MAY LAN DONG

When considering her school’s community service requirement sophmore year, May Lan wanted to do something out of the ordinary. Having seen the extreme poverty in Africa on several trips, she realized that volunteering in a third world country would have a greater impact on human lives than working locally. A family friend working in Guinea told her about the need for schools there. The next Spring Break she was off to Guinea to do research the educational system. May Lan fell in love with the children there, as they were smart and hard working but lacked decent schools. Only one third of the girls and two thirds of the boys attend school. She comes from a background where education is very important and wanted to give the children of Guinea the same educational opportunities as she has had.

She decided to work for three schools: a girls orphanage, a vocational school and a high school. She met with students, talked with the schools’ directors and discussed their needs. Over the course of a year, she raised $ 50,000 and received many donations in kind to support the three schools. The first school is the NAFA Center, an orphanage for 90 girls. She raised $16,000 from friends and family to purchase 43 sewing machines and embrodery materials so that the girls could learn how to make clothes. The goal of the orphanage is trying to teach job and domestic skills to the girls.

The second school is the Center for the Formation of Professionals (CFP) Boke, a vocational school providing training in construction trades. When she visited, she noticed that only 1 in 10 of the students were female. The low female enrollment was due to a lack of housing for women. May Lan raised $ 27,000 to build a girls dormitory. This would allow more women to have access to higher paying jobs.

The third school is the Sangaredi High School. She toured the classrooms and was struck the fact that they did not have any textbooks. The teachers wrote the daily lessons on the chalkboard and the students meticulously copied all the notes verbatim. She received over 1000 donated books and used sports equipment from schools in Boston, LA and NY. She raised an additional $ 10,000 to purchase math and science textbooks.

Through this wonderful and successful experience, she learned to appreciate all that she has, especially the simple things. Helping schools has made her appreciate her education, so she says that she won’t complain the next time she has study for a Spanish test. Also seeing the extreme poverty in Guinea was depressing for her. Few homes have electricity and many people live on the streets. Although this situation makes her sad, it motivates her to help the people of Guinea. The experience has created a passion in her to help those in need, especially the children of Guinea.

JENNIFER KELLY

As a Voluntary Service volunteer, Jennifer is a dedicated volunteer who is always on time and completes any task requested.

Jennifer has been responsible for many different tasks as a Voluntary Service volunteer, including greeting new patients and distributing comfort items, serving coffee throughout the hospital waiting rooms, coordinating other volunteers to complete mass mailings, doing data entry, sorting donations, assisting staff with setting up the clothing room and sorting and distributing clothing at the annual Chicago Area Stand Down for homeless veterans, and labeling comfort items and running odd errands. She is always willing to take on new and unusual tasks, often deciding the best way to accomplish the assignment on her own. Because of her computer expertise, she has been requested by the VIST Coordinator to update the blinded veteran database. She eagerly accepted these new responsibilities.

Because of her maturity and willingness to accept new challenges and assignments, Jennifer accepted an additional responsibility, checking medication expiration dates. She had to adhere to many quality control procedures and work with a registered pharmacist. Both the patients and the pharmacy staff benefited because prescriptions are accurately processed and promptly and safely delivered.

Jennifer is well liked and appreciated by the patients she assists, as well as, the staff she has contact with. She is a very polite, eager-to-please and friendly young lady. Every supervisor wishes they had cheerful and enthusiastic employees like Jennifer. Patients ask for her when she has to go to school and cannot volunteer. Outpatients waiting for Clinic appointments ask for the “Coffee Girl” because of her positive personality and good humor; she effortlessly draws people to her.

Jennifer instructs new volunteers on the proper procedures for performance of certain assignments and leads by example. She feels a responsibility to help veterans and her conscientiousness is contagious to other volunteers and staff as well. During the summer student volunteer program she serves as a mentor to younger volunteers. She is a role model for her two younger sisters recruiting them to volunteer also. She directs “her volunteers” on the best ways to complete specific projects. She is active in school and community activities. When interviewed by media about external accomplishments, she always mentions her volunteer activities with the veteran patients at Hines.

