LAVONNE SEKELIK

LaVonne Sekelik has performed over 8,200 volunteer service hours at Ogden Regional Medical Center in various capacities. She has been working in the Encore Shop for years. After she began to work there, Sekelik realized they were in jeopardy of closing due to a lack of staffing, she recruited her husband Ed; and they permanently accepted the most difficult shift. When the shop buyer needed help, Sekelik added the responsibility of ordering merchandise. When the president-elect position was unexpectedly vacated, Sekelik filled the heavy responsibilities of both president and president-elect for an entire year. When the fund-raising chairman fell ill the same year, Sekelik then picked up the reins and organized fund-raisers. It seems as though she adds new responsibilities at least once a month and sometimes weekly.

In addition to her work at Ogden Regional Medical Center, Sekelik serves on the board of the St. Benedict’s Foundation. This foundation is responsible for funding many women and children’s community programs. Sekelik has learned about accounting, purchasing, pricing, contracts, marketing, and business plans. She is well rounded, and has made herself very valuable in matters pertaining to hospital and community programs. She’s not shy about addressing needs. When she learned that the Ogden Rescue Mission was short of turkeys for families in need at Christmas, on the spur of the moment, she arranged for funds to meet the need.

Sekelik is pro-active in seeking ways to “give back” to the community. She has a huge humanitarian heart, but most importantly she takes care of other volunteers. Sekelik is good at sensing when someone is heavy hearted and looks for opportunities to uplift and help others by writing appreciation notes, offering small gifts, taking care of others needs, or giving genuine compliments.

Sekelik is perpetually positive no matter the situation. She is known for never becoming discouraged. One day while volunteering Sekelik got hurt and had to go the Emergency Room with a broken wrist. At the very same time, her husband Ed was in the ER, where he learned he had brain cancer. In spite of the traumatic morning, the couple insisted on filling their volunteer commitment that day. (The hospital sent them home to rest).

Because she is in perpetual service, no one would guess that Sekelik is battling with an unseen enemy – cancer. She expects it will win some day. “Knowing ahead that my life may be shortened by cancer actually gives me a better perspective, and the focus to devote myself to things most important in life. Obviously, volunteering is one of those things,” says Sekelik. Although she received regular cancer treatments, she has not missed one volunteer day. Her dear husband, and fellow volunteer, was not so fortunate. He passed away in September 2003. Sekelik’s coping strategy is to volunteer more! The Ogden community is truly blessed by her unselfish service.

EDNA DEBARDELABEN

Edna Debardelaben is active in the Pasa Robles community. She has helped planned special celebrations, works on various boards and is an active member of RSVP. She has also helped served the homeless and works to ensure seniors are aware of what resources are available to them.

Debardelaben planned and directed the Dr. Martin Luther King celebration in Paso Robles. She also made a presentation to the RSVP Project Advisory Council about her activities as a senior center volunteer and planner for the celebration. Debardelaben has been instrumental in the promotion and celebration of the Juneteenth celebration, which commemorates the date the slaves in Texas became aware of the emancipation proclamation.

The Second Baptist Church in Paso Robles has a food pantry. Debardelaben supports this as well as their homeless project. She collects and distributes food and helps those in transition to fin housing and employment.

With regards to her service to the elderly, Debardelaben serves with the Senior Nutrition Program. Her duties include but are not limited to being an official hostess and greeter. Debardelaben shows new clients to the table and makes introductions. She performs these tasks with sensitivity to the needs of the new and current diners. In that capacity she socializes with the clients, sometimes provides entertainment and helps the site manager with awards and recognition. She has made the nutrition program at the Center one of the most attended and successful of all the nutrition sites in the Central Coast region.

Debardelaben is also an avid supporter of Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF). SAIF is a program sponsored by RSVP to help get the word out to seniors about the various ways they can be scammed. She helped promote the SAIF meeting sponsored by RSVP in the Paso Robles area. In addition, Debardelaben serves the Center by providing Bingo. The residents look forward to Bingo four times a month on every Wednesday. She secured the help of a local radio personality as “caller,” and her help has caused the event to be a marked success.

Debardelaben is also a member of the Paso Robles Senior Advisory Board of the City Parks and Recreation Department. IN this capacity she keeps aware of the needs of the community and helps to facilitate problem solving to meet community needs.

