KATHY MARTIN

In the spring of 2003, Hope Bertelsen, a seventh grader, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a rare cancer that usually strikes very young children. Hope, along with her family – homemaker mother Gemma, computer-professional father John, and two young brothers – was facing a year or more of dangerous and often experimental surgeries. Treatment was begun immediately at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), which is located more than an hour from the Bertelsen’s home. Because of the seriousness of Hope’s condition and the complexity of the frequent medical decision to be made, one of Hope’s parents need to be in residence at CHOP most of the time. The burden on this family – emotional, spiritual, and financial – was enormous.

Montgomery Township is a close-knit and affluent exurb, and many individuals immediately became aware of the Bertelsen’s situation. Members of the community, those who knew the Bertelsens through their involvement in the church, Scouts, children’s sports, and the local chapter of Mothers of Multiples, as well as those who did not know the Bertelsens at all, wanted to assist this loved and deserving family. But, as often the case, people were hesitant to intrude at such a difficult time. What was needed was a point person – someone to be in constant contact with the Bertelsens and who would be able to coordinated financial and domestic support on their behalf. It would be an enormous task to undertake.

Within days, Kathy Martin – a friend of Hope’s mother – took control and established the Hope for Hope project to assist the Bertelsens in numerous ways. For the next year Hope for Hope bound the community of Montgomery together in a common goal – to allow Gemma and John the time to be with their daughter without distractions.

The Hope for Hope project included the following efforts:

· Hope for Hope fund at a local bank

· Prayer and volunteer sign up event at Hope’s church

· Hope for Hope T-shirts and note cards – both of which used artwork Hope created during therapy at CHOP – were donated by local businesses and offered for sale to the public at numerous businesses and project events.

· Belle Mead Hot Glass, a local artisan, donated handmade blown glass ornaments for sale to the public at numerous local businesses and project events.

· Kathy Martin, jewelry designer, donated handmade “hearts and stars” necklaces and bracelets for sale to the public.

· A local deli named a sandwich for Hope and donated a percentage of the profits to the fund.

· Rummage sales

· Bake sales

· Blood drives

· Home cooked meals delivered three times a week

· Sale of individual quilt squares, which were signed with good wishes from members of the community and then sewn together and presented to the Bertelsens at An Evening of Hope

· An Evening of Hope, a dinner and auction event, with the venue and food underwritten by a local private school, raised over $125,000. This event was sold out with 550 attendees.

Kathy emailed project volunteers regularly with information on Hope’s medical condition and upcoming Hope for Hope events/volunteer opportunities – as well as requests for prayer – and asked the volunteers to forward the information to any local “group lists” to which they had access. Up to date information and requests for assistance reached hundreds of people frequently – and several times a day during periods of crisis.

What Kathy gave Montgomery was more than Hope for Hope. She gave us power and strength and vision. She inspired us with her commitment, her willingness to sacrifice herself, and reminded us that when there was nothing left to be done we could pray – and tat our prayers would make a difference. She taught the community of Montgomery that with love and sacrifice we could be each other’s safety net.

Hope attended her Girl Scout Silver award ceremony in May and her eight grade graduation – at which she received a standing ovation from her classmates – in June. She spent the summer at home or on her various outings and vacations with her family. She began home tutoring in the ninth grade curriculum this month. She remains, every day, in the thoughts and prayers of her neighbors and friends.

SUPPORT HOTLINE

The SUPPORT Hotline provides telephone crisis intervention and is a program of Portage Path Behavioral Health, an adult community mental health center in Summit County, Ohio. After two months of rigorous training, hotline volunteers provide a skilled combination of empathic listening, crisis intervention, risk assessment, community referrals and, if necessary, emergency intervention for callers in crisis, some of whom may be suicidal. Free and confidential, the SUPPORT Hotline has operated in Summit County since 1968, with volunteers on the front lines since its inception. Each of our over 30 volunteers commits 200-250 hours in their first year of service; and, more than half continue to volunteer well beyond a year. Currently, almost a third of volunteers have given 5 or more years of service.

