BEGINNING AWARENESS BASIC EDUCATION STUDIES VOLUNTEERS
Since the 2001-02 school year, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers have gone into second-grade classrooms to teach students about the harms of drugs and alcohol, the importance of asking for help when there is a problem, and how to develop good self-image. Now the team has grown in number to meet area school demands for the Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies (BABES), a nationally recognized program. BABES, started in 1977, now reaches over a million children annually in all 50 states and five countries.
The RSVP BABES volunteers are B.J. Barnes, Sam Bass, Barb Boudry, Peg Bunker, Chad Harkins, Carole Kositzke, Jan Larson, Earl Plass, Vi Sagert, Mary Ann Van Leur, and Don Verkuilen. This year, four volunteers will join the team.
Is there a need for BABES? Statistics provided by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse suggest there is a need:
- 30% of children in grades 4-6 report that they received “a lot” of pressure from their classmates to drink beer; 31% to try marijuana; 34% to try cigarettes;
- 56% of students in grades 5-12 say that alcohol advertising encourages them to drink;
- One in 4 students have a parents that uses drugs or has a drinking problem
Early prevention decreases those numbers dramatically.
Our volunteers enjoy putting on the puppet shows, but take the program very seriously. Sam Bass and Peg Bunker went through BABES certification from an accredited instructor to become narrators, and bring their own experiences to the table. They lead their teams through six sessions with three RSVP-trained puppeteers behind the curtain at each school. The BABES volunteers use puppets in a manner designed to gain the attention of children and to enable them to develop good decision-making skills.
Students are tested before and after the program to demonstrate improvement and obtained knowledge. The results have been very positive. Average scores throughout the seven schools and 13 classrooms showed that 79.2% of students improved their scores and averaged nearly 88% on their final tests.
The BABES volunteers have been unsung heroes, but deserve so much more. The RSVP’s BABES program is made possible through its sponsoring agency, the Volunteer Center of East Central Wisconsin.
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR OF KANSAS
Enterprise Rent-A-Car of Kansas has dedicated employees who give of their time and talents to support the greater Kansas City communities they serve. They truly understand the importance of giving back to the community.
In 2001, the Enterprise team made a significant donation to the United Way and they continue to be a crucial ingredient of the United Way team locally. Enterprise interns and the Human Resource Department also volunteered with the Spofford Home for Children, cleaning, washing windows, painting and hosting a cookout for the children. At the end of the year, the Enterprise team also held their Monster Dash as the Kansas Speedway. They created the event, and their employees make up 90% of the volunteers.
From 2002 to the present, the Enterprise team has continued to be an active force of service in their community. They made donations to the Gillis Children and Family Home, which has served the Greater Kansas City area for more than 80 years, and the United Negro College Fund of Kansas City. They held the Buck O’Neil Gold Classic in May 2002 for Reviving Baseball in the Inner City (RBI). And, through another company sponsored golf tournament, the Enterprise team raised funds to support the Women’s Intersport Network (WIN) for Kansas City. WIN for Kansas City is a subdivision of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation and was established in 1994 to promote sports participation opportunities and recognition for girls and women in the community.
Annually, the Enterprise Fleet Services and Leasing Division holds a Christmas fund raiser to support Angel Tree. The Angel Tree program relies on the generosity of Kansas City residents who adopt angels from trees in local malls. Each angel represents a child whose parents have applied to the Salvation Army for Christmas assistance.
The Enterprise team is also a partner of the National Urban League. Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Taylor, was recently elected to the National Urban League’s Board of Trustees. They will serve as corporate sponsors for many of the National Urban League’s ongoing programs as well as participating and underwriting a four-year research project that addresses the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
In addition, the Enterprise team has helped the following local businesses and charities through donation, partnerships and/or volunteer work: Children’s Mercy Hospital, Neighborhood Housing Services, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Community Living Opportunities, Special Olympics of Kansas City, ALS Association, Children’s Center for Visually Impaired, Sertoma, Washburn University, Brain Injury Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Kansas City, Oznam Home for Boys, William Jewell College, the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and Project Equality.
