and the patient’s state of mind had improved dramatically.

Brittany has been an integral part of the holiday projects at Hospice of Volusia/Flagler for the past four years. She has wrapped and decorated the holiday dinner boxes that the volunteer service department presents to hospice patients at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brittany has spent hours helping other volunteers prepare the homemade holiday food and has also delivered the gifts, with the assistance of her mom, to our hospice patients.

Brittany is a member of Key Club and has been a member of the Stetson Children’s Choir since 1996. She has also volunteers as a member of Teen Court in Volusia County. She is a bright, kind, and compassionate woman who has definitely grasped the volunteer spirit and made a positive contribution in the lives of many.

Michaely “Mike” Wieland

Michaely “Mike” Wieland is one of those bubbly people you can’t help but love. She came to a Volunteers In Protective Service’s (VIP) training program in January, 2001. There were over 20 people in the training. Wieland made over 20 friends by the time the six-week training session ended!

Wieland and her 11 year-old mentee “Z” were matched in May of that year. They are as different as two people could be as far as age, race and socio-economic status is concerned, but where it matters they connected. Z hasn’t had an easy life. She’s been bounced around from foster home to foster home, making connections and then having those connections taken away from her. Wieland has been the stabilizing force in this little girl’s life since the day they met. Wieland is always there for Z; that is never in question.

Wieland has advocated for Z from day one, obtaining permission from foster parents to act as Z’s educational liaison, making sure she has the necessary medical and psychological evaluations, exposing Z to new and wonderful experiences, including sailing and going to places ranging from museums to garage sales and flea markets! She has taught Z the importance of doing homework and even made a connection for Z to have a pen pal from another state.

Wieland has incredible insight into Z and the dynamics of Z’s life, and she has always maintained and respected her boundaries in her relationship with Z. She is a caring, dedicated mentor, with unqualified integrity. She gives the word mentor meaning. She has shown Z that life can work if you pick up the tools to make it work, and she has helped Z identify her own incredible strengths. She has encouraged Z to follow her dream of being one of the first black astronauts and even helped her submit an application to space camp! Wieland and Z have become like two peas in a pod. They have taught each other and they’ve both grown incredibly from this experience.

Eve Sullivan

In 1991 Eve Sullivan and a friend co-founded PARENTS FORUM, a nonprofit organization designed to give parents the opportunity to share their successes and struggles. Sullivan, mother of three adult boys, saw that her experiences in developing emotional awareness and using it to successfully resolve family conflicts could help others avoid crisis. The program draws on a peer-support philosophy which believes that the best people to suggest solutions to a problem are those who have experienced it themselves.

The mission of PARENTS FORUM is to “bring together groups of parents and others to practice good communication skills in order to be more responsible in our families and more involved in our communities. With respect and honesty, wework through conflicts and strong feelings that can arise in family and community life.”

PARENTS FORUM provides practical training on meeting the challenges of parenthood. Trained volunteer leaders facilitate workshops based on eight questions about family life. The discussion, focussing on personal experience, not professional training, gives participants a chance to evaluate the balance in their lives. Using the program’s ‘Handy Guide’ individuals consider what and how they are doing in self-care and decision-making, relationships with family and friends, achievement in school or work, leisure and community activities.

As the workshop continues, participants consider their household values and rules: not only what rules are in place, but how these are made and, just as important, when and how rules are suspended or changed as family situations change. At the end of the session, parents and others — day care providers and young adults have often attended workshops — receive certificates and are given an opportunity of giving their own ‘graduation speech.’

This positive, preventive approach earned the organization a Social Venturing Award from the MIT Entrepreneurs Club in 1993 and recognition from the Massachusetts Volunteer Network as an Outstanding Service Program in 1994. Participants at the PARENTS FORUM seminar at the Family Support America conference in Chicago, April 2002, said, “This is what’s missing in many other parents programs!” and called it “one of the best workshops I ever attended!”

Through Sullivan’s involvement in national and nternational organizations — she serves on the board of the International Federation for Parent Education — as well as through community-supported publication of the PARENTS FORUM handbook Where the Heart Listens (2001), she has brought this message of encouragement and support to parents and others in diverse communities who share a common concern for the well-being and healthy development of children and youth. The program’s newly launched membership drive offers individuals around the country a chance to become involved.