Jennifer is an inspiration to patients as well as other volunteers and staff because of her hard work, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. She is a pleasure to be with and patients miss her when she returns to school. Her interest in helping veterans was ignited by her grandfather who is a Korean War veteran. He is a volunteer here along with Jennifer’s two sisters. Jennifer maneuvers through the hospital like a shot of caffeine, invigorating patients and everyone she meets.

JOE FRANCO

Joe Franco is a junior in high school and for the past three years he has been one of 75 members of U.M.C’s Medical Explorer Post. He has held the office of President for the past two years and he has set an example for the participants by following the rules and standards of the Medical Explorer Post and by setting the tone for the post from the beginning.

Joe counsels post participants who may have problems, questions or concerns. He listens to what they say and helps them find the answers that are best for the post. Along with the advisor, Joe directs and helps plan the post’s program, meetings and activities. He appoints participants to serve in activity chairs.

Joe doesn’t hesitate to ask his advisor for advice and help. But Joe is in a leadership position and has played an integral part in the success of the Medical Explorer Post.

Joe’s involvement at University Medical Center doesn’t stop with conducting Medical Explorer meetings. He is active in the raising of funds for the scholarship committee. In addition, Joe has been volunteering at U.M.C for three years and in the past year he volunteered 775 hours for a total 2,500 hours of service in the past three years.

KATHY CARR & DOROTHY JANSEN

Kenosha Literacy Council has provided adult literacy services to Kenosha County since 1965. Nominees Kathy Carr and Dorothy Jansen have been volunteers for 6 and 10 years respectively. Their service as unpaid Coordinators of drop-in tutoring allows us to provide eight hours of this help for eager adult students.

Community Needs and Solution – Because of individual study plans, attendance at these drop-in sessions can be flexible. The student population usually is 30 percent basic (those who somehow did not acquire a good literacy at an early age) and 70 percent ESL (those learning English as their second language.) As in many areas of the country, the percentage of ESL students continues to increase each year. In working with students with less than a fifth grade reading ability, Kathy and Dorothy help build a foundation which allows students to get a first or better job, go on to a GED and even higher education and become a knowledgeable part of the community.

Connection Building – the inability to easily communicate isolates people and affects their families. By facilitating improved reading, writing and speaking skills, we help our students become more capable of being involved in family, school, and community activities. ESL students no longer have to take children along as translators for health or financial transactions. Those gaining improved skills become better problem solvers and communicators.

Ongoing Involvement – During the past three years, Kathy & Dorothy have donated 6,440 volunteer hours to adult literacy. In addition to coordination duties, Kathy serves as President of the Board. Dorothy evaluates new students and coordinates quarterly Tutor Training Sessions. The council also provides adult literacy services to Kenosha County with a paid staff of three part-time people and a budget under $100,000 per year. They can do this because of the assistance of trained volunteer tutors like Kathy and Dorothy who assist 5-10 times more than the average volunteer.

Impact – In addition to the confidence gained as students learn that they can learn, Kenosha Literacy Council serves as a bridge to many areas. Some students have very little formal schooling. Students, aided by tutors, work on individualized lesson plans (some as basic as learning the sounds of the ABC’s) and acquire a basic literacy foundation that allows them to secure a first or better job, obtain GED’s, attend technical schools and even universities. Kathy and Dorothy are an integral part of this.

Innovation – Most community-based adult literacy providers have One-on-One tutoring for their students. The program seems to be innovative and unusual in that it provides the possibility of eight hours of flexible tutor-assisted study each week of the year. This allows us to have the necessary services for students with referrals from government programs that have an education requirement. The council can provide these sessions on a limited budget because Kathy and Dorothy serve as unpaid coordinators, tutors and lesson-plan writers.