Debardelaben has an electrifying personality and an ability to recruit and engage others to serve. She has a sincere concern for the welfare of anyone in need, and that is demonstrated in how she lives her life. She is reliable, dedicated and trustworthy. Because of Debardelaben’s volunteer service, she was named Roblan of the Month and Senior of the Year.

DANIELLE MILLER

Danielle Miller, 17, a junior at Sacred Heart Academy, founded a service organization called the “National Awareness Committee” to provide clothing, books and other needed items to members of the Lakhota Sioux Nation living on a reservation in South Dakota.

Danielle became aware of the Lakhotas’ needs during a school presentation by the Native American Support Effort (NASE) when she was in eighth grade. “The details and photographs moved me to tears,” said Danielle. “I never realized the abundance of crisis in my own country.”

Danielle immediately offered to volunteer with NASE, but was too young to go on a mission to the reservation. Later she realized she could accomplish a great deal in her own community to help the Lakhotas. She planned and organized five collection drives at local schools and in nearby communities, and gathered enough clothing, blankets, kitchenware, bicycles and books to fill a 52-foot truck. Danielle recruited volunteers to help sort, pack and load the donations, and personally accompanied the shipment to the Rosebud Reservation in southern South Dakota. She also raised more than $2,000 to pay for the transportation, and to make a documentary film that will be used to make even more people aware of the Lakhota situation.

KEVIN FERRY

Kevin Ferry is a 14 year-old eighth-grader at Palmer Junior Middle School. He single-handedly started a newspaper-recycling program at his school. Last year he was walking to the cafeteria and found a newspaper all over the ground. He thought about the fact that the school gets about 100 newspapers every day. Evidently most of them go into the garbage each day. That sparked the idea to start a newspaper-recycling program. After discussing his idea with principals, teachers and janitors at his school, Kevin began spending two hours a week placing collection boxes in classrooms, and then transporting used papers to a local recycling center (with help from his mother). This year, Kevin is using bins on wheels to handle the heavy loads. Kevin said he plans to take his recycling project to the local high school next year and also will work to ensure that it continues at his middle school. He learned the responsibility of a job, and that appreciation comes from her service to the school, the community and through hard work.

TIFFANY CHOU

Tiffany Chou, 18, a senior at Seabury Hall School in Makawao, was inspired by her special-needs brother to create “The Dancing Palette Project,” a weekend social program offering art, drama and dance activities for special-needs students and their teenage mentors.

“My brother loves to hang out and socialize with kids his age, although he has trouble gaining acceptance from other kids,” said Tiffany. So she conceived a program that would enable her brother and others like him to dance, decorate cookies, make T-shirts and participate in other fun activities while socializing with other teens in a supportive environment. Tiffany received approval to use high school facilities, and recruited several teachers to help plan the program. She also encouraged other teens to volunteer as mentors to the seven special-needs students in the program, which consisted of three weekends of art projects and then three weekends of dance and music.

“What we do so easily comes very hard for some kids – what seems like just one small step can be a huge victory and major step forward,” said Tiffany.

The Dancing Palette has been very successful in its first and second year and has now doubled in size. It is going on its third year and it will be expanding even more to other communities throughout Maui County. I wrote a grant last summer and The Dancing Palette has received a $1000 grant from The George P. Ida Tenney Castle Trust. This year I donated my $1000 scholarship from the Prudential Spirit of Community award for the program this coming 2005 year. I am currently a college student at The School of Art Institute of Chicago. I plan on continuing “The Dancing Palette” as a summer program this 2005. My website is dancingpalette.org, please e-mail me at [email protected]

INDEPENDENCE MISSOURI PARENTS ANONYMOUS

This past year has seen the Hawthorne Place Community in Independence, Missouri moving in a new and expanded direction as the Hawthorne Place Community Center project is completed. Hawthorne Places’ mission to improve quality of life always comes first. It’s not just a saying that hangs on the wall. It is a genuine commitment shared by the board and staff. So, during the past year, efforts have been made to reach as many residents as possible with housing, social services, health, community safety, technology and wellness programs developed to meet identified needs.

One of those groups helping this low-income community was the Independence, Missouri Parents Anonymous Group. A Parents Anonymous (PA) support group can have a tremendously positive impact on an individual. Co-chairs from the Cler-Mont Randall Community Partnership – Nina Falls and Adaire Stewart – had the opportunity to attend a Parents Anonymous group. After sitting in on one PA group they were convinced that PA is something that is needed in Independence.

