STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE (SIFE)

The community service philosophy of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) demonstrates a commitment to achieving incredible and lasing impact. SIFE students lend hands rather than handouts, providing the training necessary for citizens to lead independent, successful lives. SIFE teams in more than 875 colleges and universities across the United States develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of free enterprise.

SIFE was founded in 1975 as a nonprofit organization whose goal was to improve the quality of life and standard of living around the world by teaching the principles and values of free enterprise. Working in partnerships with business and higher education, SIFE organizes and motivates teams of university students who teach others an understanding of these principles.

Distinguished faculty advisors guide SIFE teams. The teams conduct educational outreach projects throughout the academic year and are given the opportunity to showcase these projects at competitions. Through oral, audio-visual and written summaries, SIFE Teams present projects to judges. The judges, all top domestic and international business leaders then determine which teams did the best job teaching and equipping others with the tools necessary for success.

SIFE Teams work to demonstrate connection building within communities. One California SIFE Team implemented a successful welfare to work plan for single mothers. A South Dakota Team seminar educated seniors citizens against falling prey to fraud. SIFE does not mandate the curriculum or project implemented by teams. The only requirement is the projects relate to free market economics, entrepreneurship, financial success skills or business ethics.

SIFE Teams use innovation to help teach others to be productive successful citizens. The team data sheets show that SIFE programs have reached approximately four million people last year alone. The Wall Street Journal states, “SIFE is offering a lesson all good managers should help to teach: that business is a part of the fabric of every community, that it is a skill that needs to be learned by everyone to some degree in order to survive, and that the smallest venture can have world-wide reach.” (Carol Hymowitz –1-14-03).

SIFE’s mission is to give it student members the best opportunity to make a difference. SIFE is taking the youth of today and turning them into our leaders of tomorrow.

DARRYL CURRY

Daryl Curry is a tireless volunteer at the Ernest Everett Just Middle School (EE Just). He came to EE Just for a parent meeting, agreed to volunteer when he could, saw the need was greater than an occasional visit and has come back to EE Just each day since. He has acted as a consultant and provides the school with sound advice on many occasions. Mr. Curry’s judgment is visionary, and he always has the students’ best interest at heart.

Mr. Curry arrives to EE Just at or before 8:30am each day and assists in any way possible. He answers telephones, assists with cafeteria and hall duty, works in the Guidance and front offices, interacts with students and assists teachers and administrators in other areas where help is necessary. Mr. Curry is aware that the staff and students at EE Just have come to rely on him and his volunteer service. When he is not able to stay an entire day, he gives notice so the staff can plan around his absence. He also attends staff meetings and works at home to do things that will help the school. In addition, he recruits other volunteers and participates in after hours and weekend functions. Mr. Curry does all this volunteer work while maintaining a career in the evening.

Mr. Curry has made himself available at a moments notice for questions or specific information on school projects. Mr. Curry is a Television Technician by trade and has taught in the US Navy and as a substitute on occasion. Mr. Curry sets a high standard and has high expectations for him and others. He has developed enduring professional relationships with the teachers, parents and students. Mr. Curry is insightful, caring and responsive to the developmental needs of all youth as well as a man of positive action and fortitude.

Recently, Mr. Curry offered to mentor a small group of boys who are having difficulties in middle school. One of the youth is 16 and in the 8th grade, and another youth has a 2-year-old child and has been in five different middle schools in two years. Mr. Curry has developed a “Boys to Men” mentoring program for these students, and he meets with them daily. Word of his group has spread and teachers have been asking if others can join. Now, Mr. Curry and another teacher are sponsoring an evening “Boys to Men Conference” in an attempt to reach even more students.

Mr. Curry displays strong leadership in a team environment, builds cooperation, communicates with ease, has a natural style and possesses an invaluable source of knowledge. His verbal commitments are consistent with his actions and he gives meticulous attention to detail. Mr. Curry is an important contributor to the success of the schools in Prince George’s County. At a time when many of the nation’s children have lost their way, it is wonderful to have an upstanding community leader, citizen and professional in their midst. His mentoring and support brings hope and encouragement for all.

BRANDY CALVERT

Brandy Calvert is active with Girl Scouts and does community service projects with her troop. However, she began another special endeavor on her own.