SACHEM EAST HIGH SCHOOL

The volunteer-interact center at Sachem East High School is deeply involved in the community. Just this past fall, Sachem students participated in the Walk for Beauty in an effort to help fight breast cancer. During the winter months, they put together Blizzard Bags in memory of Katie Ann Fuller, who was a Sachem student killed in a car accident last January. The purpose of the blizzard bags is to help out the senior citizens in our community by making food readily available for them in case of inclement weather. Sachem also has made strong connections with the elderly. Aside from delivering blizzard bags, many volunteers from Sachem East rake lawns for those who are unable to.

Many activities of the volunteer-interact club must be ongoing such as scholarship fundraisers in which students plan and participate in activities to raise money for scholarships. Some recent examples of the fundraisers are bowling for Katie Fuller and Mini Golf to Support Matthew Perfetti scholarship. When a new student comes to Sachem East, a member of the club escorts the new student around the school so that they become familiar with their new atmosphere. Other activities include the prom gown boutique (students bring in old dresses from past events and they’re donated to make new prom gowns for those who cannot afford it), and involvement in helping the friends of Ryan (Ryan is a Sachem East student with a rare form of Ewing’s Sarcoma). Students also have hosted a gourmet omelet day, and Ryan Schakne night in which the Boys Varsity Basketball team played a game in honor of Ryan and raffle tickets were sold.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

KELLY B. HAWKINS

Kelly Hawkins is an extraordinary young woman – a leader in the fight against child abuse in Alabama. At the age of 23, she has already co-authored a piece of legislation, Act 2003-272, and has seen it through the legislative process. This act was signed into law on June 18, 2003 by Gov. Bob Riley and later named the “Kelly B. Hawkins Child Abuse Prevention Act.” This law amended Alabama’s mandatory child abuse reporting law to include clergy. Miss Hawkins is working with federal legislators to take this act to a national level. She is also working with Alabama state representatives to determine a method of funding an act similar to Florida’s recently passed “Jessie’s Law” making it easier to track convicted sex offenders after they are released from prison.

Miss Hawkins has gone beyond her legislative pursuits to help Alabama’s children on a more personal level. Along with her mother, she raised over $75,000 to fund the Pike County Child Advocacy Center and was able to participate in its grand opening on May 16, 2005. Earlier this year, Kelly went through the appropriate training and has been named a Jefferson County Court Appointed Special Advocate. In a recent update on her website, Kelly says, “By far, the most gratifying aspect of my platform work has been my work with the CASA program. Through CASA I have the opportunity to be an advocate for abused children in the courtroom. It has been fulfilling because of the children I get to work with. Most of these children have experienced more pain in their few years of life than I will in a lifetime. But yet, they are the reason I do what I do.”

Kelly has spoken to local organizations about the plight of child abuse victims; most recently at a May 11, 2005 volunteer appreciation lunch for the Parents and Children Together Family Resource Center. On April 4, 2005, Kelly was a speaker and entertainer for the Etowah County, Alabama Candlelight Vigil for victims of child abuse.

Miss Hawkins has chosen to make child abuse prevention her life’s work and will begin law school at Regent Law School in Virginia this fall. Her passion for child abuse victims has led her to this vocation.

Kelly B. Hawkins has made a difference in the lives of abused children. She continues to be a role model to other young people as she fights to make a difference in the world around her. Her work in the area of Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention has shown her sense of caring and responsibility for those unable to speak for themselves – the abused children of Alabama. Kelly’s work is helping build a stronger Alabama.

LAS VEGAS WEST ROTARY

For nine years, Las Vegas West Rotary has partnered with Twin Lakes Elementary School through the Focus School Project. During this time, LV West Rotary has worked tirelessly to meet the needs of our students, staff and community. Twin Lakes is located in a lower socio-economic area where over 75 percent of its English language speaking population is considered in poverty.

Students and their parents face many hardships associated with poverty and depend highly on the school for support in meeting some very basic needs. The Las Vegas West Rotary has always been there for the students – from winter coats for students that otherwise would have to go without; shoes through the Happy Feet program; grants for teachers to implement new programs in their classrooms; and monetary gifts which have allowed the school to purchase much needed equipment.