VIRGINIA BITTERLY
Virginia Bitterly has more than four decades of professional community service as an educator, counselor for social, economic, and spiritual problems of individuals, families, and groups including a social service consultant position at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars for nearly 10 years.
Her numerous active community leadership roles include: presidency of Floyd Valley Hospital Auxiliary during which time she introduced the “Lifeline System” and continues to serve in various offices in the Auxiliary; as well as a member on the Iowa Hospital State Association on Auxiliaries and as State Newsletter Editor. She also has served in various offices on the Christian Women’s Organization, and the General Federated Women’s Club. Serving with the Iowa State U. Extension from 1987-1992, she was 4-H Educator and youth director in Plymouth/ Cherokee counties. She has held numerous leadership positions including State of Iowa Older Iowa’s Legislature (OIL) serving on the Committee, as well as in various offices in her local church.
Her many honors include National “True Grit” Award Distinguished Volunteer Service Award, Plymouth County State of Iowa Hall of Fame Governor’s Volunteer Award, Greater Siouxland Volunteer Award of the Year, and Siouxland J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, and in 2003, she was honored with the Matt Parott & Sons Integrity Award, the Red Cross Heroes of Siouxland, The Abbey Care Center (Le Mars, IA) Volunteer of the Year, and the Iowa Governor’s Award for Resident Advocate. As an author and poet, she has contributed poems and articles in newspapers and, by invitation, in published books. Since 1960, she continues offering private piano instruction in her Home Studio. Her one daughter, Amy, lives in Colorado.
ROBYN STRUMPF
Robyn Strumpf struggled to overcome a personal obstacle as a child – learning to read. It was frustrating to her as well as embarrassing. Her parents tried various techniques with no success for quite some time. However, it finally became clear for her and she was able to read. She never gave up and a new world was opened up for her due to being able to read.
Because of this, Robyn wanted to make a difference in the lives of other children who were struggling to learn to read or who do not have the resources. She founded Project Books and Blankies so she could share the magic of reading with others. Robyn spends countless hours designing and sewing colorful quilts to accompany books. She places the books and quilts in baskets that she delivers to various classrooms to give to children. The ‘blankie’ she gives to the children is kept in the reading corner so the youth can snuggle up and get comfortable while reading.
Robyn also works to raise the community’s awareness about literacy issues and the value of service to the community because she has been so rewarded by her volunteer service. Word about Project Books and Blankies spread , and Robyn was contacted by an international relief organization. She then sent more than 1,000 books to South Africa to be distributed by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Since the inception of Project Books and Blankies, Robyn has collected in excess of $100,000 in books, fabrics, supplies and monetary grants. To date, she has donated in excess of 10,000 books locally and internationally.
Robyn has spoken to many organizations including but not limited to the Girl Scouts, Key Clubs, Optimists, the Northridge Chamber of Commerce and other local business owners. In addition, she has held book drives in the communities and contacted various publishers, bookstores and fabric manufacturers requesting donations for her organization. Robyn has also applied for and received grants that have allowed her to continue to share her story in hopes of encouraging other youth to read and to volunteer.
Because of Project Books and Blankies, other youth in the community have become involved. When Robyn speaks at various programs or other high schools, other high school students help to run the activities that follow her presentation. She is currently working to set up libraries in the Learning Rooms located in homeless shelters in the greater Los Angeles area with the hope of giving the children some consistency in their studies even though they are displaced from their homes.
THE WHITE FAMILY
Delivering meals, volunteering at the library, working in food pantries and thrift stores, planning service projects to assist seniors – these are only a sampling of the ways that the White Family works in their community, as a family, to make it a better place.
Dave and Elizabeth taught their children, Margret (18) and Nate (14), at an early age the importance of giving back. They see rewards not in the material things that life has to offer, but by giving of their time and talents. The kids each have their own volunteer passions, but they also work together as a family to accomplish great things.
