AMERICAN EXPRESS EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE

The American Express Employee Volunteer Committee (EVC), established in 1992, is comprised of 20 employees/retirees from 12 American Express sites. EVC members manage valley-wide volunteer events and meet monthly. Each member promotes volunteerism at his or her work site. In 2004, more than 2822 employees participated in team events contributing 14,415 hours to make positive change in their communities. In addition an even larger percentage of employees participated in company-wide drives resulting in nearly 275,782 items. The in-kind value of these donations totaled $387,500.

More than 100 members of the leadership team hold positions on nonprofit boards throughout the valley. Through these volunteer efforts, American Express has developed many relationships with nonprofits, schools, arts organizations and other corporations.

At the Salvation Army, American Express employees have been instrumental in support of community programs providing over 25 percent of the total number of volunteer teams throughout the year. Week after week, American Express teams bring their time, talent, resources and generous hearts to strengthen the neediest individuals and families in this community. These teams complete landscaping, painting, gardens and wall murals as well as hosting special events for youth, families and low-income seniors. The Salvation Army has also benefited by their generosity with two complete computer labs that offer educational opportunities to children and adults. Additionally between November and December, hundreds of American Express volunteers donate their time to the Christmas Angel program, a program that put smiles on in excess of 50,000 children’s faces in December 2004. This program is the largest in the country.

American Express employees continue to ask the question,” How can we help?” With the vast expertise of employees and the many community relationships that have been built, resources are endless. Whether it is equipment or supplies for work projects, food for families, clothing hygiene or baby items or the special knowledge and skills required to complete a computer lab, team members continue to meet the needs of this community making it stronger.

American Express continues to go “above and beyond” in their dedication to improving our community and making positive change for families in need. Strong partnerships have been developed with The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, West Valley Child Crisis Center, Valle de Sol, Westside Food Bank, Sojourner Center, the Corporate Volunteer Council and many more. American Express has developed a web-based customer service-training program in both Spanish and English for Northern Arizona University and Restaurant Management School.

Within these partnerships, the impact has been far reaching. American Express supports all partnerships by providing board leadership to help achieve their missions and the volunteers to help solve community issues. Many of these services would not have as far-reaching affects without the support of American Express.

LENNIE GARRETT

Grandma Lennie Garrett is an amazing and loving individual who has volunteered twenty hours a week at Marion Anderson Elementary School, a title 1 school in the Sacramento Unified School District for the past 15 years. Her primary goals are to tutor and mentor second and third grade students in reading/English who have special needs. She helps these students in their academics but also teaches them to “learn to love to learn”. Garrett volunteers in a quadrant area where the classes that send student to her who are low/marginal achievers.

The students are having academic difficulties for many reasons. Some come from single parent households that may not encourage educational success; families where both parents work and may not have time/energy to assist with schoolwork; families who are very poor and may struggle to survive and therefore school is not a priority; and then among other things, families who may not speak English and cannot help with schoolwork.

Garrett ‘s overall impact is significant to the children, school, Foster Grandparent Program and the community. The children she works with look forward to seeing her. She works well one to one with students giving them the individual attention, which makes each child feel special resulting in improvement in reading and math skills. She works to enrich fluency reading and comprehension with children not meeting grade level standards. Garrett is instrumental in promoting phonics, sound segmentation, blending, and ensuring that students apply these skills when practicing their fluency reading for first, second and third grade.

Garret goes above and beyond by editing homework with students who have no one at home to help him or her. She also retests students and by her example serves as an exemplary role model for the children. With her calm and loving demeanor, she is able to manage student’s behavior in order to help them learn.

One of the main sources for recruitment for the Foster Grandparent Program is word of mouth. Garrett was one of the original Foster Grandparents at Marion Anderson Elementary School and at times they have had as many as 15 Foster Grandparents at that site and many of them through her direct or indirect efforts. Garrett, along with the teachers and staff provide an excellent learning environment.

Garrett embodies a servant in her daily life and recently received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteering more than 4,000 hours in a lifetime. She was honored by that recognition; however, she is most moved when fifth and sixth graders come across the campus and thank her for what she did for them. Their testimonies of success encourage her to continue on in her mission and add to her 15,000 hours of service.