In June of last year, Brandy went to the mall with some friends and looked into the Build-A-Bear store. She saw The Nikki Bear, a teddy bear named after Nikki Giampolo who lost her life to cancer when she was only 14 years old. Her mom talked to the Build-A-Bear company to make a bear after her because she made so many bears there and gave them to kids will illness.

Brandy felt this was a prime opportunity for her to cheer up someone. She asked her Mom if she could collect money and build Nikki Bears to give to kids who have cancer and long-term illness. Brandy received her mother’s approval and began her own Nikki Bear Project.

Though she was excited, Brandy found the hardest part was finding hospitals that would accept the bears. In August, INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children called and said they would be honored to take the bears and give them to the kids. The Nikki Bear Project was off and rolling. Next Brandy created fliers and sent them out into the community. She also went to several fire houses in Arlington and asked for donations.

Soon the donations were coming in at a steady pace and she had enough to build 40 Nikki Bears. In September, with the help of three of my friends, they built 40 Nikki Bears at the Build-A-Bear store. Brandy and her mom were elated to deliver the bears to patients at the INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children. When Brandy and her mother delivered the bears,they found new friends in the patients and saw the young children gain some sense of comfort because of the bears.

In addition to the Nikki Bear Project, Brandy has also worked on food drives, mitten drives, coat drives, clean up a homeless shelter and even help to make children’s id’s. Brandy is still a teenager, but she knows that she can do whatever she puts her mind to it as long as she is dedicated and works hard at it.

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

New York Life Insurance Company has always believed strongly in the value of community service. In 1998, the Company formalized its commitment to community service and created Volunteers for LIFE. The program includes eight New York Life offices across the country: Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco/San Ramon and Tampa.

Volunteers for LIFE develops and promotes volunteer opportunities for New York Life’s agents, employees and retirees so that they may contribute their time and expertise to help meet community needs. The goal is to devise the most effective program possible to ensure that everyone enjoys meaningful, convenient and rewarding volunteer experiences and that the beneficiaries of their time and commitment are well served.

Volunteers for LIFE offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including ongoing programs, one-time events, team projects, collection drives and special events. Community service projects represent a range of commitment levels so that anyone may have an opportunity to participate. Opportunities exist for volunteers as individuals or in teams, once a year, once a month or even weekly.

The Company’s community service activities center on the programs benefiting children, especially in the areas on mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement programs. This focus, entitled Nurturing the Children, is closely aligned to the New York Life Foundation’s funding priorities. By linking the Company’s volunteerism with the Foundation’s grantmaking activities, the Company hopes to make the greatest impact possible.

In addition to local projects, Volunteers for LIFE organizes national initiatives that include the Season of Giving program, which brings holiday cheer to the less fortunate. In New York, employees “adopted” seniors and sent cards and presents, while teams of employees fulfilled the holiday wishes of homeless families. Other locations provided toys to needy kids through drives and fundraisers, such as Toys for Tots. Another national Volunteers for LIFE initiative encourages the families of New York Life employees to volunteer.

Although child-related projects are the primary focus, the Company recognizes there are other significant social problems in the neighborhoods where these children live and grow. For that reason, New York Life also addresses issues such as homelessness and hunger. Volunteers for LIFE supports a variety of soup kitchens, food drives, shelters and food rescue programs. Projects include City Harvest, where teams of volunteers annually collect approximately 80,000 pounds of food at an urban greenmarket; soup kitchen projects with organizations such as Momentum AIDS Project and Bay area Rescue Mission; and local clothing and food drives.

Dedicated New York Life volunteers, especially Team Leaders who organize and manage the on-site volunteer projects, have created the Volunteers for LIFE culture at New York Life. It is contagious!

ANNA STODOLA

Anna Stodola learned first hand about cancer when she was just in seventh grade. She lives in a small town and had a group three best friends. They were together so much, they were labeled the “four amigos.” One day, one of the amigos, Allie was not in school. It was odd, but Anna called once she got home. Allie said she had to miss school that day because of a doctor’s appointment. The doctor advised Allie and her family that she had Hodgkin’s Disase, a form of cancer. Allie had an operation that week and they removed what they could of the cancer. Although her cancer was only in stage 1-A, she would still have to undergo chemotherapy. This was happening a week before her 13th birthday.