They are always on hand to help with anything the school needs. One of the most important contributions has been the human resources to provide quality time for many of our students. Every year, volunteers from the LV West Rotary come for an hour a week to read with students on a one to one basis.

With many of our students and parents being second language learners, it is difficult for them to read at home to an adult that can help with pronunciation and comprehension. The reading mentors are always here to help close the literacy gap for students. While working with the mentors, the students also learn to socially relate to others in a positive and respectful way.

The difference for many of these students becomes apparent to teachers and parents as the students’ reading skills increase more rapidly from the extra practice. Most of the readers return year after year, and students always ask about the person they read with, having formed a positive relationship of trust and acceptance. The LV West Rotary is a true asset to the school, the community, and the Clark County School District.

PAUL SEDOR

Paul has made outstanding volunteer contributions to Milledgeville through Pi Kappa Phi. He has held many leadership positions within his fraternity such as philanthropy chair, the Push chair, social chair, as well as two other executive roles, the secretary and the position of the chaplain. Paul has worked with The GIVE Center as a liaison to other groups that have done community service and volunteering. He was the team captain for Relay for Life for two years for different teams.

Paul has helped his fraternity to understand the importance for PUSH America, their national philanthropy as well as community service as a whole. This past summer, Paul decided to participate in Journey of Hope with Push America and he raised over $5000 (he was only required to raise $2500). He also participated in “Give a Push” weekends and encourages his fraternity brothers to get involved with this service endeavor. He planned an entire week of events, called No Boundaries, to educate the campus and community about serving people with disabilities. This week featured speakers, fundraising, advocacy, movies, and adaptive recreational sports. Paul wrote a grant for $1,000 to cover the cost of the first No Boundaries Week, and was very successful in getting the funding.

To ensure that this type of programming continues on campus he decided to start the No Boundaries Club which is now an official, registered student organization. One goal for the No Boundaries Club was to purchase a set of Kids on the Block puppets, which are puppets that have disabilities (they cost $10,000). Working with others at the university, Paul submitted a proposal and was awarded a grant for $9,999 from the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. He is determined to have this program on our campus and make it a success. With his determination this program will be functional by the fall semester.

Paul has a great way of working with students and individuals. He is a well respected young man among his peers along with the university staff. Not only does Paul work well with others but he also holds other leadership positions outside his fraternity. Paul has been the student coordinator for campus blood drives for the last three years. Since he has taken on this leadership position, there has been a dramatic increase in the participation on campus. Last year, CG&SU received the gold award for having collected the most blood at the university setting within a given region.

Paul is a staff member in our community service office and it is amazing what an asset he is to our office. He currently gets paid for 10 hours a week of working in The GIVE Center; however he is in the office about 30-40 hours a week volunteering his time over the 10 hours he gets paid. Paul has decided he would rather give his time to volunteer and broaden his leadership skills and horizon than to get a paying job.

He has also recently won the National Presidential Volunteer Service Award. His fraternity has recently received the National Presidential Service Award as well. Pi Kappa Phi was able to receive this award mainly by the volunteer hours that Paul had completed as well as encouraging his brothers to participate in the “Give a Push Weekends.”

STEVE STROHSCHEIN

When child protection workers remove abused and neglected children from their homes, they are placed into foster care to keep them safe. For many children, this temporary solution continues for years while the child has no stability and no permanent family.

In the early 1990’s, Baton Rouge attorney Steve Strohschein learned that the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program helps these children reach safe and permanent homes. Steve quickly decided to get involved with CASA in his community – only to learn that there was no local CASA. Undaunted, Steve started organizing community members to discuss the need for such a program. After securing start-up funding, he coordinated the organization’s 501c3 status. Capital Area CASA Association opened in 2002 with Steve as chair of its Board of Directors. Under two terms of his careful guidance, the program took root and flourished.