JWB AND THE WEALTH BUILDING COALITION OF PINELLAS COUNTY

The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) of Pinellas County, Florida supports the healthy development of all children and their families in the county through advocacy research, planning, training, communicating, coordinating of resources and funding. The organization has conducted Earned Income Credit (EIC) outreach since 1989. In each of the last several years, JWB sent tax credit information to more than 7,200 chambers of commerce, human services agencies, schools and others. The organization also targeted businesses employing low-wage workers, including motels, hotels and restaurants. EIC and Child Tax Credit outreach materials were sent home with 43,000 children who attended day care facilities and were included in more than 135,000 bills sent to water customers in several municipalities. In formation in Spanish, Bosnian and several Asian languages was made available to groups serving people who speak English as a second language.

Since 2002, JWB has collaborated with the Wealth Building Coalition of Pinellas County, which recently expanded to cover the entire Tampa Bay are, to offer and promote free tax preparation services. This regional effort, renamed the Prosperity Campaign of Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, has utilized both the staff and computer resources of several JWB funded Neighborhood Family Centers. These sites, which have only operated through the efforts of over 100 volunteers, have helped several thousand individuals claim the tax benefits to which they are entitled at no cost. By voluntarily extending its efforts beyond its usual functions and roles, the Juvenile Welfare Board has served as both the catalyst and foundation for a coalition of organizations and individuals that are directly impacting the lives of those most in need of assistance.

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL BLACK NURSES ASSOCIATION, INC.

The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a professional organization representing more than 150,000 African-American nurses throughout the United States. The membership consists of Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered (nurse practitioners) Nurses, Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurses and Nursing Students.

NBNA was founded in 1971 by Dr. Lauranne Sams and several African-American nurses in attendance at the American Nurses Association in 1970. The organization was in response to growing inequities in health care for African-Americans and the lack of voice from the African-American nurses on these issues. NBNA’s mission is to provide a forum for collective action by African-American nurses to investigate, define and advocate for the health care needs of African-Americans. In addition, strategies are implemented that ensure access to health care equal to or above health care standards of the larger society.

Affiliate chapters of NBNA are the primary mechanism through which the national, state and local community-based programs successfully operate. NBNA has 77 chapters throughout the United States.

The Southern Connecticut Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc. was founded in 1990 by Anita Smalls and co-founders Jacqueline Johnson, Melanese Kotey, and Stephanie Wilborne. The Southern Connecticut Black Nurses Association, Inc. (SCBNA), since its inception has been guided by the NBNA principle that African-American nurses have the understanding, knowledge, interest, concern and the expertise to make a significant difference in the health care status of African-American and minority communities. Thus, SCBNA/NBNA’s goal of improving the health of African-Americans through the provision of culturally competent, community-based programs has been the cornerstone of the organization and continues to be its driving force into the new millennium.

MS. WRESINSKI’S 2ND GRADE ESOL CLASS

Ms. Wresinski teaches a class of exceptional second graders at Helen A. Davis Elementary School in Tampa, Florida. Each Friday, without fail, five of her students leave her classroom in the afternoon to join the special class of children with Autism. Here they spend an hour and a half helping out the teachers with their special students. Often, the interactions come in the form of music, and Autistic children are often drawn out of their shells through song.

A new curriculum has been developed using music to teach concepts such as colors and numbers. The second graders are quick to join in song, leading the class and inspiring the more withdrawn students to participate when they are slow to. During recent weeks, the Autistic students were learning about animals through the song “Old MacDonald.” Through practice they have learned that when the song pauses and they are selected they should name an animal. The teachers were quite surprised with the outcome; even children that they expected to stay quiet joined in! They credit much of this progress to the work that Wresinski’s students have done. Having other children present, positive, and active makes the environment much friendlier.

Beyond their musical skills, these second graders also share their time passing out snacks and doing scheduled activities with the other students. Some of the favorites are arts and crafts and outdoor games. The second graders also share stories that they have written and illustrated with the other students. When the experiment first began, the second graders were uncomfortable during periodic outbursts from the Autistic students, but by now they have learned that such actions are a natural part of their new friends.

A new kindness has developed in Wresinski’s students, as well as a great sense of social acceptance. Interacting normally with those typically considered “different” is a learning experience for everyone, as well as a self-esteem booster. Their teacher hopes that this experience will stay with them, not only by fostering tolerance but also by teaching them at an early age to give some of their time to helping others.

YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS

Youth Volunteers Corp of Prescott Valley, Arizona is a group of young people who are enthusiastic and energetic in their services. Their director, Cindy Craig, helps them correlate their programs and successes by her example, guidance and help.

