AUDUBON AREA FOSTER GRANDPARENT HOMELAND SECURITY TEAM

Following two local disasters, and the bombing of September 11, 2001, a study done by the local Red Cross Chapter determined that many families were not prepared to evacuate their homes with necessary items. In his speech on November 8, 2001, President Bush cited the Senior Corps (which consists of Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, RSVP) as he called on Americans to help fight terrorism on the home front by “making a commitment to service in our own communities.” As part of the President’s initiative, Senior Corps members will help prepare Americans in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, places of worship and public spaces to deal with the potential consequences of terrorist attacks.

With this goal in mind, Audubon Area Senior Service Corps, Foster Grandparent Program, applied for and received a grant form the Corporation for National and Community Service. This homeland security grant was to focus specifically on children’s issues and concerns of safety and security.

Five volunteer stations in two large counties, linked with the Audubon Area Foster Grandparent Program Homeland Security Team to help minimize the concerns of children pertaining to safety as well as disasters, both man-made and natural. The Foster Grandparent Program has formed partnerships with Red Cross, AmeriCorps/VISTA and local community agencies to help educate children in the area of Homeland Security through Disaster Preparedness/Awareness.

Two teams of Foster Grandparent Program senior citizen volunteers age 60 and over, consisting of five members each, receive a wide variety of training. The teams work with each station to coordinate presentations that deal with all aspects of safety/security questions or concerns on a child’s level. Presentation topics include Bike Safety and Emergency Evacuation Plan/Fire Safety.

Two hundred children in after-school programs were educated on the importance of being prepared for a disaster; how to recognize and deal with different types of danger or disasters; and how to prepare and store an emergency bag (E-bag). Two area hospitals donated bags for all 200 children to implement in preparing their own emergency bags. An ‘Emergency Bag’ guideline, developed by Audobon Area Senior Service Corps and approved by Red Cross was used in preparing the E-bags. Local pharmacies donated first-aid supplies (rubber gloves, Band-Aids, gauze and ointment) to help get their “first-aid” kid started.

These ongoing, monthly presentations, which will continue through the year 2004, will have helped children feel more confident when they are in “scary” situations. Their self-esteem has been boosted. They have a better understanding of how to handle themselves in difficult situations. Having an E-Bag ready, with some of their things of their own, provides reassurance to a child who has to evacuate their home during a disaster.

MIMI HUEY

For the past 14 years, Mimi Huey has donated thousands of hours to ensure that critical, basic needs of the abused and neglected children served by Child Protective Services (CPS) are met. In 1989, she co-founded Dallas Community Partners, an organization designed to achieve this mission through two major programs: Adopt-A-Caseworker, a program that connects businesses and organizations with CPS caseworkers who then work to meet the needs of individual clients; and the Rainbow Room, and emergency resource center stocked with all new items (such as clothing, diapers, baby formula, and hygiene products) for CPS caseworkers to access for their clients.

In founding Dallas Community Partners, Ms. Huey gave numerous community presentations and engaged every important community leader in the process. The project was so successful that the Board of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services asked that it be replicated throughout the State. Laura Bush, First Lady of Texas, actively supported this effort and in 1996, Ms. Huey was appointed as Founding Vice-Chair of Greater Texas Community Partners (GTCP), the organization charged with the planning and implementation of the replication process. As a result of Ms. Huey’s hard work, Community Partner groups had been established in 25 Texas cities by the end of the first year. In 2003, the number of sites grew to 103. Ms. Huey’s commitment and dedication were key factors in this incredible growth.

Ms. Huey’s ability to connect with diverse groups of people and encourage collaboration is one of the reasons for the success of GTCP. In the beginning, Ms. Huey decided that the best way to engage communities throughout the state in this project was to encourage the Junior Leagues to start programs in their communities. Because of this strategy, Junior Leagues throughout the state have been the foundation of Community Partners. And this strong foundation has encouraged wider community involvement, and ensured that the programs remain strong and viable.

