THE HOCKADAY & ST. MARK’S COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM

The Hockaday School and St. Mark’s School of Texas, under the umbrella of the Hockaday/St. Mark’s Community Service program work for the betterment of the Dallas/ Fort Worth community. Students from both schools commit countless man-hours to numerous outreach projects, including neighborhood improvement, ESL tutoring, disaster-relief services, fundraising and drives and many other types of service endeavors.

Hockaday and St. Mark’s open new horizons for their students by exposing them to the many wonders of the community involvement. Students must commit at least fifteen hours annually to the Community Service Program, but most choose to become much more involved, sometimes dedicating hundreds of hours.

The Community Service Program operates under the leadership of Director, Jeanie Laube and the two schools’ Community Service Committees that are comprised of a select few Upper School ( freshman to senior) students who have shown an extraordinary commitment to community service. These committee members function as supervisors to the student bodies during projects and also help with the documentation and organization processes. The Committees’ role involves more than mundane oversight and administration, however. All members of the committee are expected to not only commit three times the required fifteen- hour allotment of community service but to also serve as role models and leaders for both their peers and the younger students at the Middle and Lower Schools. For example, the Community Service Committees host several projects for seventh and eighth grade students, each lead by a committee representative and chaperoned by a faculty member of either Hockaday or St. Mark’s.

Though they work with more than 80 community organizations, many of their projects are ongoing and they participate in on a weekly basis. Some of these programs include tutoring children in the Dallas Independent School Districts (DISD) from Harry C. Withers Elementary, John J. Pershing Elementary and Tom C Gooch Elementary schools; helping to teach ESL at the Jubilee Center of Dallas; creating center pieces for the Salvation Army Carr P. Collins Social Service Center; and providing entertainment for the homeless men and women of Austin Street Shelter. They are also very involved with Genesis Women’s Shelter, the Salvation Army Angel Tree program, the North Texas Food Bank, the Dallas Arboretum, the Science Place and the Dallas/Fort Worth Zoo, and they send volunteer to help these organizations many times during the year.

The Hockaday and St. Mark’s Community Service Program works to instill in the students of both schools the quintessential value of good citizenship to seek to develop the habit of volunteer service. This awakens the children’s concern for those coping with hardship and encourages a sense of responsibility for the environment. Both schools believe that a meaningful and flexible program of mandatory community service can raise social awareness, broaden outlooks, build conscience and maturity and teach sound leadership values and skills.

NANCY SMITH WORTHEN

Nancy Smith Worthen understands the importance of volunteerism to the community as well as being committed to volunteers having a positive experience. She has been the volunteer coordinator at the Providence Children’s Museum for 15 years. She has been involved as a volunteer on the Professional Development Committee at the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island (VCRI) since 1992, and she has served as the co-chair of the committee for many of those years.

She has been instrumental in the evolution of the group from a smaller, less formal group to a more professional and very highly regarded training group. This committee helps VCRI fulfill an important part of its mission to connect people and opportunities for effective volunteer community service through building the capacity for effective volunteerism through training and consultation.

By providing training to volunteer managers, Ms. Worthen and the Professional Development Committee are helping the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts communities to enhance the volunteer experiences of all people. They believe volunteers are more likely to continue to volunteer in the future if they have a good service experience.

Ms. Worthen develops and presents low cost but high quality workshops to fellow volunteer managers. These workshops are beneficial in that they are providing important information to those working with volunteers. Workshops encompass a range of topics from recruiting to retaining recognition to staff relations and many more. Workshops are popular and draw between 10 and 30 volunteer managers at a time with 8 workshops offered annually.

Ms. Worthen was instrumental in designing the Basic Volunteer Management Workshop that VCRI now offers four times each year. This training covers the basic steps of managing a successful volunteer program. She was also very active in starting and continuing the tradition of offering an all day conference to volunteer managers that allows them to focus on sharpening their skills while networking with other volunteer managers in the community. Annually, 60 to 75 volunteer managers attend the VCRI conference that is coordinated by the Professional Development Committee.