Through much deliberation and long planning meetings, a training event was planned for March 22, 2004 whereby there were trained facilitators and parent leaders to kick off the first Parents Anonymous meeting April 19, 2004. Thirteen parents have been supported through Parents Anonymous in the past four months. There have been new participants monthly. Recruitment for PA is ongoing. According to the Program Bulletin from Parents Anonymous, “All parents have the capacity for positive change and a critical factor in their change process is the opportunity to transform their attitudes and behaviors and to learn and practice new skills in a supportive environment”. Parents are taking on a stronger role in schools and in the community.

The facilitators saw another need come from the Parents Anonymous group – a children’s program. The Children’s Program is a place where children give and get support from one another. The Children’s Program staff assists children in building health relationships. They learn positive ways of interacting, problem solving, and supporting gone another. Hawthorne Parents Anonymous has begun branching out to local faith based organizations. They are planning have their parent support group in operation by September 1.

Change happens slowly and the word is getting our about Parents Anonymous. This group is providing support and encouragement for parents dealing with the stress of parenting. They provide a place to freely discuss difficulties in raising children. They provide a program for children that are structured to work on self-esteem, cooperative play and confidence building. Finally, this group has provided a network of parents to assist each other with everyday needs, including childcare, phone contact, and support and caring.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY YOUTH SERVICES STUDENTS OF PROMISE

Rockingham County Youth Services Students of Promise are high school students who serve as role models and tutors for Support Our Students (SOS) middle school youth. Students of Promise equip at-risk middle school students with the skills they need to succeed in life while, themselves, having the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Statistics show that most juvenile crime occurs in the afternoon hours between 3:00 and 6:00 PM and that middle school youth are less likely to quit school and more likely to succeed when they have caring, positive role models in their lives. Students of Promise volunteers work and play with these middle school kids during these crucial hours after school and give them the attention, help and tools they need to make good choices. In return, these at-risk middle school students, through the guidance and example of their mentors, are empowered to give to others and their community – turning “at-risk” to “at-promise”!

Since its inception in 1998, as few as 48 and as many as 100 Students of Promise mentors form our four county high schools have volunteered after school at the four SOS sites each year. They tutor younger students in a variety of academic subjects and measure progress through reports cards, progress reports, and end-of-grade tests. Mentors organize community service projects, participate in anger management and conflict resolution and enhance the social skills of students in the SOS program.

Students of Promise mentors commit to volunteering at least 25 hours of service during the school year, to meet with the SOS students at least once a week and to participate in at least three service-learning projects. Projects completed by the Students of Promise and SOS groups include beautification projects, both at the schools and in the community, on-going activities with area nursing and retirement homes, coat drives, food drives, teacher appreciation projects, elder care projects, as well as collaborating with HELP, Inc., Samaritan’s Purse, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Rockingham County Pregnancy Care Center, Hospice fund raiser and Relay for Life Cancer Walk.

Students of Promise receive no monetary payment for their efforts, however, they are given incentives, such as fast food coupons, during the year and are recognized in their year-end assemblies and given t-shirts, certificates and other appropriate rewards. Since 2001, Rockingham County Students of Promise have volunteered 10,495 hours in the SOS program and their community. If compensated minimum wage, this amounts to $54,490, however, new statistics on the worth of a volunteer puts the hourly wage at $17.19 – amounting to a whopping $180,409!

School personnel as well as parents give credit to these high school young people and our SOS program for improved grades, behavior, attitudes and community awareness. Rockingham County is a better place to live, thanks in part to our Student of Promise volunteers.

CHURCH OF CHRIST MENTORING PROGRAM

The Church of Christ of Ruleville, Mississippi, Inc. is located in the heart of Ruleville in Sunflower County. This county is hit with some of the highest rates of need in the Delta. Thirty-six percent of the persons who reside in the Delta live in poverty, and the average household income of African-American in the Delta is 38.2% of the average white household. Statistics show the unemployment rate is 15.1%, 11.4% of the population receive public assistance and 30.5% of the births are to single teenagers under the age of 20. In addition, the juvenile incarceration rate for youth 10 to 18 is 10.3%. During the 2001 school year 100% of the students in the junior high and high schools were eligible for free lunch, almost 7% of high school students dropped out and almost 2% of junior high students dropped out.