When the United Way Volunteer Center started in 1991, there were few opportunities for the youth to volunteer. However, in 1992 the Youth Volunteer Corp (YVC) was created through Youth Count for the purpose of providing opportunities for the youth in the area. Since that time the agencies have worked together closely to fill community needs and at the same time provide a positive opportunity for youth.

The YVC has helped the Volunteer Center greatly n assisting the senior population in our area that are lonely or have physical limitations. They help to fill volunteer gaps and services. They have created the YVC Grand Friend program which connects generations at nursing homes with youth volunteers. The youth started a Second Wind Dream program, the purpose of which grants wishes to seniors. A 97 year old man received his high school diploma; several women became teachers for a day; four seniors were transported to a Hawaiian luau and hula show.

Youth Volunteers help in various areas. They work with environmental projects. They also volunteer at the visually impaired and hard of hearing center & have learned sign language to assist in their communication with those impaired. Some of our youth have the privilege of youth board members, served on mayor’s councils, governor’s task forces as America’s Promise Ambassadors.

While many of the agencies struggle to sustain their programs, the Youth Volunteer Corps is teaching the students to write mini grants. The Community Foundation has awarded grants to the Youth in Philanthropy program. They have also awarded a research grant to study youth run businesses.

The Youth Volunteer Corps is an invaluable resource to the community. Because of their dedication, they have received the Governor’s Youth Group award the past two years, Generations United Outstanding Youth award for intergenerational programs, President’s Volunteer Service Award for groups and individuals, and Channel 13 Best new series for TraX TV.

EULA STATON

Grandma Eula has volunteered as a Foster Grandparent at Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School for the past 10 years. That is about 10,000 hours of volunteer activity for Grandma Staton since starting the Foster Grandparent Program in 1995. Grandma Staton logs over 20 hours a week as a Foster Grandparent Volunteer. Last year Staton also received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for accumulating over 4,000 hours over her lifetime.

Staton contributes 4 hours a day, five days a week at Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School in Mrs. Essex and Mrs. Pierces’ first and second grade classes. Mrs. Essex states that Staton is an excellent role model as a senior citizen who has the energy of one of her little ones. The students have improved in reading, spelling and math skills. Without the Foster Grandparent the students would not reap the benefits of the one on one attention or the small group experience.

The other teacher, Mrs. Pierce advises that Grandma Staton is a dependable and reliable volunteer as well as kind and loving to all the students. She is willing to accept responsibility with minimal instruction given; she is a great addition to her class. Grandma Staton’s work with struggling students in readiness skills and reading provides them the extra one on one attention they desperately need. Her patience is evident with the response from the students she works with. The students she works with have shown tremendous growth in their reading skills and would not have progressed as far without Grandma Staton.

Grandma Staton assists with reading, spelling and writing and any other task the teachers may ask. The fact that she is always there when she is scheduled to means a great deal to the children. They love the consistency and look forward to their time with her. She not only helps them academically, but she also helps to build their self-esteem, teaches them the value of effort and hard work and prepares them for better futures. Because of Grandma Staton’s volunteer work, Mrs. Pierce’s class has higher scores on reading fluency compared to other first grade classes. She believes those scores are a result of Grandma Staton listening to them reading everyday.

FRED LOGAN

Johnson County, Kansas residents boast of good schools, a thriving business sector, strong civic leaders, friendly people and a great quality of life. The quality of this community is not defined by the size of the houses or the newness of the cars but by how the members of this community look out for each other. Fred Logan has helped to define this community with his heart, his thoughts and his actions for many years.

Logan, through his civic participation, has provided leadership for and supported many of the issues that have allowed the citizens of this community to enjoy the quality of life that we have today. He has been a true statesman speaking out for quality education in the community. He served on the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees 1992-1997. He serves as co-chair of the Committee for Excellence, a citizens group devoted to maintaining high quality education in the Shawnee Mission School District. This year the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation has selected him as the 2005 recipient of its annual Patron Award. This award honors his support of the Shawnee Mission School District, the foundation and public education.

Logan is building social capital with other organizations as well. He has served as President of United Community Services, a human service planning agency. He has served as president, of the Friends of the Johnson County Library. Currently, he serves as a vice chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

In his words, deeds and actions it is evident that Logan seeks the truth in what he does and about issues in the community. He is fair to all concerned and strives with wisdom to build goodwill in the community, and across the state of Kansas. He builds better friendships with his integrity and hard work. He has a proven track record of being involved with people and with issues and causes that build connections and are beneficial to all concerned.

