AMERICAN RED CROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA YOUTH CORPS

The American Red Cross (ARC) Southwest Florida (SWF) Youth Corps has supported their local soldiers and their families locally and overseas from the start of the war to the present. The ARC SWF Youth Corps members range from ages 12 to 18. They have more than 40 members, and they were formed in 2003. The Youth Corps supports the SWF Chapter’s activities and embrace the community projects and disaster relief with vigor. They have worked on projects throughout the year to assist the troops and their families as well as communities in southwest Florida.

The Youth Corps has raised funds to ship comfort packages overseas to deployed troops. On several Saturdays, this team assisted elderly women in their homes by working in their yards. The members are also active in distributing disaster-preparedness literature at fairs and expos sponsored by the community. They have also marched alongside the Red Cross flag with disaster volunteers in local parades as proud members of the ARC.

The Youth Corps members are flourishing with their training in disaster relief. They have also gained knowledge in lifesaving skills and guidance in team building as well as leadership skills. They do all this while meeting or exceeding their educational goals through their schools.

Floodwaters threatened southwest Florida last June and the Youth Corp quickly opened a shelter in Sarasota County for displaced residents fleeing high waters. Then, as rains continued to pound and 11-county area of the SWF region, causing widespread flooding; a need for immediate expanded disaster assistance was apparent. A national Disaster Relief operation was quickly set up at the SWF Chapter headquarters. More than 10,000 meals and snacks were distributed to flood victims and emergency workers. The severe effects of the floods were felt for more than two weeks. SWF Chapter volunteers continued offering assistance to residents with disaster-caused needs well into October. The cost of the operation exceeded $100,000. Because of their tireless effort and dedication, national Red Cross volunteers who came to Florida to help with the flood disaster in June dubbed the SWF Youth Corps “the A-Team”.

Under the direction of volunteer Bill Sullivan, the Youth Corps wash cars to raise money for their Operation Happy Holidays program. For 15 years, the Knitters and Sewers group has gathered each Tuesday morning to knit, sew and crochet items for various projects. They cheerfully sewed 200 camouflage stockings for Operation Happy Holidays that were sent to the sons and daughters of those serving as well as their comrades. The efforts of the Youth Corp mesh with the work of the ARC SWF members to meet the needs of community members in Sarasota, Florida.

KATHY HUNT

Kathy Hunt is in a Texas coastal community of about 15, 000 people. She is active with the Chamber of Commerce, Don’t Be Crude, Victoria Public School System and the YMCA of the Golden Crescent. Ms. Hunt is very hands-on and does not believe any job is too small or too large for her. She coordinates hundreds of youth in a community-wide effort consisting of more than 30 projects. She makes sure all the building materials needed for the projects are on site and ready to use. You may also see her in the heat encouraging, delivering water and swinging a hammer so youth can learn to give back to the community. Ms. Hunt sets the example, does the work and lives an “others-oriented” life.

For the past three years, Ms. Hunt has served on the Greater Victoria Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She also actively participates on the Chamber’s Education Committee. She fully understands the connection between education and economic development and is always ready to support efforts to advance both. This is evident as she consistently and effectively integrates her professional role with that of a public servant. She willingly donates her time and business savvy to the educational advancement of Victoria.

She is also a board member of Don’t Be Crude, a youth led grassroots environmental program in Victoria and the seven surrounding counties. Each of the youth in the program look at Ms. Hunt as a mentor, friend and advisor. As a result of her work with the program, the Victoria youth became involved in the area’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Day when millions of pounds of hazardous waste are collected. Ms. Hunt coordinates a team of 100 volunteers, environmental professionals and corporations for this event in two cities.

Ms. Hunt is also active with the Victoria Public School System. She puts in many hours of service working on school improvement committees and was also a member of the Board. Ms. Hunt was an integral part in the planning stages for the largest bond election in Victoria County’s history; her input and attention to detail aided to promote passage of the bond. In addition, the school district embarked on a study of how to provide equal and exceptional opportunities for all students in the two Victoria high schools. Ms. Hunt studied the issue and came to the conclusion that consolidating the two schools because one offered greater academic opportunities for students than the other. This was a difficult decision and her vote was met with disagreement. Ms. Hunt stood firm in her belief on behalf of equal opportunities for all children; however, her convictions caused her to be defeated in her re-election bid.

Ms. Hunt no longer serves on the school board, but she is still active with the children of Victoria, the Golden Crescent Workforce Development Board and the Communities in Schools Program. She is a tireless advocate for children and a beacon in a community.

