DON EDWARDS

Don Edwards has been a volunteer with the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) since April 2002. RSVP is a part of SeniorCorps under the Corporation of National & Community Service. The mission of RSVP is to identify community needs and address these by recruiting and placing senior volunteers in over 200 nonprofit and service agencies throughout southern Nevada.

As an RSVP volunteer, Don donates his time to the Telephone Reassurance Program (TR), a free service offered to seniors, 60 years and older, who either may live alone or do not have someone to look after them on a daily basis. For elderly people living alone,an accident or medical emergency can be life threatening. As a TR caller, Don provides a daily check-up call to seniors enrolled in the program. These calls provide the much-needed assurance that there is someone there who cares for the client’s well being.

For many of these seniors, this call is the only social contact they receive for the day. These daily check-up calls assist the seniors with maintaining the goal of independence. When a client is not reached, Don is able to contact the program coordinator who in turn will initiate emergency procedures. In a recent client satisfaction survey, one of Don’s clients stated, “I can always depend on Don to call me on time everyday, he listens to everything I have to say and even lets me talk about my dog and my life.”

For the past three years, Don has served as a volunteer caller providing nearly 120 calls a month, for an average of 30 hours per month, to his seven clients. Don is the only caller out of 55 callers that has more than four clients. What makes Don even more special to the Telephone Reassurance Program is that he is able to relate to the personal agonies and triumphs that many homebound seniors face each day. As a young man, Don was always very active. When speaking to him on the phone, he likes to reminisce about his earlier days, stating that as a boy he was always helping the handicapped children that were in his neighborhood. As Don grew older he never dreamt that he would find himself one day in a situation where he would come to rely on someone.

At 41 years young, Don was stricken with MS and has since been bed ridden. He was forced to retire as an Iron Worker in Chicago and move to Las Vegas in 1998. After years of feeling helpless for himself, Don finally realized that he did not like the way his life was going and decided to do something about it. Don learned about the Telephone Reassurance Program in 2002 and was thrilled to hear that he still could be useful while staying in bed. Don has said that it is a wonderful feeling knowing he is not only helping others, but also himself, in this wonderful program.

TEEN LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

Teen Leaders of the Future is a youth lead group. The teens decide on the details of every project with limited advice and guidance from an adult. Everything including the name of the group and the rules are decided by the teens. The steps the youth take include brainstorming project ideas, voting on ideas, electing officers, applying for grants, making board presentations, telephone calls, seeking donations, finalizing all details, delivering the final project, reflecting on the project, and starting over.

Teen Leaders of the Future successfully completed the delivery of 25 gift boxes for other youth at Sunrise’s Pediatric Oncology through collaboration with Candlelighters and a $1000 grant from the city of Las Vegas Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program (YNAPP). The teens decided to add a personal touch to brighten the youth’s day by uniquely decorating each box. To fill the boxes the teens purchased 25 board games, journals, markers, books, baseball hats, pens, and candy for $250 under budget. They delivered the boxes to Sunrise on June 9, 2004, seeing for the first time the hard days the children face during their battles against cancer. Despite the sadness and discomfort that was visible on the faces of the teens, they delivered the boxes to every child on the floor and donated the remaining boxes to Candlelighters for newly diagnosed patients.

The project was originally planned to end there, however the teens decided that they wanted to follow-up with gifts for those youth during the holiday season. TLOF ordered fun pads, pens, candy, reindeer masks, noisemakers, and snowflake stockings that were delivered personally. The teens realized that they could make a difference, even if it was small and even if it was with one person at a time.

Recently the teens were awarded a second grant from YNAPP. One of the girls lost a friend to Lupus and so the teens decided to complete a bowl-a-thon in order to raise funding and awareness for Lupus. TLOF have recognized the severity of Lupus and discovered that there is no Lupus Foundation in Nevada. TLOF will be working with the Arthritis Foundation to complete this project.

TLOF set an example for their community through their dedication. By completing the projects they learn their strengths and discover new abilities. In addition, new friendships have formed creating a positive atmosphere that the younger children yearn to join.

These young volunteers’ service affects so many people. Their projects touch many, from the child in the hospital, to a visiting adult that they explain their project to.

HUGH GRAHAM JONES

Hugh started a service project in 2004 to help ease the transition of ESL students into high school life by collecting dictionaries and books and giving them to ESL students. He organized an English dictionary, English/Foreign language dictionary, and middle reader book drive.

He contacted several local churches to put announcements in their bulletins and recruited friends to help email the announcement to the churches, solicit donations of boxes from a moving store, make posters for the book deposit boxes and place the boxes in all the church lobbies. Once a week one of Hugh or his friends checked the boxes, and the donated books/dictionaries were brought to the ESL room. After several weeks it became clear that he wasn’t going to get enough dictionaries through donations alone. However, there were plenty of middle readers being donated. This was the most difficult step of the project because he needed to rethink how to get the amount of needed dictionaries.

After a family brainstorm, he came up with the idea to “Sponsor a Dictionary.” Hugh contacted a local office supply store that graciously gave him a discounted price to purchase dictionaries. He also contacted a book wholesaler who found the English/Spanish and English/Urdu dictionaries and offered to sell them for $1 each. He then sent out “Sponsor a Dictionary” letters to friends and family asking them to donate cash for as many dictionaries as they could sponsor.