The Dallas Community Partner program has been phenomenally successful. Each year, an average of 50,000 children are served through the two programs statewide and $3.3 million in cash and gifts in kind is donated to help these children. In 2003 alone, 4,678 volunteers donated 45,263 hours to this important cause. To date, Ms. Huey’s efforts have created a brighter future for more than 242,000 Texas children.

Ms. Huey has been actively involved in Dallas Community Partners projects sine 1989, and has donated thousand of hours of service. Since the inception of GTCP in 1996, she has been actively spearheading or working behind the scenes to help the children of Texas.

The phenomenal success of this program would not have happened without the leadership of Ms. Huey. She is extremely creative and has the ability to think strategically. She is equally adept at seeing the “big picture” and the immediate tasks that need to be accomplished to achieve the goal. Ms. Huey holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and has been honored as Sustainer of the Year for the Dallas Junior League and was honored by Kappa Kappa Gamma as an Unsung Angel in 2001.

MENTORING MOMS PROGRAM

While mentoring usually evokes an image of an adult and a child, mothers need mentors also. The Mentoring Moms Program of Volunteer Center of Bergen County provides role models, advocates and friends for mothers involved with the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) and the Welfare to Work Program. The Moms Program recruits, trains, screens, matches and supports volunteers who serve as friends, mentors and role models to isolated and overwhelmed mothers referred by Bergen County DYFS. This program provides a personal relationship for women in highly stressful situations.

Mentoring Moms is in its 8th year. The mentors come from all demographic groups and from towns in and around Bergen County. However, they all have in common a desire to help another women cope with the stresses of being a mother in various life situations. They offer caring hearts, listening ears, life experience and a willingness to encourage, guide and befriend a mother in need. The mentees enjoy the fact that their mentors listen, help them and encourage them without judging.

One particular mom was referred to Mentoring Moms due to a history of alcoholism, depression and family dysfunction. A college graduate and experienced nurse, she had no friends or family to turn to and was in danger of losing custody of her daughter. Shortly after they met, the mentor recognized this mom’s skills and abilities and worked with her so she could build on them. Her progress was not steady or easy, but this mom knew that her mentor was there for her and believed in her. The mom was diagnosed and received appropriate medication for her depression, became active in AA and found success in small accomplishments. Because of the Mentoring Mom’s program, this mom is active in AA, moved out of an unhealthy situation and is involved in the Welfare to Work Program.

Each volunteer has an initial interview, 15 hours of training and a thorough screening. The screening included written references, police, prosecutors and driver record checks and state and federal fingerprinting. Each volunteer participates in selecting the woman she will mentor and has an opportunity to speak with the referring caseworker to clarify any questions. The mentoring relationship builds self-esteem, helps develop coping strategies and produces long-term benefits for the mentee and her family.

Once matched, the mentors spend two to three hours each week with their mentees. Activities vary and can include walks in the park for exercise and conversation, going out to eat, running errands, accompanying the mentee to school or health appointments, taking the children to a library program, planning for a job interview and discussing goals and how to meet challenges. The staff is always available to offer guidance, identify resources and be a mentor to the mentor.

AARON OBERNE

Aaron Oberne has been associated with the Norfolk Neighborhood and Leisure Services Therapeutic Recreation Division for the past several years – first as a participant in a Wednesday bowling class taught by Steve Errante and now as a valuable volunteer for several programs. Aaron has overcome his disability to become a very good bowler by designing strategies that allowed him to circumvent the neurological obstacles of cerebral palsy.

Aaron’s determination and developing maturity prompted Mr. Errante to ask him if he would be interested in helping out during the bowling class. He did not hesitate to lend a hand, which involved monitoring scoring and assistant an older participant who is a quadriplegic with limited movement. Aaron assisted in bringing the participant his bowling ball, adjusting the ramp, using strategies to improve bowling, and giving positive praise.