BAILLIE LOCKE

Baillie Locke found out a lot about Down’s Syndrome first hand. A young lady in her school, Tiffany, lives with the disorder and Baillie noticed her each day during classes. Because of her compassion for this young lady, Ballie chose to do community service with the Bruce Peninsula Association for Community Living.

The Association helps out those who are mentally challenged. Ballie began to connect with Tiffany and learn and become more familiar with Down’s Syndrome. She also learned what special needs persons may have and how she can help them and others. Because of Ballie’s concern for Tiffany, the entire school became more aware of Tiffany, Down’s Syndrome and what they could do as an educational community to serve those with Down’s Syndrome.

Ballie and Tiffany developed a relationship and soon became friends. Ballie became better acquainted with Tiffany’s everyday life and all of the challenges and victories she experiences on a normal basis. Tiffany appreciated the help and recognition; but she most was excited about having a new friend in Ballie. Tiffany was excited that Ballie accepted her for who she was and applauded her abilities and differences.

Ballie then decided to branch out and help others with similar needs. She presented herself to Community Living and helped to produce a fun program that would raise money to improve their programs for the mentally challenged. As a result of Ballie’s concern and efforts, Community Living now hosts a trail ride annually as a fundraiser. Those with horses are welcome to come with their horse and pledges. Since Community Living clients cannot ride their own horse, horse drawn wagons are brought in so that they can ride. After the trail ride, everyone who raised money for Community Living participates in a barbecue lunch. There is also a time to distribute prizes that are donated by the community. Ballie is responsible for organizing the event and making sure everything runs smoothly during the event. During the day of the event she brings her horse around to the cleints so they can pet and enjoy the company of a horse.

For the past five years this event has been held, Ballie has raised approximately $8,000 per year for this organization. Most of this money goes into a fund that will pay for a new home to be built for a mentally challenged child that has been given up by hteir family because the family may not have the money or knowledge to make sure the child is properly cared for. This year’s money is going toward training an adult volunteer to live with and care for a children who has been given up because they have seizures and aggressive attacks. The house as well has to be modified so that it is safe for the child and so that he will not hurt himself.

Ballie plans to continue her service with the organization. She is pleased to be a part of the effort that makes those who society may look at as “different” just like everyone else and a part of something fun and exciting. Next year, she hopes to also be a part of the torch run that also is a fundraising for Community Living.

BLIND FOUNDATION FOR INDIA

Dr. Rajendra Vyas, founder of the National Association for the Blind, India visited Chicago in 1988. Dr. Vyas shared the information that there are 13 million blind people in India, which accounts for 1/3 of the world’s blind population. To help those blind people in India, Dr. Manu Vora established the Blind Foundation for India (BFI) in 1989. BFI was created to prevent and cure blindness and provide education and rehabilitation to permanently blind people in India.

They target the youngest child who could lose eyesight by the ages of five and six. The BFI offers measles vaccinations and an oral Vitamin A dose every six months. BFI also has 67 mobile vans in the field that carry ophthalmologists from various medical centers to the villages. The doctors then conduct eyesight checks, and those patients in need of operations are transported by the vans to the hospital.

In addition to the prevention and cure, BFI provides education. There are an estimated two million blind children in India, and only 5% of them receive any education. BFI provides a Braille kit, which helps them to learn along with other sighted children. BFI also provides rehabilitation and mentors patients who have eye operations. They provide the proper training to make them able to return to their normal day-to-day activities.

BFI has had a tremendous impact since its inception. In excess of 60,000 children have been vaccinated against measles and given Vitamin A to save their eyesight. More than 60,000 have had their sight restored as a result of cataract removal, and an excess of One Million people have been treated through BFI sponsored Free Eye Camps. Children in all States of India have received 6,000 Braille kits and support has also been provided for training blind adults. In addition, blind men and women are trained so they can work and be productive citizens.

Since 2000, BFI has teamed up with Rotary International on five “Matching Grant” projects for eye hospital equipments. Rotary plays the significant role in multiplying donations by a factor of three. An additional six projects on “Preventable Blindness” were carried out with Matching Grants from Rotary International, and due to the donations and volunteer efforts, a cataract operation costs about $20.

BFI has been changing lives since 1989. They have no paid staff; volunteers solely run them. The dedicated servants have successfully raised $2 million to date for its work to continue to change lives around the world. For more information on BFI, visit: http://www.blindfoundation.org

EDITH BUSH

Edith Bush is extremely active in the West Palm Beach, Florida community. Her service activities include but are not limited to the following: Chairperson of the Martin Luther King Jr. Coordinating Committee, President of the Progressive Northwest Neighborhood Association, volunteers annually with the Florida Coalition for peace & Justice PEACE CAMP, provide monthly food distribution to senior citizens through Martin Luther King Caregivers, volunteers with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren as well as being the volunteer Chairperson of the Community Court’s Citizen Advisory Board.