A call to the hotline is often the first contact an individual makes to talk about suicidal thoughts, symptoms of mental illness, loneliness, abuse, addiction or other overwhelming life problems. The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) reports that suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the nation; translating to one suicide every 16 minutes. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (2001), 23% of American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year with half reporting impairment of their daily functioning due to the mental illness and about 9-13% of children have a serious emotional disturbance. Poverty, discrimination, fear, and shame often prevent people from seeking needed help. Individuals with persistent mental illnesses may lack the support and resources needed to find and maintain life-enriching treatment. Our volunteers are at the other end of the phone with the nonjudgmental support, understanding and information needed to break through barriers and isolation.

The impact of crisis hotlines is difficult to measure. But it is hard to ignore the relief in a caller’s voice when someone finally listens to them and “gets it” or the calls to thank the volunteer for the life-saving help or the weekly calls from the person with a mental illness who needs a touchstone. Each year, hotline volunteers take calls from almost 5,000 people; provide over 3000 referrals to community agencies and provide emergency intervention for over 100 individuals. With the creative input of the volunteers, the hotline service has kept up-to-date by implementing improved procedures and technologies, obtaining national AAS crisis line certification and adding tools and resources for helping callers.

SUPPORT Hotline volunteers have been quietly touching lives for 36 years, expecting nothing in return and armed only with intense training, dedication, empathy, and a telephone. The concept of crisis hotlines is not a new one, rather, it models one of the oldest ways a community can help its own; people listening to one another.

MR. & MRS. MARK GRAY

There is a couple in the Harrodsburg community that continuously volunteer and sacrifice their own time and finances to help others. This couple is Mark and Mary Gray. Many times they work as individuals on various projects, but the last two years have increased their level commitment and service by starting a food ministry.

The “Garden of Good Eatin’” is a special food trailer that arrives at predetermined sites providing lunch, dinner and treats for various groups at no charge. The food trailer is designed to enhance any community activity by being a drawing card for entire families to come and enjoy whatever program is being presented. It is especially helpful in areas where it is known that the children and their families are needy. Along with the food trailer the Grays have committed virtually every single weekend and some weekdays all summer to providing these free services. Again, all costs are absorbed by the Grays and they steadfastly refuse donations towards their efforts. It is a true labor of love.

Another aspect with the Grays is particularly worthy of praise. They always use young people to assist in the food trailer and as helpers on the side. There are teenagers who have learned that serving others is not only rewarding, but fun as well. These young people now have special T-shirts setting them apart as workers. They wear them with pride.

Volunteerism, good citizenship and character development are all being fostered by the “Garden of Good Eatin’”. We hope that more people will not only recognize this level of service, but will be encouraged to go and do likewise.

JUDY JACOBSEN

Judy Jacobsen selflessly donates not only to the Community Service Council organization, but to the many other volunteer activities she performs elsewhere, such as the State Library For the Blind. This year, Jacobsen achieved “member at large” status in the social sorority, Beta Sigma Phi where she has been an active member since 1965. Currently working with her nephew making quilts and bears to give to children in need who visit the Utah Trauma Center and Children Diabetes Center, she also makes time to volunteer with the Council.

Commuting once a week from Woods Cross, Jacobsen volunteers with Community Service Council, specifically the Utah Food Bank, by providing invaluable services within the inventory department. Among her duties of organizing and maintaining shipping and receiving records, archived records, fiscal year reconciliation report and other vital paperwork.

Jacobsen also helps in other duties such as creating new donor files, verifying receiving tickets, and sending the many “thank yous” to recognize those who have donated food products. To many, this is very time consuming meticulous way to volunteer, but Jacobsen genuinely sees its value. Without her help, the shipping and receiving department at the Utah Food Bank would not have the time to fit her duties into heir already busy schedules.

Jacobsen has been an active volunteer here at CSC since 1996, coming in for four to six hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Her volunteer work alone provides the shipping and receiving department and amazing 460 hours a year in sorting, filing and make sense of the mountains of paperwork generated by the literally hundreds of thousands of donations, shipping requests and receiving tickets.

Described by her co-workers as both “reliable” and just plain “perfect,” Jacobsen is indeed “part of the family.” Jacobsen can often be found working diligently in the receiving department to which her manager has stated that she “never has to worry about her, ever.”