The other amigos vowed to get through this together. The school had an assembly to let everyone know that Allie would only be in school about one week a month. Anna had never had someone close to her diagnosed with cancer, and she wanted to do something to help out.

The three friends started out small, asking the hospital where Allie was receiving her chemotherapy what they thought would help the patients the most. They said that hours in the hospital could get long and boring, so anything to entertain the kids would help. Anna and the amigos decided to hold a children’s video and book drive at their school. They requested that the movies be rated G or PG and in good condition. Initially, only a few donations came in; however, at the end of two months they received 500-700 movies for the kids and several boxes of books.

The girls then held a craft show to raise money. They asked local businesses to donate gift certificates or items to raffle, asked several local artists to donate crafts to be sold and the girls made crafts to sell. The school let them use the cafeteria for the event. Anna and her friends did all of the advertising and recruited volunteers from school to help. The craft show was on May 10, 2002, and it was a success. They played educational movies about cancer, sold refreshments, raffled off the gift certificates, had games for the kids, and sold lots of crafts. The craft show raised a few thousand dollars, which the girls used to buy games, dress-up materials, craft supplies and toys for the kids who were receiving cancer treatments.

The girls delivered the items to the children in July and also celebrated with Allie. She received news that the cancer was gone! Allie was elated and the other children were excited to know that people who did not know them personally cared enough to do so much to make them happy.

Allie and her friends are continuing their crusade to help bring comfort to cancer patients. They are now working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They are working on a special project and have raised $500 through candy sales to date. They will continue until they are able to grant their second wish. Their first wish was that their amigo would be cured of cancer. Allie is still cancer free and has been in remission for more than a year. Volunteering is an integral part of Allie’s life now as well as a great part of the four amigos’ friendship.

BOTTINEAU SENIOR GIRL SCOUT TROOP 322

Bottineau Girl Scout Troop 322 consists of 10 eleventh graders: Alicia Brandt, Jodi Hart, Jessalyn Higgins, Jennifer Kegley, Tara Marsden, Sara McIntee, Johna Pritchard, Katelyn Pritchard, Carolyn Steinke and Kalindi Was. Troop leaders are Gale Wondrasek and Noel Wax. Over 11 years, the troop has earned the reputation in Bottineau for performing community service. After the girls assisted with the 2003 Special Olympics State Winter Games, Special Olympics North Dakota (SOND) President Kathleen Meagher invited the troop to serve on the 2004 Winter Games planning committee.

After all ten members of the troop were certified in CPR and First Aid in December of 2003, they received additional training from SOND staff and were certified in Games Management. Each girl, under the guidance of local games director, Brad Knudson, was in charge of a specific venue. The Special Olympics State Winter Games were held on January 23rd and 24th, 2004. Local and state directors commended them for their hard work, which involved chairing and recruiting members for the 12 committees that are responsible for all areas of the competition. SOND President Kathleen Meagher and Director of Sports Eric Wasness stated that the number of volunteers increased by 67% over the 2003 event.

The troop has participated in various other community service projects. Since 1994 the members of Troop 322 have participated in the Bottineau Memorial Day Parade. For three years, the troop has placed flags on veterans’ grave at the two local cemeteries at 6:00am. During 1994, the troop members also began a community aluminum can recycling project.

During 1997 until 2002, the troop provided concessions at the annual merchants’ Crazy Days at the request of the local Chamber of Commerce. The troop has also sponsored junior high dances for the past three school years. The proceeds from these parties go to the Bottineau Ambulance Fund, the Food Pantry and the Domestic Violence Coalition. With dance proceeds of $218, the troop started “Closet for Kids” at the Bottineau Central School in September 2001.

In conjunction with the Bottineau Jaycees and Boy Scout Troop 528 and the Bottineau High Peer Youth Workers, the troop planned and organized a Halloween Carnival for the youth of the community. The proceeds from that fundraiser went towards the purchase of a defibrulator for the Lake Metigoshe First Responders. Since May of 2001, the troop members have assisted at an event at Bottineau Middle School Play Days and Bottineau County Play Days. In addition, each girl has been in charge of one competition at Bottineau Central School Play Day. The troop participated in the Bottineau County Relay For Life in 2001. They also participated in 2002 and were awarded the “Best Campsite Award” and raised more than $1,300 for the fight against cancer.