The outskirts of downtown West Palm Beach, also known as the Week and Seed area, has more than 20,000 residents. Demographics for the area reflect a high poverty and unemployment rate. The physical characteristics of the community are striking, with deteriorating houses and businesses, vacant lots and litter. Arrest statistics for the area reflect a high level of quality-of-life victimless crimes; however the neighborhood is the victim of offenses such as prostitution, graffiti and vandalism, gambling, trespassing and open-air drug solicitation and sales.

Residents from this community became frustrated with the epidemic of quality of life offenses and the limited consequences imposed following an arrest. They commonly felt they had no stake in the production of justice. As a result, Community Court was established. Community Court addresses these low-level, non-violent misdemeanor crimes. Community Court and the Citizen Advisory Board are innovative and unique approaches to solving serious social problems in the West Palm Beach Weed and Seed areas. The Citizens Advisory Board was established in 1998 and its mission is to ensure continuous citizen input, provide valuable feedback to the Court about community conditions and assist in providing a continuum of community service sanctions for neighborhood revitalization.

The Court emphasizes community service sanctions rather than fines or incarceration. The goal is for those who harm the community to give back to that same community through service. Defendants are assigned community service to help clean up the neighborhood in which they offended. As Chairperson of the Community Court’s Citizen Advisory Board, Ms. Bush is very active in making the Weed and Seed area a better more inhabitable place to live. These clean up projects help offenders to become more connected to the larger community and lead more productive lives.

Community Court, with the direction of the Citizen’s Advisory Board led by Ms. Bush, has greatly impacted the community in the last five years. Numerous revitalization projects have occurred, neighborhood associations have formed, citizens clean up crews have been created and citizens once offending the community are now vital parts of their neighborhood.

DORIS HOSKINS

Doris Hoskins has been married twice and is the mother of 10 and the grandmother or great grandmother of an enormous brood that represent dozens of professions. She is a singer and an organist at her church. Over her 92 years of her life in Champaign-Urbana, she has always remained involved as a community volunteer and a leader among volunteers. She is currently still active on a daily basis with her numerous volunteer interests.

She is a leader in the Provena Covenant Hospital Auxiliary and a guiding force for Matthew House 18, a program for at risk children that has been enormously successful at getting children back on track and even into college. In her more than 20 years with the hospital, Mrs. Hoskins has visited with patients and their families, sorted mail, helped with the homebound program, worked in the gift shop, raised funds and served on boards to expand the hospital building. Mrs. Hoskins dedicates a great deal of time and energy to her church also. She has long been involved with the PTA and its programs as well as the Early American Museum at the Champaign County Forest Preserve in Mahomet and was the most critical member of that museum’s task force to research the history of African Americans in Champaign County. About 60 years ago she signed up as a room mother and made cupcakes and cookies for holiday programs as well as other school sponsored events. She later joined the citywide PTA Council, becoming an officer and a life member.

Mrs. Hoskins taught remedial reading and secretarial skills at the Urbana Adult Educations Center. She is a lector, Eucharistic minister, trustee and cook at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Mrs. Hoskins has also ushered for youth series events at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. She also is an active member of RSVP, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Mrs. Hoskins took training and became a counselor in tax and health insurance matters. In addition, Mrs. Hoskins has served as a Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) volunteer and a tax advisor volunteer and is serving on numerous boards and commissions.

As a result of her involvement, Mrs. Hoskins became the editor of a quarterly publication known as Through the Years, which studies the history of the African –American residents of Champaign County. She has worked on more than 12 newsletters through the museum about important African-Americans in the county.

Due to her tireless service efforts in the community, Mrs. Hoskins has been honored with many local awards. She was presented the Studs Terkel Award by the City of Urbana and the Book of Golden Deeds Award by the Optimist Club locally. She has been honored by the YMCA as a Black Woman of Achievement and honored by RSVP with numerous special Service Awards. Mrs. Hoskins was also selected as a Woman of Distinction by the Green Meadows Girl Scout Council and has been honored by Provena Covenant Hospital for her outstanding efforts.

MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Memorial Healthcare System (MHS) is a public nonprofit healthcare system. MHS is one of the largest employers in South Broward County with over 7,500 employees system wide. MHS serves the needs of the residents of south Broward County regardless of their ability to pay and is committed to providing quality healthcare service to the community.