When questioned about her diligence, hard work and sacrifice, no one can remember a volunteer in recent memory being her equal. Utah Food Bank Directory of Inventory/Food Resource Development, Linda Trujillo: “Judy does not need direction. She has a key to my office and is more dependable than any volunteers and some past workers I have seen.”

Those working at Community Services Council know that without all the reliable volunteer hours that Jacobsen selflessly donates each week, this organization would struggle to keep up. Her tireless efforts, willingness to take charge, fix problems and be dependable are truly generous gifts to the Utah Food Bank.

The many countless hours of service that Judy Jacobsen donates here at CSC, in an area not visible to many, has made CSC a better operation, saving this non-profit organization money which is allocated elsewhere to serve the hungry.

DEBBIE WOLINSKY

Debbie Wolinsky donates hundreds of hours of service to her community each year as advisor of her school’s international award winning Key Club. Under her mentorship, students have learned the value of giving of their time treasures and talents to make our community a better place in which to live. She donates countless hours of her time to the numerous projects that her students are involved in as she teaches them the meaning of service.

Debbie has led students as they created a program for families touched by the tragedy of fire. The “Extinguish the Need” program that this group started is now a permanent fixture in the Indianapolis community with the opening next month of the Extinguish the need House by the People’s Burn Foundation. Her students continue to educate kindergarten students about the need for bur safety. Over the past five years, they have presented their program to over two thousand children.

Over the past year and a half, she has worked with the students in Key Club to raise more than $70,000 for breast cancer research through the sale of bracelets made by club members. Many hours are spent with students making bracelets out of swarovski crystal and sterling silver beads. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of these bracelets is donated.

On any given day, you can find her with students, performing some kind of community service. Even though she receives a small stipend for 150 hours of her time, it does not begin to cover the cost of five hundred hours of her time every year to ensure that students have the opportunity to experience community service in a fun and meaningful way. Over the past seven years, she has involved hundreds of high school students in this activity. Many return from college to share their continued joy of serving and are making lasting impacts on their communities.

MARIANITO ASPERILLA, M.D.

Dr. Asperilla is an inspiration to all in his community. He has shown an ongoing relationship and community mobilization. His direction to the indigent, the disabled and disadvantages has always been evident. He tirelessly commits and devotes his time, energy, and finances to the betterment of all.

Most recently, following the devastation of Hurricane Charley, Dr. Asperilla, as the Medical Director for the St. Vincent DePaul Pharmacy, instituted an emergency prescription service, and personally saw patients affected by the storm. Dr. Asperilla has been a driving force in the volunteer coordination of the ten-county disaster recovery group. His efforts include implementing a mobile pharmacy and freestanding volunteer health clinic at the FEMA Park located on Airport Road in Punta Gorda.

Although the local HIV/AIDS clinic was destroyed by Hurricane Charley, Dr. Asperilla worked to provide services. He applied for and obtained a United Way grant, enabling him to secure a trailer so patients could receive much needed treatment. He also enlisted the Charlotte County Ministerial Association to provide counseling and support.

Those in need know Dr. Asperilla will be there and find a way to help. He works one-on-one to provide medical care to the disadvantaged, including those disabled and homeless. He is sure to be the core person in coordinating the delivery of medical supplies to the homeless, equipment, such as wheelchairs for the Southwest Florida Disability members, and multiple services to any patient in need.

Dr. Asperilla’s charity work exceeds the boundaries of comprehension. He exemplifies advocacy, innovative ideals, compassion, respect for life, integrity and high ethical morals and standards.

ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL AUXILIARY

Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary reached a significant milestone on November 30th, 2004! Back on November 30th, 1954, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary was officially recognized as an “Institution Member” of the American Hospital Association.

In the fifty years since then, thousands of people have volunteered their time, talent and energy at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital and helped to carry on the health care mission of the Sister’s of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

The services these volunteers performed are many and varied. They have included: helping patients and visitors at the Information Desk; serving as hostess in the Surgery and Critical Care waiting room; escorting patients and visitors throughout the Hospital; pushing patients in wheelchairs; helping Nurses perform non-clinical tasks such as giving water and passing food trays to patients; delivering mail and flowers to patients; providing books and magazines to patients; pushing a gift cart around the hospital selling snacks and candy; performing clerical duties in administration, Medical Records, Business Office, and Human Resources; driving the shuttle cart in the parking lot, taking visitors, patients and staff to the front entrance and back to their car.