These facts speak for themselves; living in the Delta is a challenge for many. Because of this, many residents in Ruleville suffer from low self-esteem. The Church of Christ saw this problem and developed its mentoring program in 2000. Since its inception, the program has targeted youth between the ages of 8 and 18 and engages them in positive experiences in an attempt to better the community by producing citizens who make positive life choices.

This year the mentoring program has been even more active, and they have geared many of the activities towards the community at large. During February, they hosted a Black History Program. They performed, “ Who Am I In Black History?” and enabled each mentee to research a person of choice and introduce a fact to the audience. They also elected a council in February and worked to ensure the mentees were educated on different aspects of the election process like nominations, debates and speeches. The volunteers provided interactive learning in hopes the youth would grasp the concepts better if they were able to participate.

Through a grant from the Points of Light Foundation, the volunteers donated a city flag to Ruleville. The mentoring group and other members of the community worked to design a city flag, and they presented the flag to the Mayor, Shirley Edwards, in a special ceremony.

The mentoring program also sponsors educational endeavors. Through a grant provided by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, the program teaches against tobacco use and encourages healthy living. They also sponsor an after-school program during the school year and assigns youth-to-youth study buddies. During the past two years, the average student improved his or her grade by one letter due the dedication of the mentoring team.

The Church of Christ Mentoring Program has helped to change the lives of many youth in Ruleville. In addition, they teach conflict resolution, team building and critical thinking skills. They are helping to build a strong community by strengthening the future of their community, the youth.

PEDRO LIZAMA

Pedro Lizama, 13, an eighth-grader at Jefferson Junior High School, collected clothing and school supplies to assist needy children and families in El Salvador. “The idea of the project began with a trip to El Salvador where I saw others my age with less than I have,” Pedro said.

With help from his family, Pedro solicited donations of new and gently used clothing, school supplies and other items. The family purchased other necessities from local stores. “Although budgeting played a key role, we were able to collect a lot of clothes for the people of El Salvador,” he said.

Pedro was able to personally distribute everything he and his family collected when he traveled to his grandfather’s house in the Central American nation. “Because of our efforts, nearly 35 kids will benefit from the clothing and school supplies. I feel that I might go to El Salvador someday or even to another country and help them in any way that I can.”

ART NICHOLS

Art Nichols makes life a little easier for older adults and the disabled in Kalamazoo County. He helps seniors navigate the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) by answering questions and solving problems to ensure that they get all the assistance that is available to them. He counsels and teaches older adults on how to fill out insurance paperwork and is available when they find themselves suddenly alone due to the death of a spouse. Nichols provides transportation to seniors and the disabled for shopping assistance and medical appointments. Since he likes to cook, Nichols also visits homebound older adults and prepares a home cooked meal for them. His awards and recognition have both alerted the public to the needs and the community and engaged others to volunteer.

As an RSVP volunteer, Nichols donates about 30 hours each month as a certified counselor. He has completed the 40-hour State of Michigan training and enjoys what he does. Nichols is happy they do not charge anything or sell anything; they are just available to meet a need.

Nichols makes community presentations to provide the public with up to date information on medical insurance eligibility and also offers to the homes of clients who live in outlining areas or who are physically unable to attend the presentations. He is a compassionate counselor with financial expertise and offers reassurance to those who are overwhelmed with complicated and unfamiliar applications and insurance jargon. Nichols utilizes resources, makes referrals and seeks support from community organizations that provide food, home repair, case management and home care assistance.

Art also serves with GIVE, which is an In Home Support program in Kalamazoo. He is a gourmet cook and he saw a flyer requesting volunteers for light meal preparation. That is a perfect match for Nichols, and he now annually donates approximately 400 hours per year to the program. Nichols goes above and beyond the call of duty, which is evident in his car for one of his GIVE clients. This man was scheduled for knee surgery and was bout to lose his house because he could not make the mortgage payments. Nichols cooked his meals, got him Meals on Wheels, and sold his house before foreclosure. Nichols then got him out of debt, on a budget and taught him the tools necessary to manage his own accounts.

Nichols offers all services he can provide along with RSVP and then he makes the clients aware of resources in Kalamazoo County where they can get additional aid. He offers service and hope to frail seniors worried about their future. Though Nichols wears many hats, he still makes the time to volunteer and help others. Nichols is a pioneer in Kalamazoo County who is forging a path for others to follow so they can make a difference too.