Margret walks into a room and gets things done! It may be her vibrant personality or dedication to others – this girl is a true leader. The last two years Margret planned National Youth Service Day projects for more than 200 youth. She worked with the community agencies and found seniors that needed assistance doing light home repair and cleaning. Then, working with 4-H, schools and agencies, she recruited more than 200 youth to go out and accomplish these tasks for seniors. This is only one of the many projects that Margret has been involved in. On an ongoing basis, Margret volunteers at Youth Court, works at the library and is a member of the Youth Action Council at the Volunteer Center of Johnson County.
Nate is more of a hands-on guy. He may not get into the planning of a service project too much, but on the day of the event Nate is there – ready to head the pack and get moving! When a garden was planted at a local retirement home he was the first one to grab a shovel and start digging. He was also the last one to leave that evening. Nate stayed until the project was completely finished and the garden met his expectations. Nate also volunteers weekly for Meals on Wheels, with his parents, delivering meals to homebound seniors and is a member of the Youth Action Council.
In 2003, during National Volunteer Week, the Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, recognized the White children for their volunteer efforts. Margret and Nate represented the many Kansas youth volunteers that day on the Senate Floor.
Behind these two young adults are extremely supportive and giving parents. The children have learned by watching their parents. Whether the family is delivering meals to seniors or working on a service day project, the family is continuously striving to make a difference in the community.
CAROLYN MOORE
In 1992 there was an urgent need in Havasu, specifically at Interagency, to help desperate individuals who could not receive help in other areas. For instance, when someone hit hard times, lost a job, couldn’t pay the rent or electric, had a debilitating illness, needed a safe place to stay in the middle of the night when running from domestic violence, etc. they would go to Interagency to see if they would qualify for any federal, state or county funding. There were many who did not qualify and they were falling through the cracks. Carolyn Moore recognized the need to somehow rescue these individuals during their emergency and give them a hand up before their life became even worse.
Ms. Moore began C.H.I.N.-U.P., (Caring for Havasuvians in Need-United Project.) By starting a “grass roots” operation, including churches, service organizations, schools, Senior Center, Snowbirds, the homebound and other individuals she began a coupon campaign to raise funds for the needy. The organization cuts, sorts, stamps and hangs manufacturers’ coupons on the corresponding products in four Supermarkets, (Bashas North and South, Smiths and Food City). When the consumer purchases the product with a coupon on it, the cents-off goes to C.H.I.N.-U.P. to aid those in need. There are no paid volunteers and all the money stays in Havasu.
Through the last 12 years, C.H.I.N.-U.P. has raised more than $426,000 and helped more than 5,500 needy individuals. Through this achievement, many others are attracted to volunteer their time and energy to C.H.I.N.-U.P. Churches regularly add this activity to the Ladies group programs to set aside a month or two, or a whole year donated to working with C.H.I.N.-U.P. Many churches and organizations have a drop-box in their buildings for people to drop off their coupons each week.
Ms. Moore is just as active with C.H.I.N.-U.P. now as she was 12 years ago when she started. She is constantly going to different organizations or churches to encourage them to join, with all the others, in making a difference in people’s lives in Havasu. Daily and weekly she cuts, sorts and stamps coupons and you can find her every Tuesday and Friday morning hanging coupons at Smiths and Food City.
Though it may seem impossible, her efforts with C.H.I.N.-U.P. are not Ms. Moore’s only volunteer achievements. She also started a neighborhood watch program, in which she has engages 70 households in neighborhood activities. She started Random Acts of Kindness in Havasu and has the good deeds printed in the newspaper beside the police column to show the goodness in the Havasu people. She has also volunteered to help with First Step, a program to observe interaction between new babies and parents in the hospital to catch any possibilities of physical, drug or alcohol abuse. In addition, she helped in raising more than half of the $12.5 million secured so far to help Columbia College’s building program.
In an ongoing project, Ms. Moore originated the idea for a rolling library for the children’s ward at Havasu hospital and presented the idea to Tri Delt sorority. She then suggested the same idea for the adults—and made it happen.
EVAN RICHARDSON
When most 5th graders are outside skateboarding or running up and down the street on a Sunday afternoon, Evan Richardson, age 10 and known as E.J., is volunteering at the Orange County History Museum.