The volunteers have operated a Gift Shop within the Hospital and a Thrift Store across the street from the Hospital. These stores have provided valuable and needed services to patients, visitors and staff of St. Mary’s as well as the local community. In addition to the Gift Shop and Thrift Store, volunteers have earned money by making and selling Craft items, selling home made baked goods, and having “raffles” for many different items.

Over the years, Carondelet St. Mary’s Auxiliary has donated money to help pay for such things as: a book cart, a gift cart, a heart-lung machine, remodeling the Recovery Room, new Heart monitors, remodeling the 1st floor, ocular pulse monitors, a portable x-ray machine, remodeling the Gift Shop, provide laundry equipment and ice machines, remodeling the Pediatric waiting room, the 4 South Nurses Station and the Recovery Room, provide an Aortic Balloon pump, closed circuit TV’s, a CT Scanner, a new Chapel, Defibrillator Monitors, a “Code Cart”, remodeling the Surgery waiting room, provide new parking lot Shuttle carts; remodeling the Emergency Department, new Maternity Department; provide a Day Care center for Hospital staff, and build a new Emergency Department.

In addition to all of the Hospital enhancements listed above, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary has awarded nearly $200,000 in Educational Scholarships to students pursuing careers in health care.

This group of individual volunteers have faithfully aided and assisted Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital in carrying out its mission for over 50 years. Since 1954, Carondelet St. Mary’s Volunteers have given over 2,500,000 hours of service and $3,200,000. Thank you for recognizing us on our 50th anniversary.

NORMAN SMITH

Norman began mentoring over three years ago. He was matched to two brothers, who are sons of a single mother. The boys skipped school often, and were doing poorly. Their hygiene was lacking, and they had few social skills. They fought with each other and were out of control. A retired school teacher, Norman jumped right in, helping the boys with their school work by supervising their reading, working with flash cards on reading and math, and helping them practice their skills. He talked with their teachers and kept himself updated by their mom. The boys quickly developed a relationship with Norman, and he has gone the extra mile in mentoring them. Every fun activity has also included some educational components. He also has them do yard work and other chores for him, for which they are paid, and he is teaching them to manage money.

Norman has not only responded to the boy’s needs (getting them haircuts, motivating them to help keep their home clean) but he works with them on sports skills, takes them out to eat and for treats, helps them modify their social behavior, and gives them little rewards when they meet their behavioral and school goals. He meets with them an average of twice a week, for two hours each time, and often makes quick visits to keep the influence going.

As the brothers are very different from one another, Norman often separates them to individualize their activities. He recognizes their strengths and their needs and interests, and plans mentoring activities to focus on these. He uses his teaching skills to create games which help the boys memorize times tables, and math concepts. He is in contact with their schoolteachers, so he is aware of the areas where they need special help. He reviews past learning situations, to help the boys remember what they are learning, and even when they are driving to swim, or other activity, there is always a discussion going on. He is aware of activities in the community which are fun, educational, cultural, and often free or for a small cost, and takes his mentees to a real variety of events.

He is a dedicated mentor, and also works at recruiting new mentors for waiting kids. He frequently has suggestions for activity opportunities for all mentors and their mentees. He believes in mentoring and promotes it at every opportunity.

In addition to his mentoring, Norman Smith is a volunteer with RSVP – the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. He is involved in many church and community events and encourages others to become involved

FRIENDS OF JEFFERSON THE BEAUTIFUL

Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) is approximately 100 miles long north to south, stretching from Lake Pontchartrain to the Gulf of Mexico, and is divided diagonally by the Mississippi River. Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful is the unique organization within the parish that painstakingly applies its assets and energies to the entirety of the parish. With the stipulation stated in its bylaws, exactly half of the board of directors is elected from each side of the Mississippi River. Chartered by Jefferson Parish, Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful annually renews a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the parish government by which the organization pledges “…to raise funds, increase community awareness, and engage in other activities to preserve and promote landscaping on public property…” On August 26, 2004, FJB dedicated a $ 25,000 massive planting of trees along a public street.