Ms. Worthen is a role model to other volunteer managers in the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts areas. She has become an unofficial mentor to many of the high quality volunteer managers currently working in many area nonprofit agencies and plays a vital role in meeting the critical needs in the Providence community. She has given at least 500 hours as a volunteer with VCRI and is looking forward to her newest project with the Professional Development Committee’s formal mentoring program for volunteer managers.

DOROTHY DUNN BAILEY

For the past 17 years, Dorothy Bailey has selflessly and tirelessly given care and love to people living with HIV/AIDS served by Bering Omega Community Service. Since 1986, Ms. Bailey has eased the pain of residents, parents, children and loved ones when they need it most, while giving respite to the hospice staff. She gives hope and transition to more than 650 terminally ill residents and their families and loved ones at Omega House.

The Center for Disease Control reports that Houston has the 7th largest population of people with full-blown AIDS in the nation. Bering Omega serves 1 in 3 people reported to have HIV or AIDS in Houston/Harris County and targets indigent, uninsured and under-served HIV+ individuals and their caregivers who have no other healthcare alternatives. Ms. Bailey gives compassionate care to these people living their last days due to HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Bailey also helps with contributions of much-needed funds and in-kind donations to help offset operating expenses. She has served as a leader of the Volunteer Committee for more than four years, as well as a volunteer for the annual fundraisers, “Arts Songs and Arias” and “A Christmas Songfest.” On any given day you can find Ms. Bailey administering for the Volunteer Services Program, holding the hand of a terrified person who is dying, writing a newsletter article for volunteers, or anything else she is asked to do.

Ms. Bailey continues her service being on-call to serve clients, and as an active member of the Volunteer Committee – a Board of Trustees level group that focuses on volunteer recruitment and recognition. In addition to her many hours of volunteer service, Ms. Bailey holds a part-time job as an employee of the Resource Group, an agency that provides funding to direct service providers for those with HIV/AIDS.

CALVARY BILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL LEARNING CENTER

Whole families grow up and grow stronger at Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center. Often families first come for childcare, pre-school and after-school programs. Both parents and children may stay for classes or return as staff and become part of the Learning Center’s extended family.

Three-year-old Ethiopia Stewart can tell you how much she loves the Learning Center in Spanish or English. That’s because all education at the Learning Center is bilingual and multicultural; the Learning Center celebrates the richness of the Columbia Heights community.

Ethiopia’s mother, Moona Stewart, says that the Learning Center has “helped raise” all four of her children. Moona lost her job when Ethiopia, her last child, was born because she didn’t have childcare. Luckily for Moona, an Ethiopian immigrant, she found a new job and the Learning Center at the same time. All four children have enjoyed early childhood, after-school and summer programs, tutoring, arts enrichment and a host of other offerings through the Learning Center at different points in their young lives.

Founded in 1986, Calvary Bilingual Multicultural Learning Center began offering child development services to 15 neighborhood children. Today some 600 community members turn to the Learning Center for support that ranges from job referrals to programs for their children and help strengthening their skills as parents and earners.

In 1995, the local phone company donated a boarded-up, 73,000-square-foot switching station, which the Learning Center renovated to reflect its two-way relationship with the community. Walking by the beautiful, glass-walled building, neighborhoods can see young people plan a drama production and young artists as they paint. They can stop and watch the Learning Center at work for them.

The Learning Center serves as a doorway to America for immigrant families and a source of hope and possibility for other families in Washington, D.C.’s diverse Columbia Heights neighborhood. On average, children enroll in Learning Center programs for seven years, and 85% of Learning Center employees start out as parents of children in childcare. Long-term relationships mean that the Learning Center can help families work toward their goals and can support them through crises.

Parents can attend workshops in parenting, literacy, economic literacy, computers and languages. An essential employer for teens in the community, the Learning Center gives young people income, skills and an alternative to gangs. Art programs create a means of expression for community members of all ages.