E.J. first moved to Orange County nearly six years ago. His family enjoyed hiking at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park. One day, they thought they were entering the ranger station to ask a question, when they discovered it was the Orange County Natural History Museum. They started visiting the Museum for about a year when one day E.J. asked the volunteer coordinator, Michael Butler, if he too could volunteer at the Museum. Michael answered E.J. that he had to be 18 years old to volunteer and E.J. retorted, “What if my mom comes with me?” Michael said they would try it and see how it goes. That was two years ago; E.J. has been volunteering one to two weekend days per month as a museum docent since June of 2001.
E.J. said he really likes everything about his volunteer experience, such as helping people when they have a question, holding the snakes and when no on is in the center, going around and reading the signs to make sure he is familiar with the information. Once a little girl about the same age as E.J. came up to him asked, “What is “Frass?” He answered very calmly, “it’s animal feces.” The girl said “okay” and went back to the exhibit, just like that. She came up to him two more times and asked him more questions. He not only answered the questions but also walked over to the exhibit with her to explain in more detail what related to her questions. Even adults ask him questions. They never seem to look at him like he is a child. They observe him helping others and just fall in line with their questions. E.J. is very comfortable in the Museum and it shows.
While E.J. is in the Museum talking to visitors, his mom, Linda is usually at the counter when you first enter the Museum. She greets you and takes your donation and if you make a purchase she is the one to help you with that. She loves supporting E.J.’s interest and his love of Science and they do very well as a team. She says E.J. is already thinking of College and wants to be a Naturalist for his career. This young man is also involved with Cub Scouts and plays baseball.
The Orange County Natural History Museum is proud to have E.J. as a volunteer. Since E.J. and his mother have started volunteering in the Museum, another family has volunteered together at the same Museum. And at the Irvine Regional Park Nature Center there are also mother and son and father and son teams.
ZACHARY HICKS
Share-A-Book Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by Zachary Hicks for the purpose of promoting literacy and the joy of reading among young children in disadvantaged communities. The foundation’s main goal is to collect new and gently used children’s books from wealthy communities and redistribute them to communities in need in Essex County, New Jersey. There is an urgent need to promote literacy among young children in this country as the illiteracy rate is about 44%, which is more than double the national average. Since its inception, Share-A-Book has collected more than 6,000 books and distributed them to organizations in Essex County such as the Read-Up Challenge 100 Book Club in East Orange and the Reading Is Fundamental Program in Newark, New Jersey.
The Share-A-Book Foundation was founded in 2000, originally conceived as a Bar Mitzvah project. The project’s intent was to have Zachary show his commitment to community service and to literacy and it grew out of his love of reading. It began as a book drive on his Bar Mitzvah day, but has now become a year-round effort. He has initiated four book drives at the Temple and has extended its scope to include book drives in his town’s elementary schools. The response has been incredible and these books drives have been remarkably easy to establish, maintain and control. A flyer is written and distributed and a collection box is set up. Zachary has learned that a simple idea can have an enormous effect and resources can be redistributed to benefit children and communities.
The Share-A-Book Foundation has donated most of its resources to the Read-Up Challenge 100 Book Club in East Orange, New Jersey. The Read-Up Book Club is a United Way initiative with the goal of promoting reading among children ages 6-9. The organization gives out new books every month, but the additional component of distributing the Share-A-Book’s new and gently used books was a natural extension to their program and a great outlet for Zachary’s books. Share-A-Book enables each child to bring home and own four books each month. Through Zachary’s efforts, children can practice their reading skills and share their knowledge with their family and friends. This helps to create a new generation of good readers in a community desperately in need of literate adults.
Furthermore, Share-A-Book Foundation has had another wonderful, but less expected outcome. Over the last 3 ½ years, Zachary has attended Read-Up Book Club meetings every month and volunteered his time to help run the program and distribute the books. In addition, he has helped to recruit at least six other young volunteers from the Temple that also help on a regular basis. This face-to-face volunteering experience at the Book Club has enabled him to grow in innumerable ways. He has learned to interact and appreciate people of different races and cultures and help them learn to read first hand. Specifically, he has developed a special relationship with a young boy named Diego. They are unlikely partners in most ways i.e. race, age, background, but both share an interest in reading.