In 2001, FJB developed an Annual Tree School which provided heretofore-difficult-to-obtain information to home builders and home owners alike on how best to protect the urban forestry canopy during housing development. Packaged into a single day, free to the general public, and with lunch provided, the four tree schools have averaged an attendance of approximately 300 persons each. In 2002, the National Arbor Day Foundation awarded its national Education Award to the FJB Tree School Program. In 2003, the Louisiana Urban Forestry Council awarded its President’s Award to the FJB Tree School Program. FJB is currently planning the Fifth Annual Tree School for Spring 2005.

In 2003, FJB developed a curriculum for a Citizen Forester Program which accepted volunteers from the community into an eight-week training program designed to teach them the various elements of urban forestry preservation and restoration, the rules and regulations of the governing bodies, and the methods by which threats to the arboreal environment could be addressed. In a fall class (2003) and a spring class (2004), FJB has now graduated 92 “Tree Troopers” —each fully motivated and armed with the knowledge and abilities to make an impact on his or her community. The FJB Citizen Forester Program was awarded to 2004 Louisiana Urban Forestry Council’s Education Award.

Beginning in 2002, FJB initiated an annual (now progressed to quarterly) educational forum (“Planter’s Lunch” — from the FJB logo “Plant the Parish”) which is open to the public and again provides a free lunch to the attendees. The purpose of this meeting is to bring relevant updates to the various publics with which the organization interacts and to provide educational presentations on issues of interest to those publics, typically dealing with conversation and restoration of the urban forest. Average attendance at these gathering is about 50 people.

On October 6, 2004, the Educational Chairman of FJB (Ms. Carey Hammett) and Mr. Tom Campbell (Louisiana Department of Forestry) who has partnered with FJB in all of its urban forestry programs were invited by the National Arbor Day Foundation to present “Urban Forestry Preservation, New Orleans Style” to a national conference. This presentation personifies FJB impact at the local, state, and now national levels.

MILDRED FOLKVARD

Mildred Folkvard is a tireless and dedicated senior citizen, who despite her advanced age of 84, is a constant volunteer in our elementary school. She comes in early in the morning and works throughout the day to help with whatever tasks she is asked to do, never taking a break or watching the clock. Despite reassurances that “there is always tomorrow and it does not have to be done today” she plugs away at each task and is not happy with leaving anything incomplete. Her energy is amazing for anyone, regardless of age.

Mildred copies our school’s monthly 12-14 page newsletter all on her own each and every month of the school year. This takes, on average, three of more hours straight to complete. She deals with the frustration of paper jams, constant interruption, and anything else that comes her way during the process, never giving up on the job.

Mildred helps in our school office with anything that is given to her, such as running copies, folding papers, cutting out, stamping, and any office task that come about. She does this for our staff as well.

While she is in the office, Mildred seem to often end up conversing with students that may be in the office for a little “time out” from minor situations. She seems to gravitate toward them, and they toward her. Her influence is immense. Mildred is a true role model who, even though she likes to think of herself as a little gruff, is a grandmotherly type who clearly loves children very much. An “atta boy” from Mildred is worth a million bucks!

Mildred stands by the front door and greets the hundreds of children who walk through our school’s doors each morning. She always has a smile and a good word for everyone. She and the hallway assistant make it a point to greet every child and to have a conversation with many. Our children have a wonderful way to start the day.

Mildred is an inspiration to all of us. While the services of senior citizens like Mildred may sometimes be overlooked in the hustle and bustle of today’s society, they are not overlooked in our school. She is a much-loved addition to our school and a wonderful influence in the lives of our children and staff. We are truly blessed that she has chosen our school and our children to help.

Besides all she does in our school, she is also depended on heavily by her family. She provides child care on a daily basis and is always open and ready for the family to use her expertise.

One last note: in 2002, a White House presenter, Mr. Bill Osborne, came to our school to present the President’s Student Service/Volunteer Awards and immediately took notice of Mildred. It was he who brought to our attention that Mildred Folkvard is, in his words, “an exact example of a Point of Light.”