As Aaron grew into his role as a bowling assistant, Mr. Errante felt he should become a full-fledged volunteer with the Therapeutic Recreation Program. Once again, Aaron responded positively to the idea of being a volunteer and became involved in several of Mr. Errante’s classes and programs. His responsibilities include equipment set-up and breakdown, lending assistance and encouragement to individual participants during specific activities. Low Impact Aerobics, Sports Night, and Movie Night are just some of the classes he has been a volunteer. He shared his personal workout routine with others and gave them proper techniques in using hand held weights.

Recently, they were fortunate to have a large screen TV and sound system donated to the TR Center. Mr. Errante was attempting to connect it together to use for their movie night and had difficulty with wiring and set-up of the two units. Aaron came to the rescue and figured out wiring and using the TV/DVD menus, which made for a successful evening for all.

Aaron is very well read and became a real asset when they would go on outings to museums and historical sites. He would be their personal tour guide and was able to answer many questions asked by the participants. This past June they traveled to New Jersey for a three-day camping trip. He was involved in every facet of the trip. Along with the usual camp set-up and breakdown, Aaron helped the campers learn how to gather the right type of wood for the campfire, marshmallow roasting, and hot dog grilling. He gave insight on their nature walks, helped campers make and hang bird feeders, and pitched in cooking and cleaning up afterwards. He was in charge of his tent making sure to notify staff if anyone needed assistance or helping them find the bathroom in the dark.

Aaron is assisting Mr. Errante this fall in his classes, as well as assisting other instructors. This year alone, Aaron has contributed more than 1000 documented hours of service. He will be greatly missed when he attends college next year.

DILLARD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS KITCHEN

The Campus Kitchens Project is a national network sponsored by DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization in Washington DC. This program utilizes existing resources within college communities to fight hunger and its causes. The Dillard University Campus Kitchen is housed on the campus of Dillard University, a historically black university in New Orleans, LA. In kitchen space shared with campus dining, the program mobilizes students to recycle surplus food, prepare meals in the Campus Kitchen, and deliver those meals to agencies and individuals in the community.

Poverty is widespread in New Orleans. The DU Campus Kitchen’s 80+ student volunteers help fight hunger by cooking and delivering 650 meals per week for 15 individuals and families and seven nonprofit organizations, thereby relieving some of the strain on their budgets.

The Campus Kitchen promotes social awareness. Volunteers from Dillard, who are predominately African-American, partner regularly with the mostly Caucasian Tulane University volunteers. This fosters interaction among college students of different races, religions and socio-economic statuses, who have the common goal of bettering the community they share.

In summer of 2003, the DU Campus Kitchen partnered with two church summer camps. Volunteers provided food and education for kids who receive free or reduced meals during the school year. 47% of Dillard University students are first-generation college students, so they are excellent role models for African-American kids from low-income neighborhoods. At the Kids Café, DU Campus Kitchen volunteers share meals with the children. They consistently provide companionship, nutrition education, and mentoring for the kids.

The DU Campus Kitchen prepares and delivers meals three days a week, utilizing existing kitchen space in the university’s dining hall, donated food from Sodexho Dining Services on campus, and the energy of student, faculty, and community volunteers. Unserved food that would normally go to waste is donated to the program, and student volunteers use the kitchen space to turn that food into healthy, hearty meals. Volunteers then deliver the meals to individuals (such as homebound seniors) and agencies (such as shelters, after-school kids’ programs, and senior programs) in the community surrounding the Dillard University campus. The Campus Kitchens Project receives funding from private donors, as well as a grant from the Sodexho Foundation.

From October 2002 through October 2003, the Dillard University Campus Kitchen served over 16,000 meals to nine partner agencies, while The Campus Kitchens Project served more than 73,000 meals since its October 2001 inception. The DU Campus Kitchen engages more than 80 student volunteers from Dillard and Tulane Universities to contribute 200 volunteer hours each month. The program also provides programmatic services with its meals. For example, Campus Kitchen volunteers at a local after-school kids’ program conduct regular nutrition education sessions, led by education majors from Dillard University, to teach kids from low-income families about the importance of a balanced diet.