Community members who want training in early childhood education can enter the Learning Center’s Child Development Associate Program, which offers bilingual training to speakers of English, Spanish, Cantonese, Creole, Vietnamese and Arabic. Deepening neighborhood resources for excellent childcare, more than 400 graduates now staff childcare services or operate licensed centers in their homes. With the income to stay in the community as housing prices rise, these professionals also form a bulwark against being displaced by gentrification.

NAVIGATORS

The Navigators program was created to meet the needs of students in Virginia Beach whose family members are incarcerated. It is estimated that these children number in excess of 2,000. Further, research shows that these children are five times more likely to be incarcerated themselves in later life without intervention.

This program is designed to provide children with the tools they need to overcome their difficult circumstances. The “Dare To Be You” curriculum used by the Navigators is designed to promote resilience in children. The curriculum focuses on: self-concept/self esteem, self-responsibility, communication/social skills, decision making/reasoning skills and drug or substance education. The group also provides assistance with practical concerns of family members, such as transition periods – holidays, court dates, sentencing and release from incarceration. This outreach to the community enables them to improve the child’s situation through assistance with difficult family concerns at home.

The two educators who facilitate the Navigators program have run the groups at the two schools they serve since the inception of the program. The Navigators have been a welcome addition to Seatack Elementary School and Bettie F. Williams School. Navigators provide the children with a continuous, caring adult figure in their lives. This volunteer is someone who expects the best of them and wants to help them reach their full potential.

As a result of the Navigators, children have the opportunity to join with other students whose family members were incarcerated. This group benefited from shared perspectives, experiences and most importantly, the understanding that they were not alone. They learned coping skills, decision-making skills and received information about substance abuse.

The Navigators also arrange guest speakers from the community. They have had the pleasure of listening to storytellers, zoo officials, persons from the Mariners Museum and many others. They also benefited from tutoring provided by interns from Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University.

The Navigators not only help children and their families; but the community benefits from their service as well. There is increased bonding between school and community as well as families and needed resources. In addition there is an increased cooperation between public agencies resulting in the fewer duplications of services and a cost savings to school and community from this service program.

The children that are a part of the Navigators program have experienced difficult circumstances in their lives at a very young age. The family stress, lack of family resources and sense of isolation experienced by these children is profound. The Navigators program serves to provide these children with a network of understanding, caring adults, relationships with other students in similar situations and coping skills to guide them toward a successful future.

DAISY HENRY

Daisy Henry is a senior adult who has a unique way of turning negative situations into positive ones. This five foot three inch soft-spoken woman is caring and openly helpful to everyone she meets. Though she is not large in stature, she is huge in character and compassion; and she always gets the job done.

Ms. Henry is the President of Joy With Love Outreach Center. She saw the needs of her community and established the center in 1996. Ms. Henry set up, ran and evaluated this program with the help of her Board Members. The Outreach center provides a safe haven for those in the community that need some assistance. She has an After School Homework Program that shows children the importance of education. Ms. Henry has also implemented an Anger Management Program that enables families to communicate openly and solve issues in a productive manner. One of her newest programs is a monthly workshop for youth. Another program is the Library Appreciation Program, which is an opportunity for the children to learn, familiarize themselves with their Bunnell Library and to enhance their thirst for knowledge.

In addition to the outreach at the center, Ms. Henry has begun an Environment Awareness Program and is in the process of facilitating a Computer Technology Lab for the children’s research and for the adults to enhance their career opportunities. Ms. Henry also is a Pastor of The Spirit of Truth, Inc. and is a Commissioner sitting on the Board of Commissioners for the City of Bunnell. Ms. Henry is on the Coalition Board of Flagler/Volusia counties, Communities in Action Coalition, Flagler Area Ministerial Alliances (FAMA) and the Homeless Coalition Board of Flagler/Volusia Counties. She also attends meetings with other organizations so she can network and increase her contacts that can help support her work in the community.