Troop 322 will continue their efforts to help find a cure for cancer and participate in the 2004 Relay For Life. They will also continue to serve their community and help those that can benefit by their community service.

GEORGIA NATURAL GAS TRUEBLUE CREW

The Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) TrueBlue Crew Volunteer Program is comprised of GNG employees of diverse ages and backgrounds sharing a common vision – establishing and maintaining a dedicated, positive, active volunteer force within the Atlanta community.

Since 2002, the TrueBlue Crew has been responsible for serving the community in critical areas – feeding the homeless, helping and counseling children from at-risk backgrounds, and assisting senior citizens and single parents. Volunteers helped to build a home for a single mom, worked to restore neighborhood parks as a conservation effort, and provided holiday gifts for 13 families in need.

When the company moved in 2003 from a suburban office complex north of Atlanta to a recently revived inner-city Atlanta neighborhood, management and employees at all levels strived to be good community citizens. Almost immediately, the TrueBlue Crew partnered with the Centennial Place Family YMCA, located in the neighborhood formerly known as Techwood Homes. America’s first public housing project, Techwood was founded during the Roosevelt administration. The neighborhood is changing, but the people who live there have tremendous needs that require community and corporate support.

Since partnering with the Centennial Y, Georgia Natural Gas has: * Sponsored 500 children through the Y’s Partner with Youth Campaign, funding scholarships for after school and enrichment programs; * Provided TrueBlue Crew volunteers regularly to participate in classroom educational activities with children; * Assisted at senior citizen’s events; * Encouraged employee volunteers to serve on Centennial neighborhood advisory boards and assisted with the Y’s fundraising efforts; and * Supplied IT employees to partner with the Y to develop an after school computer program.

Even before Georgia Natural Gas moved to Midtown Atlanta, employees went the extra mile by volunteering in neighborhoods targeting vital needs of education, conservation and overall community well being. The company’s volunteer focus has been on programs and organizations that improve the lives of children and senior citizens.

As the leading marketer in Georgia’s deregulated natural gas market, GNG serves more than 540,000 customers. Yet, the number of employees is surprisingly small – averaging about 60 employees. Although Atlanta’s community needs may seem overwhelming for such a small crew of employees, the TrueBlue Crew has managed to surpass participation statistics of companies 10 times their size or more.

TIFFANY BARNHART

Tiffany Barnhart has been a dedicated Girl Scout for the past four years. She loves serving others and especially enjoys helping young people and animals. Tiffany has been doing volunteer work for many organizations and people since the age of two. Then she went around with her parents, but now she is able to serve on her own.

The local police department uses stuffed animals as a part of their “Trauma Bears” program. These are used to comfort a children who has been involved in a car accident. Tiffany collected over 325 stuffed animals and asked her girl scout troop, teachers and students at her mother’s school to take part in collecting the animals, also.

Tiffany knows first hand that the trauma bears are needed because she and her mother were involved in a car accident on the way to a scouting meeting. She was injured, scared and had to go to the hospital for x-rays. Tiffany was fortunate she received the last trauma bear that was in the trunk of the officer’s car. Though she twisted the bones in her neck, the trauma bear helped comfort her and have courage. She collected the bears because she remembered how it helped her. They were distributed to the Hurst and Haltom City Police Departments.

In addition to collecting trauma bears, Tiffany volunteers at nursing homes, orphanages and children’s hospitals. She goes to sing for and with the residents and spend time visiting with them. She is also a member of a children’s group called God’s Country Kids that is a nonprofit organization using their talents to help entertain and cheer up people in need. Tiffany also collects clothes to give to Goodwill, food for local food banks and cat and dog supplies for her local Humane Society.

Her family donates a Thanksgiving meal to a family in need during the holidays, and her scouting troop also helped to collect 500 pounds of clothing to donate. Tiffany also participates in the Bird’s Christmas Tree for Fort Worth. This project entails volunteers making biodegradable birdfeeders and hanging them on trees for the birds to have food during the winters. She also raised three colonies of Painted Lady Butterflies and one colony of Ladybugs that she released into the wild to help local plant life grow. Tiffany has also volunteered with the YMCA during the Easter holidays, the annual Christmas Program for the Lexington House Nursing Home and the St. Jude’s Trike-A-Thon.