THOMAS OWENS

For the past two years, Thomas Owens, a Vietnam Era Veteran, has been the primary case manager with the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), a $250,000 annual grant from the Department of Labor to mitigate factors that contribute to veterans being chronically homeless. Prior to working with the Sacramento Veterans Resource Center, Mr. Owens selflessly served for many years as a social worker/case manager with the Catholic Social Services in their homeless and disenfranchised programs.

Mr. Owens has personally helped well over 500 veterans, most of whom were homeless, unemployed, suffering from mental and/or physical illness, despondent, and beaten by the “system” into despair and defeatism. He painstakingly identifies the client’s priority needs and their root causes, and using his extensive knowledge of the Sacramento Community, starts to connect them to the available resources, adding extensive leverage to the HVRP funding. More importantly, rather than passively providing service referrals, he cultivates the client’s active participation in the problem solving and rebuilding process.

One of Mr. Owens favorite tools is the Center’s “Winning the Employment Game (WEG),” a two week workshop for veterans that does a great deal more than just address job search techniques. During this time Mr. Owens, in partnership with the WEG instructor, gauges the client’s work ethic, ability to follow simple orders, sense of timeliness, level of social skills, self-direction, motivation, and readiness to deal with the underlying problems that have contributed to their being homeless and isolated from society. For the client, it is a chance to evaluate feelings, attitudes and past behaviors that have probably gone unanalyzed for years.

Upon completion of the program, many clients are able to rediscover the strengths and talents that once allowed them to be successful in their military career. Others realize how the same negative beliefs and actions that didn’t work for them in the military are still at work in their current lives. By the time the client successfully completes the workshop, Mr. Owens usually has sufficient information to work with them to develop an individualized plan that maps out, step-by-step, the actions that are necessary for a return to self-sufficiency, and to motivate them to give themselves another chance.

Mr. Owens professionalism is confirmed in the HVRP program’s solid performance achievements, as reported to the Department of Labor. While there are two HVRP case managers at the Center, health reasons have greatly limited the other staff member’s contribution, causing Mr. Owens to do the “yeoman’s” share of active case management. For the last annual contract, which ended in June, 258 client assessments were reported, or 129% of goal; employment places were at 157, or 131% of the goal, and averaged $10.96 or 133% of the goal; and retention of employment at the 180 day point was at 148% of the goal. As impressive as these accomplishments are for any agency, it is even more impressive when it is recognized that many of these clients are the “hardest” to serve of the “hard to serve.” Mr. Owens can take a large share of the credit for such accomplishments.

PAUL LILIENFELD

Paul Lilienfeld, 14, attended the annual Christmas party for children with cancer and their families the past two years. The party was given by Candlelighters of Brevard, Inc., a local non-profit charity dedicated to children with cancer and their families by offering emotional support and financial assistance to childhood cancer families during the most difficult time of their lives. The experience had a very profound impact on Paul. He often expressed gratitude that this dreaded disease had not afflicted members of his own family and he also expressed admiration for the courage exhibited by the stricken children and their families. He also desired to help in some way. He was encouraged in this desire by his family and his Boy Scout Troop.

Paul decided to spare the burden of purchasing school supplies for a total of 107 children from 29 different families. Due to the financial difficulties they were experiencing because of their battles with cancer, many were unable to purchase required supplies for the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year. Paul conferred with the Executive Director of Candlelighters of Brevard, who agreed this would be a very useful project, which would satisfy a very real need.

In March 2003, Paul began planning and enlisting the help of friends on the project. He determined the age and gender of each of the children to ensure that appropriate supplies would be obtained. He then decided to use three primary sources for donations – corporate donations, personal donations and money earned by organized carwashes.