Ms. Henry works hard to address education, self-worth and community issues in this area. Many individuals have gained knowledge, wisdom and comfort from her counseling, especially those who are incarcerated. Ms. Henry cooks and delivers hot meals for the needy. She also provides transportation and tutoring for after school homework programs, maintains a free clothing closet, takes children on field trips and participates in Bunnell City Clean Up. Most people in their community and neighboring communities know her and the wonderful work she does and how much she gives of herself and her time.

MARSHALL BRINTON

The educational goal of the Nibley Park Elementary School is to improve math and reading scores. At this school, Marshall Brinton supports one of the teachers by helping struggling students in math. He works with small groups or individuals who are having a hard time with a math concept. He enjoys the challenge of finding a new way to present the problem so the child can better understand the concept. He also helps children read. He is constantly contributing information to add depth to the stories being read.

Mr. Brinton also enjoys challenging the bright students who finish their work early. He will bring problems or riddles from home to further challenge them. Every Monday and Wednesday morning, the class looks forward to the problem or riddle Mr. Brinton has written on the board. He also shared funny stories that bring smiles to the students’ faces.

Mr. Brinton brings enthusiasm and a love for learning to the classroom. He has often said that if he is not making a difference and helping he does not want to be there. He does not want to be given just “busy work.” He is genuinely concerned about the students and helping them to learn.

Mr. Brinton has a business background, owning an electric company, and his strength is in math. Five years ago, Mr. Brinton had a heart attack and had five bypass surgeries. At the age of 81, many did not expect him to return to the classroom. However, as soon as he was able, he returned to school to help students. He has even volunteered to tutor students during the summer months.

Mr. Brinton serves as a mentor to the students as well. He spends time at recess talking to the children one-on-one about their problems or interests. He builds self-confidence in the students and encourages them to do work that they never thought they could do.

In the school computer lab, there are headsets that the students constantly break. Mr. Brinton volunteered to take all the headsets home and fixed them so that the students could use them again. He has also attended after school programs such as the Books and Brownies Night in which students read to their parents or guardians. Mr. Brinton read with the students who didn’t have anyone to read to them and helped in any capacity where he was needed.

DENNY DEIBLER

Denny Deibler has been a faithful volunteer at Heartbeats and Hoofbeats Therapy for the past year and a half. He comes every Monday and volunteers for eight hours. Mr. Deibler is available no matter what the weather or how he is feeling so he can help with the disabled children.

Mr. Deibler’s duties range from cleaning out a horse stall to making sure treatment areas are clean. He also helps build handicapped accessible ramps and works one on one with the children while they are receiving therapy on horseback.

In order for the therapy to be successful, they have to have dedicated volunteers. The volunteers are vital and ensure the safety of the children. They also help with the myriad of chores that are necessary in this setting.

Each child that Mr. Deibler works with seems to connect with him. Because of his attitude, charisma and personality, he is always able to get the most effort out of the children he works with during their treatment sessions.

Heartbeats and Hoofbeats currently has 160 children with a variety of disabilities who are treated on a weekly basis. They have seen dramatic results in the child’s ability to perform certain tasks after being in the program. This strengthens their muscles and improves their mobility and coordination. They have even seen children who can now communicate for the first time in their lives due to their therapy.

Most of the children are able to be more functional at home and in school, and it has given them a tremendous sense of improved self-esteem. They are finally successful at something that is therapeutic as well as fun. The children are able to experience improved memory skills and can figure out how to complete several steps to complete a structured activity. After working with Mr. Deibler, the children do not feel so isolated in their wheelchairs, walkers or adaptive chairs. They can now interact physically and socially with Mr. Deibler and the other volunteers.

The children are treated one to two times per week and are in the program as long as they are mastering the goals that have been established for them. He helps make positive changes in the lives of children with disabilities and gives more happiness to their every day lives.

ROBERT OLSON

Robert Olson is a volunteer for the Academy of Finance magnet school program at Clark High School. He recognizes that the nation’s business future is in the hands of the youth so he created an opportunity for all students to have the very best business education possible in the Las Vegas community. Mr. Olson has helped to prepare students for the challenges ahead of them by exposing them to a wealth of business experiences and avenues that are available to them in Las Vegas.