Confident that Capital Area CASA Association was self-sufficient, Steve realized his goal of becoming a CASA volunteer in 1996. Caseworkers, therapists and teachers may change during a child’s stay in foster care, so the CASA volunteer is often the one consistent adult in the child’s life. Though the CASA volunteer commitment is one year, Steve served six years on one case and two years on a second case.

On his first case, Steve advocated strongly for the needs of his three CASA children. Steve never let them down, staying involved until they were adopted or reached adulthood. Meanwhile, he and his wife chaired the agency’s 1998 fundraiser, which tripled in revenue from previous years. After serving on the Board of Directors again, Steve took yet another CASA case. His current CASA child is Tom, (not his real name) a 14-year-old boy from another country who does not speak English. Deaf due to ear damage from bombings in his home country, Tom was abandoned in Baton Rouge and had suffered emotional and physical abuse. Steve works to ensure Tom’s needs are met and continues to be a powerful voice for him. Tom has made solid progress with foster parents who have experience working with deaf children.

Steve is an outstanding example of what it means to be truly committed to children. Upon learning there was no CASA program locally, it would have been easy for a successful attorney and dedicated family man to put aside a wish to become a child advocate. Thankfully, Steve stepped up to provide the leadership to make CASA a reality.

As a result of Steve’s efforts, more than 600 volunteers have spoken up for more than 1,000 children since 1992. In East Baton Rouge Parish, a foster child spends an average of five years in the state’s custody. With CASA involvement, this is reduced to two years. Because Capital Area CASA Association exists, local children are reaching safe, permanent homes more quickly. Steve has clearly been a positive force for abused and neglected children.

TANISHA SMITH

Tanisha reported for duty as scheduled without tardiness or absence. She displayed a strong sense of duty where punctuality was concerned and served as an example to follow for Mental Health Service employees. Tanisha does not believe in idle time or unfinished projects and managed her own time as well as that of others to the best possible advantage. She was very talented, extremely reliable and dependable, had a very good sense of organization, and was consistent in carrying out her tasks in a fine manner. Tanisha established a sterling reputation for dependability due to the work she produced being correct, timely, and appropriate for the task in every instance.

Tanisha willingly accepts responsibility with grace, courtesy, and a smile. She is a tireless self-starter whose work is marked by accuracy, integrity, and thoroughness. She takes a great deal of pride in the quality of the work she produces, honestly answers questions about her work, and fully accepts responsibility for her actions. Tanisha is very resourceful, focused and dedicated when accomplishing her tasks and easily adapts to changes in policy, procedure, or assigned workload. She is very adept and successful at juggling multiple tasks simultaneously and was a very solid performer in our Service.

Tanisha possesses a cooperative, friendly spirit and is very pleasant and courteous to all she encounters. She is by nature a quiet person who displays a warm sincerity through her words, actions, and body language that immediately puts others at ease — which is extremely important in fostering relaxed interactions with patients in the Mental Health Department. Tanisha’s positive demeanor elicits trust and respect in dealings with patients, visitors, and staff. She collaborates and works very well with others at all levels in the Mental Health Service and in the Medical Center. She maintains an exceptionally positive attitude and is genuinely a very pleasant person to be around. Tanisha makes others feel good about themselves and patients especially enjoy her company.

Tanisha works very well with others in a cohesive, unified teamwork kind of way. She is motivated, focused, and does whatever it takes to accomplish her tasks in a highly acceptable manner. Tanisha is organized, welcomes change and new ideas, respects others, communicates clearly, is well balanced and well rounded, follows a strong code of ethics and values and encourages others to do the same, and seeks out challenges. She is, and will continue to be a role model for others to follow because she possesses the professional competence to know what to do, the fortitude to decide how and when to do it, and the ability to inspire others to accomplish it.

Tanisha displayed respect and empathy when dealing with patients and, because of this, they seemed to take to her very well and be very relaxed and comfortable in her presence. She is a very compassionate, caring person who consistently carried these traits over in her daily interactions with others. Tanisha’s quiet courteous, pleasant way of putting others at ease was an inspiration to us all and an example we would do well to follow.