The company’s employee volunteer program reflects employee pride in serving the community and is aptly called H.E.R.O. – Healthcare Employees Reaching Out. The employee volunteer program has over 1,200 employees registered as volunteers which exceed the national standard of 10% of the workforce.

“Adopt” A Child Back to School, the signature annual project, benefits school age children entering/returning to school. MHS employee volunteers “adopt” a child and provide backpacks filled with new school supplies, clothing and shoes. Through a partnership with Family Central Inc., a nonprofit agency that provides childcare and family support to low-income families, MHS obtains the information of children that are needy in the community. Through this program, MHS is able to assist children from needy families, ensuring that they are equipped with the essential school supplies and clothing to start the school year on equal footing as their classmates.

Since the inception of the “Adopt” A Child Back To School project that began with the formation of the volunteer program, 846 children have been served. Further, a spin-off project is conducted called “Adopt” A Child For The Holidays, again focusing on providing a child in need with a holiday gift. As MHS enters the third year of offering this project, 389 children have been served.

The Habitat for Humanity Build Project allowed 86 volunteers to participate in building homes. MHS’ financial sponsorship of $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity guarantees a family in need a safe haven and a place they can call home. Additionally, MHS volunteers provided services in the area of roofing, shingling, exterior and interior painting.

As a healthcare provider, MHS employees participate in and host several health fairs to educate and provide free services such as back to school physicals and immunizations to at-risk children from families who are either uninsured or underinsured. MHS believes in early education and preventative services, and as such its volunteers are engaged in a project known as “Shots By Two.” This 18-month project allows volunteers to track and maintain contact with babies as they education and remind their mothers of upcoming appointments for their child’s immunization. Since MHS’ involvement with this project started 15 months ago, the first set of babies is ready to “graduate.” 190 babies are currently being service through this project.

DOREEN HOLMES

Doreen Holmes, Volunteer Coordinator of St. Patrick’s Soup Kitchen, is one of its most prominent supporters. Ms. Holmes works tirelessly, spending every Monday at the Soup Kitchen to ensure that a critical need in the lives of so many is met, at least one night a week.

Homelessness and poverty are very real problems in Providence, Rhode Island. This city of 160,000 residents has the highest percentage of families below the poverty line in the state (29.2%), the highest proportion of children living in poverty (34.5%), and in the second lowest median income level in the state ($22,147). St. Patrick’s mission is to provide hot food, clothing when possible and spiritual encouragement to those in need. Ms. Holmes ensures that this mission is carried out.

She also directs guests needing additional assistance to Mary House, the Soup Kitchen’s parent organization, for emergency food; and to agencies that can provide temporary shelter, job counseling and other services necessary to those on the road back to self-sufficiency.

Regardless of the guest’s circumstances, Ms. Holmes connects with every person that visits the Soup Kitchen. Sometimes it may be a smile or a kind word; other times she may give a hug or a touch on the shoulder. Ms. Holmes is following in the footsteps of her mentor and Soup Kitchen founder, Sister Fran Conway, and she subscribes to a simple philosophy – all human beings deserve to be treated with compassion and dignity.

Individuals from all across the state volunteer at St. Patrick’s. In fact, Ms. Holmes has established service-learning partnerships with several universities, colleges and local high schools. On any given Monday, 20-30 students along with several longtime volunteers help serve the guests. Ms. Holmes leads them through an orientation and makes sure that everyone is given a specific job.

Ms. Holmes involvement has spanned 13 of the 17 years that the Soup Kitchen has been operating. She hopes that one day there will no longer be people who are hungry, but until then, everyone that visits St. Patrick’s will get a healthy meal and a wholesome dose of respect from Ms. Holmes and the volunteers she guides.

Ms. Holmes has played a strategic part in the effectiveness of the Soup Kitchen. The partnerships she has established have allowed her to take advantage of an enormous body of potential volunteers and even convince local colleges to provide much needed resources to the organization. Her influence has left an indelible mark on St. Patrick’s and her concern for the guests’ well being is evident.

Ms. Holmes walks around with a green notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. While greeting all the clients, you may see her writing in the book. This book records the sizes of clothing someone needs the fact that another client may need to find a place to stay or that someone needs money for diapers, food etc. Holmes not only writes in the book, but she then follows up and goes “an extra mile” to help alleviate whatever concern she has noted about that particular client.