SAMUEL HOOD

A school is successful due to the heart and dedication of its staff, community and volunteers. Crestwood Elementary is a school where at risk students are nurtured in a family atmosphere that is not always within their homes. Teachers and volunteers become the ones who nurture a love of learning and mend broken hearts or disillusioned dreams. Samuel Hood is one of the individuals who volunteer their time to help the teachers and students at Crestwood Elementary.

For 30 years, Mr. Hood worked as a business executive until he was forced into retirement in 1990 due to two open-heart surgeries. He decided to concentrate on the community’s needs and devoted much of his time to the Red Cross and the VA hospitals. In 1999, his wife told him about the need for literacy volunteers at Crestwood because the company she works for is a business partner for the school. Mr. Hood began volunteering and continues to this day.

Initially, Mr. Hood working with only a few students. He now helps 28 students in grades two through five. He arrives at the school each day of the week prepared to face both educational and emotional hurdles facing the students. The children enjoy the fact that he comes when he says he’s coming – everyday. The consistency shows them they matter to him and they are important. He shows his interest and encourages the students who have to deal with disappointment and broken promises. Each of the children he works with received birthday cards and notes of encouragement throughout the year. He also adds festivity to the tutoring sessions with holiday treats and creates lessons that will hold the interest of struggling readers.

Many of students demonstrate success as a result of Mr. Hood’s tutoring. All of his third grade students in 2003 passed the state’s Florida Academic Comprehensive Test (FCAT) in reading. A special needs student from second grade now shows confidence in her third grade classes this year due to the rise of her reading level from 0.6 to 2.0. Another boy Mr. Hood is working with for the second year from a single parent home has gone from a history of disruptive behavior and low achievement to a story of success. The time he shares with his role model has helped change his social experience to one of accomplishment and praise.

The stories of Mr. Hood’s success are known among teachers and students in the school. Parents arrive at school searching for the man who is making such a difference in their child’s life. In a small school where the school family celebrates successes, this special volunteer continues to nurture pride, security and knowledge that anything is possible to all the children he meets and works with. Mr. Hood believes it is part of his duty to prepare the children to complete their education at a level that will allow them to achieve their dreams.

CARRIE SPURLING

Carrie Jones Spurling is a very active volunteer in Morgan County Alabama. She works with the FACES program, the Volunteer Center of Morgan County, the American Heart Association and other nonprofit organizations in the area.

She participates in the FACES program, which takes care of Foster children, and is a board member for the program. The FACES board helps raise money that will result in aid to the foster children. In addition to the FACES program, Mrs. Spurling works with the Volunteer Center where she serves in many capacities that range from selling ducks for the Ducky Derby at the River fest to answering phones. She has also appeared in front of the Morgan county Commission and asked for funding. In addition, she has served as a volunteer for many political candidates and has even been on the side of the road in her wheelchair with signs supporting what she believes.

Mrs. Spurling has worked on newsletters for the Democratic Club that has also had fundraising teams for Heart Association and Cancer Relays of Morgan County. This year, she has joined up with another group, the Decatur Charity League, to serve PACT. Mrs. Spurling has also done newborn rounds, which serves all the mothers of Morgan County. She has also completed the training to serve the 7th graders of Morgan County with a program called Family Pride. This helps young teenagers understand family and know about various crisis in family and how to get help the correct way.

Mrs. Spurling has also recruited volunteers for American Heart Association Morgan County Heart Walk and the Morgan County Cancer Society Relay for Life. She has spent hours of her own time getting people to participate in these very important events in addition to raising money for the activities. Mrs. Spurling organized, called team members and made sure all the details were handled.

Though Mrs. Spurling is wheelchair bound and has been so since childhood, she has a big heart for people who are less fortunate than herself. However, her wheelchair does not hinder her efforts or her spirit of service. In addition to working full-time at the Morgan County Board of Registrars Office at the Morgan County courthouse, Mrs. Spurling makes it a priority to serve and give back to make Morgan County a great place to live.