As a Trustee for the Nevada Council on Economic Development, Mr. Olson first learned of the National Academy Foundation and the prospects of starting on similar in Las Vegas. From that moment on, he made it his goal for his unique educational opportunity to be available to high school students in Southern Nevada. He not only wanted the program available, but he wanted it to be exemplary and a model for other academies across the country.

Through Mr. Olson’s tireless efforts, the concept became a reality. Schools nationwide are now looking to the Academy of Finance at Clark High School for advice on how to create an advisory board comprised of business professionals, university professors, community partners, grade-school educators and the entire gamut that would represent the community at large. These members work together to provide internships, mentoring opportunities, scholarships and a course curriculum rich in its business class offering for students.

Mr. Olson started by assembling the Southern Nevada Academy of Finance Board. He recruited on the best- qualified, most committed partners who would be able to bring the financial resources and expertise to get the fledgling project off to an auspicious beginning. Under Mr. Olson’s direction, these business executives, educators and leaders in the public sector brought the National Academy Foundation’s lofty goals to local students and fulfilled a profound need. By 1997, Clark High School welcomed the first students to the new Academy of Finance (AOF).

Through the years that followed, Mr. Olson spent countless hours on campus speaking with students, evaluating curriculum and working with AOF teachers to ensure the objectives of the program were being met. He pounded the pavement to recruit business mentors and to secure internships positions for AOF students. Mr. Olson relentlessly promoted the AOF to the business sector to gain community support.

By 2001, the growth of the program was phenomenal. It was such as success that Mr. Olson promoted the hiring of a Mentor/Internship Coordinator, funded by the Southern Nevada Academy of Finance Board independent of the school district. Mr. Olson remains an active and supportive board member of the AOF today. He continues to work tirelessly bringing students, business executives and educators together to maintain an exemplary community partnership.

FOCUS AMERICA

Focus America is a New Jersey nonprofit corporation that is solely run by volunteers and develops and enhances the business acumen of young high school and college students who then go on to create, implement and manage their own community-service programs.

Shelly Zimmerman, a college professor at an all-women’s college in New Jersey, started focus America in October 2002. Zimmerman’s desire was to address business development needs of her undergraduate students. The primary concern of Focus America is to provide structured service learning opportunities for high school and college students while addressing the needs of low-income communities throughout the United States. In May of 2003, it was granted 501©3 nonprofit status by the IRS and it was retroactive to October 21, 2002 when the company was founded.

Focus America’s fledgling project focused on a poor community in Pembroke, Illinois when volunteers began collecting food, clothing, educational materials and school uniforms for the poverty-stricken children. That Christmas, volunteers collected and shipped more than 300 Christmas gifts for the children, most of whom had never experienced the joy and hope of this wonderful holiday.

In 2003, the organization turned their attention to the communities in their own backyard – northern New Jersey. In addition, they adopted Breast Cancer Research as the main medical project for volunteers. As a result, student volunteers have implemented programs that include but are not limited to providing free babysitting services for children of cancer victims, endorsing literacy for young Americans and mentoring first generation American youths.

Since its inception, the organization remains managed and run by volunteers. They have provided more than $300,000 in charitable services with overhead expenses of less than 1.5%. Focus America emphasizes two major programs annually. Project Pencils collects and distributes new backpacks filled with educational supplies to low-income children in New Jersey. During 2003, they supported 300 children and their goal for 2004 was 1,000. Project Holiday Cheer collects and distributes new holiday educational gifts as well as winter clothing to children in need in New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and several other states. In 2003, Focus American supported in excess of 1,200 children, and their goal for 2004 is 2,000.

The program recently started a preschool for children aged 18 months to 4 years. Puzzle Pieces Playschool provides drop in babysitting for children of women going through cancer treatment. All proceeds are funneled back to the charity to fund the organization’s community-service programs.

In addition, Focus America runs special projects throughout the year including food collections for day laborers, literacy collections for schools in impoverished communities, cell phone collections for domestic violence victims, mentoring programs for young girls and nationwide book clubs held over the Internet.