GENESIS JOBS

GenesisJobs was founded in 1985 as a program of Episcopal Social Ministries with the purpose of building a network of the business and community and faith communities to help people in disadvantaged neighborhoods of Baltimore manage their search for good entry-level jobs. Through this network, GenesisJobs organized a corps of 85 volunteers to coach applicants into and through their first year on a new job. In 2003, GenesisJobs became a division of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. With only five paid staff members, GenesisJobs relies on dedicated volunteers to deliver their program services.

GenesisJobs’ programs are based on the conviction that the job market will open to low-skill men and women that society has labeled unemployable if they receive compassionate and effective assistance. GenesisJobs offers free job search and employability coaching for individuals who seek entry-level positions. This program does not give anyone a job; however, it helps the person find and keep a job by providing effective employability readiness and job search training and long-term retention support.

Follow-up counseling maintains the support that was built during the job readiness and search coaching. This process results in a higher-than-average retention rate for low-skilled employees – 35% of GenesisJobs applicants compared to the 7% national average. Follow-up counseling creates better employees by encouraging individuals to work through the challenges they face in the workplace, rather than quitting and by helping them break problems down into manageable pieces. Counselors also continue to instill a good work ethic in new employees and generate a higher level of excitement about maintaining employment.

The innovation of this program comes from pioneering a process to rebuilding community be bringing the key stakeholders necessary for the task of helping the marginally employable secure jobs. Those stakeholders include Baltimore businesses, faith communities, educational institutions, community organizations, philanthropic organizations, civic groups, volunteers and job seekers.

The 2003 statistics provide a vivid picture of the importance of the volunteers’ efforts. During the year, the combined annual salaries of the applicants they helped find jobs were $2,972,600. The average hourly rate of pay for applicants that were hired was $8.56. Volunteers contributed in excess of 2,600 hours of service during the year also to make GenesisJobs a success.

The innovative programs and services that GenesisJobs offers are unduplicated in the Baltimore community. They distinguish themselves by relying on volunteers as the key staff providing the direct service of coaching men and women to look for, find and keep good jobs; understanding the needs of the employers; staying in touch with the newly hired applicants for one year to help them keep their jobs; helping their employer retain the new hire as a valuable employee; and they charge no fees.

DANA THOMPSON

Dana Thompson moved into the New Smyrna Beach community in 1999. One of the first orders of business for her was to report to her school to offer volunteer time. As a result of her service, the New Smyrna Beach Middle School mentoring program was started, and she has continued to be its lifeblood. Her mentor program pairs at risk students with qualified members of the community who meet with them regularly. The mentor provides a stable role model for the student and in some cases, is the only dependable, successful adult the student knows. Ms. Thompson has kept the program thriving in spite of major obstacles. She has also worked with the local elementary and high schools to start their own programs, which ensures vital continuity in the mentoring process.

In addition to the mentoring program, Ms. Thompson initiated and nurtured many other “drop-out” programs at her school. These programs, such as Wright Flight were highly innovative ways of capturing the interest and engendering enthusiasm with students who were less than successful with a traditional curriculum. The Wright Flight program is an aviation history program that uses the many accomplishments of aviation heroes to motivate children toward improved academic performance and rewards successful students with the thrill of flight. Ms.Thompson enlists local pilots to come and assist in teaching the children about aviation. They were even able to get a flight simulator donated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University to benefit her program.

As of August 2002, Wright Flight has grown into a semester elective credit course in aviation at New Smyrna Beach Middle School. Ms. Thompson applied and was awarded grants from the Richard Grannis Memorial Fund and Aerospace Education Educators, which help to fund field trips to Kennedy Space Center, The Astronaut Hall of Fame and a War Bird Museum.

In many instances, a teacher may have problems with a student and send them to Ms. Thompson’s office because of her unique ways of intervention. There she would respond with an innovative idea like allowing them to work on the school newsletter, in the school store or at the post office. This gives the child a cool down period to get settled and prepared to re-enter the regular school day.

Ms. Thompson also has developed relationships with a number of business partners from the community who are now valuable supporters of the New Smyrna Beach Middle School. These relationships ensure personal and corporate involvement in a wide spectrum of the community. Her partnership with the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS) has established a School Museum operated by students. The museum features of variety of changing exhibits loaned by MOAS and local collectors.

In addition, Ms. Thompson supervises the butterfly gardens, the school post office, the photography club, the spring fashion show and the career connections. Ms. Thompson ensures the children learn real world business practices to the students who work there. The was selected as the Teacher of the Year at New Smyrna Beach Middle School in 1987 and the Silver Sands Middle School in 1997. She won the Crystal Apple Award in 1992 and again in 2000 and was the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year in 2001.