Paul solicited donations of all supplies and equipment needed for the carwashes as well as food for his friends assisting him and the printing of carwash tickets and flyers. They also sold carwash tickets and distributed flyers at high volume fast food outlets. The carwashes earned $250, personal donations totaled $185 and corporate donations totaled $1,450 for a total cash amount of $1,580, which was presented to Candlelighters of Brevard in September, two weeks prior to the beginning of academic year 2003-2004. In addition, a vast amount of various school supplies were received from individuals and corporations at drop off points Paul had arranged with local businesses.

Paul did not receive a stipend or salary for any portion of the project, but he was recognized in his school newsletter and the Candlelighters of Brevard’s newsletter. He also received a personal letter from Mitch A. Needleman, State Representative, District 31.

SCOTT REDDIN

On most weekends you can find Councilman Scott Reddin mentoring, driving, distributing food to the homeless or raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. And this is only on the weekends!

Volunteers in Protective Services (VIPS) was established in 1977 to match trained, carefully screened, caring adults with abused, neglected, isolated and/or troubled Bergen county children. Referrals come primarily from the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services, the state child protection agency. Councilman Reddin completed training in 1996 and has since served as a VIPS Volunteer brother to eight boys, each having numerous behavioral challenges and family issues. Since 1996, Councilman Reddin has spent literally hundreds of hours in shared activities and experiences with these boys, one-on-one, and has provided his mentees with a caring shoulder to lean on and an open heart that will listen to them.

Councilman Reddin gives of himself freely and willingly. He sets boundaries with the boys he mentors, having told each and every one that all he asks for is a phone call if the mentee cannot make their scheduled time together. Acknowledging the frustrations he has experienced in some of his mentoring relationships, Councilman Reddin recently stated that he’s learned what unqualified love is all about. He has made himself available to these boys; he does not judge them and he does not expect anything from them except that they believe in themselves (and that phone call if they have to cancel!). He is an incredible advocate for these children, which overflows into his day job as assistant to U.S. Representative Steve Rothman (D).

And as if that isn’t enough, Councilman Reddin is the honorary disc jockey of the Volunteer Center of Bergen County! With no hesitation and never a fee, you can find him spinning out those songs at mentoring program events and at other Volunteer Center events. A boy at heart himself, Councilman Reddin makes sure the kids are dancing and laughing, as he recognizes how important it is for these children to be just that…children.

Councilman Scott Reddin exemplifies the qualities that we need in mentors: caring, empathy, the ability to listen but not judge, and he is the embodiment of the word “fun”. He is an incredible role model to each and every boy he mentors. He has enabled the boys he has mentored through the years to believe that they can achieve anything they hope to, with help from caring and sensitive adults.

DR. WYNN OKUDA

ROBERT GRAHAM

Robert Graham has been a volunteer counselor at St. Andrew Baptist Church Benevolence Center for more than five years. He volunteers two days per week, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00am until 12noon. He has been an encouragement to the hundreds of persons whom he has counseled that have visited the center.

Many of those who visit the center have lost their jobs. They cannot find employment. Utilities have not been paid, and they have been served with a cut-off notice. They do not have adequate food for the family. Children have outgrown much of their clothing, and winter is fast approaching.

Some are in the process of divorce and are uncertain of the new circumstances that now surround their lives. Many are already divorced and are living in a state of uncertainty, loneliness, fear and anxiety. Often the children are not adjusting well to the new lifestyles that have been forced upon them; they are having problems in school.

Very often when parents and families visit the center, hopelessness has made deep inroads into their lives. Mr. Graham is a perpetual optimist. He has the capacity to enable those whom he councils to see and accept a re-direction for their lives. He abounds with hope and freshness of life, which he is able to communicate to those that are losing, or have already lost, hope and cannot see clearly because of the dark cloud of defeat that overshadows their lives. Mr. Graham is a ray of sunshine, wisdom, hope, optimism and encouragement that points the way to a new day.