DR. JOSEPH GEBHARDT
Volunteers are the backbone of Associated Services for the Blind (ASB). Without them, ASB would be unable to provide programs and services that give people who are blind and visually impaired greater independence.
Seventy-nine year old Dr. Joseph Gebhardt has been an ASB volunteer for 34 years. A retired chemist, Dr. Gebhardt has used his professional expertise to enrich the lives of people with visual and other disabilities. Each month, he spends 20 to 25 hours reading and recording Scientific American and Smithsonian magazines, for people who are unable to read for themselves. This service is part of ASB’s Recorded Periodicals Division. This service offers a wide variety of magazine subscriptions on cassette tape, and helps bring the world a little closer for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Dr. Gebhardt’s recordings are also broadcast over ASB’s Radio Information Center for the Blind (RICB). RICB is a 24-hour radio reading service that broadcasts local and national newspapers, advertisements, magazines, television listings, movies and programming of special interest, to those who are unable to read print.
Recorded periodicals and radio reading services play an important role in the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired. They give people access to news and other information that otherwise would not be readily available. Without the dedication and commitment of volunteers, Associated Services for the Blind would not be able to provide these services, which are almost entirely run by volunteers.
In addition to recording, Dr. Gebhardt repairs the playback equipment that is issued free to listeners. He spends a half a day a week fixing these machines that enable listeners to hear the recordings.
Dr. Joseph Gebhardt has made a difference in the lives of so many people throughout the course of his life. During his career he was dedicated to the advancement of science. As a retiree, he is dedicated to the promotion of independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. His commitment to helping others has made him a role model for all volunteers of ASB.
SPENCER FREE
Spencer Michael Free, known as “Mike” Free, has since October 1998 been a dedicated volunteer for the Cruisin’ Not Boozin’ Program, a non-profit community educational program of the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital of Malvern, Penn.
The Cruisin’ Not Boozin’ Program is an injury prevention program which focuses on educating teenagers and adults about the devastating combination of using alcohol drugs and driving. This unique program uses speakers who were involved in alcohol/drug related accidents, survived, but were left with permanent life altering problems such as traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries. For the past 15 years, the program has not only reached ½ million teenagers and young adults at middle, high school and college assemblies but has proven very effective in changing attitudes about drinking and driving through a student measurement survey developed by the Cruisin’ Not Boozin’ Program and administered by participating schools.
Initially, Mr. Free was a Volunteer Driver, driving speakers to program assemblies since most of the speakers cannot drive due to their impairments and the program does not have the funds to hire staff. He still continues to be a driver even though his abilities and expertise go far beyond the skills of driving a car. His contributions to the Cruisin’ Not Boozin’Program has been offered with the attitude that he will do “whatever it takes.”
Mr. Free is also accomplished inventor, statistician, and writer; it is clear that his chosen job as a driver is a labor of love. He has offered his professional knowledge of math and statistics to help design and implement a measurement tool and survey to statistically show the impact of the speakers in affecting a change in the attitudes of students we present to our school assemblies. Because of his efforts, operational grants from foundations and corporate funding sources have been identified. The Student Survey, which is also shared with participating school, provides important data about student’s profiles, which can in turn be used for PTA meetings, funding sources, and School Board meetings.
Perhaps his most important contribution is his commitment to the speakers in the program, which goes above and beyond his duties as a driver. He has used his own funds to purchase a computer for one of the speakers, who is paralyzed, brain injured and lives alone. He helped another young lady suffering from a traumatic brain injury to start a mini chicken farm behind her house because he felt it would help her with her rehabilitation.
For the past nine years, in addition to the Cruisin’ Not Boozin’ Program, Mr. Free has volunteered as a Biostatistician Consultant to a research project at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. This research project involves cancer cell research and the search for a cure. As a result of his contributions, the program director secured a $120,000 grant and12 other researchers have generated funding for their respective projects.