Logan received his Bachelors of Arts degree with distinction from Indiana University in 1974 and Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Indiana University in 1977. As an attorney, Logan has advised corporate and public clients extensively on business, employment, real estate and contract matters. He received the distinction of Master of the Bench, Kansas Inn of Court.

Logan also serves as a mentor just by his actions. He takes the time to listen, advise and help direct the youth he coaches or the elected leaders that he engages. Logan makes you believe that while doing the right thing might not always be the easiest way to do something — it is in fact the only way to do anything. As a community leader, Logan has woven his community together with extraordinary passion and skill.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA KINDERGARTEN CONFERENCE, INC.

The Southern California Kindergarten Conference, Inc. (SCKC) is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing quality Staff Development activities for those involved in the education of children in Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade. SCKC sponsors an annual conference in Burbank, California (Los Angeles area) which enables educators, child care providers, and parents to acquire valuable pertinent information from prominent speakers, workshops, networking opportunities, and vendors. As many as 1100 people have attended these successful conferences. Staff Development enables adults to enhance their own skills working with young children. The SCKC conference, which takes place on a Friday afternoon and all day on Saturday, is planned and organized by volunteers. SCKC is celebrating its 20th year of providing quality staff development and is currently planning their 20th annual conference in February 2006.

The volunteer organization is composed of teachers and administrators from both public and private schools. Regular planning meetings are held after school, with many members driving over one hour to attend. Most planning activities take place outside of the regular meetings, but again after school, evenings, or on weekends. From May 2004 to April 2005, planning committee members accumulated more than 800 hours of volunteer time while planning and organizing the 19th annual conference that was held in February 2005. While some of the members are retired, most are currently working in the Early Childhood field. They are exemplary models of professionalism in the field of Education.

SCKC is not affiliated with any organization and receives no monetary support other than annual conference registrations. They do ask school districts and other educational organizations to serve as “co-sponsors” for our conference. In exchange for distributing registration booklets to its teachers, a co-sponsor is awarded a scholarship registration to enable a new teacher to attend.

Additionally, SCKC sponsors its own Teacher Award program. Teachers are encouraged to submit projects for a grant of $1000 to be awarded during the General Session at each conference. A volunteer committee and local Early Childhood Education professors review the projects based on established criteria. The awardees present their projects during the workshop portion of the conference, thus giving them the opportunity to present Staff Development. SCKC has a paid administrative assistant to process registration materials and conduct office business.

JACQUI HOSMAN

The Pinellas Habitat for Humanity was struggling before Jacqui Hosman came to its rescue. Though teaching at Ozona Elementary School is certainly a full-time job, Hosman has been in leadership positions for Habitat for Humanity for nine years. She dedicated a great amount of time to the Family Selection and Support Committee, interviewing and organizing prospective volunteer families. Hosman educates, informs, and analyzes the family’s criteria to find an appropriate service match. This is extremely important work, as the wrong project for the right volunteer can end up in disaster. Hosman’s insight into people and families made her work on this committee successful, and she has personally recruited more than 30 families into the organization.

The Strategic Planning Committee also took up much of her time, as she worked to create a long-term plan for Pinellas Habitat for Humanity’s expanding capacities and more efficient leadership. Hosman’s most successful project is the one with which she is still involved, as Board Chair during a tense 18 months during which the program lacked leadership. The organization had no Executive Director, leaving a large hole in the structure of the program. In this situation, Hosman rose to the occasion and recreated the Board as a policy-making entity. When an Executive Director was hired, Hosman led the way in organization-wide support. She aided the Director in hiring new staff and creating networks of people that take care of daily tasks that were being left behind.

In addition, Hosman’s work lent an air of professionalism in an environment that spent a few months lacking it. Since the reorganization, revenues for Pinellas Habitat for Humanity have risen 57 percent, and overhead has decreased from 27 to 14 percent. These are real-world numbers that show how valuable her work really is. Not only the financial sector was improved; however, service capabilities were extended greatly, as well. During the year prior to Hosman’s position of leadership, two homes were constructed. The following year, ten were completed, and this year, plans show twelve homes being erected. This is direct proof of her impact in the organization and in the community.

Hosman’s continuing service to Pinellas Habitat for Humanity is invaluable, and her results incomparable for this program. Her approach of taking control when the company was directed by chaos was innovative and inspiring. Most importantly, more people have homes due to the tireless efforts of Hosman.