The response was overwhelming, and Hugh was able to purchase over 170 dictionaries. With over 700 middle readers donated and nowhere to store them he constructed bookshelves and set up the middle reader library in the ESL classroom. Now the students were able to borrow the books that they wanted to read without the inconvenience of having to wade through boxes of books.

Hugh’s project accomplished more than just collecting dictionaries and books. He realized that he accomplished was a change in himself. Apparently, he thought he would be the “knight in shining armor” riding in with reinforcements just before the castle fell to the bad guys. But through this book drive, he began to understand just a fraction of the difficulties that these ESL students endure. However, they don’t think that they are doing anything great by learning a new language, customs, and life. While working on this project, Hugh was continually reminded he takes many things for granted. Even something as simple as a dictionary, he expected his parents to get without even considering the cost.

Thinking about these kids in my school, many of whom came to the United States without any material goods and no command of the language, helped him realize how good he had it and to use that “good” to help others.

CINDY BOWMAN TAYLOR

Every year hundreds of participants sacrifice their time, efforts and/or money to support local agencies in Calhoun County, Alabama to help local agencies and residents accomplish projects that would otherwise not be done because of lack of funds or resources. The United Way’s “Day of Caring” is one of the ways that these needs are met. Volunteers from around the community join together to accomplish the much needed projects. The volunteer workday had over 400 participants from 25 companies who worked at 26 agencies. Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Alabama has joined in this effort the last three years.

Mrs. Cindy Taylor has led the coordinating efforts for Anniston Army Depot. As a United Way Ambassador, Mrs. Taylor assists in the planning of the volunteer workday by contacting agencies needing assistance and matching them with companies who have volunteers. Mrs. Taylor also works with promotion and media coverage for the event. Mrs. Taylor has been the “Day of Caring” chairperson for Anniston Army Depot for three years.

The United Way of East Central Alabama instituted their inaugural award, the “Kitchins’ Caring Hand Award,” to recognize an extraordinary individual who went above and beyond the call of duty, exceeded expectations and/or exemplified an exceptional contribution to the day’s success. The award is named after the late the longtime philanthropy efforts of the late Claude Kitchins.

Nominations were solicited from the participating volunteers to select who this award should be presented to. It is difficult, at best, to single out any one person for their unselfish efforts and hard work. Nominations were considered upon the following demonstrated characteristics: attitude, enthusiasm, teamwork, personal sacrifice, leadership and other supportive efforts.

The Kitchin’s Caring Hand award was presented to Anniston Army Depot employee Cindy Taylor for going above and beyond the call of duty. The award was presented during the United Way Annual campaign kick-off luncheon.

In addition to being awarded the Kitchin’s Day of Caring award, Mrs. Taylor was named co-chair for the upcoming Day of Caring volunteer day. She has also served as the United Way’s Combined Federal Campaign coordinator for Anniston Army Depot and was a member of the Executive Committee and the Local Federal Coordinating Committee for the United Way. Through diligent work with key leaders and managers throughout the depot and private organizations, Mrs. Taylor was able to lead one of the most successful campaigns in the depot’s history. For these efforts, Mrs. Taylor received the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.

MENTORING CHILDREN OF PRISONERS (MCOP)

Approximately 7,500 young people in Minnesota have at least one parent who is incarcerated according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. In Hennepin and Ramsey counties, an estimated 3,270 children have a parent in a facility operated by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. These children attend school, play sports and have dreams, just like their peers. However, they are 70 percent more likely to become incarcerated themselves. MCOP, a program offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of the Greater Twin Cities provides these children with caring adult friends to ensure a positive future.

In 2004, BBBS served more than 140 children in its MCOP program and has surpassed its 2005 match goal of 75, having paired 90 children with a caring adult between January and June. Partnering with Search Institute, the Council on Crime and Justice and the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, BBBS only has a $150,000 3-year grant to use in matching and supporting these children. Bigs receive additional support and training and MCOP matches interact on a regular basis to lean grow and support each other.

MCOP program Bigs do all the things other Big Brothers and Sisters do. They meet their Littles two to four times per month, participate in fun activities and become a source of support and encouragement. In addition, BBBS provides MCOP mentors with special training, support and opportunities to connect with other matches experiencing similar joys and challenges. For children of prisoners, having another responsible, caring adult in their lives is imperative. A trusting relationship with a Big provides stability for the child and reassurance for parents.

BBBS works with children between the ages of 7 and 13. At this young age, children are open and impressionable. A Big can make all the difference when a child is heading into the difficult adolescent years. Bigs and Littles can remain in the program until the Little graduates from high school, however many matches last a lifetime.

Children with a Big Brother or Sister are 52 percent more likely to attend school. They are also 46 percent less likely to use drugs, 27 percent less likely to use alcohol and 30 percent less likely to hit someone—all behaviors that might start a child on the road to incarceration. Through MCOP, BBBS is building a stronger society by breaking the cycles of violence, chemical abuse and school dropout rates. By having contact with a caring adult, children have someone to talk to, ask questions of, listen to them and show them that history need not repeat itself.

UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY ASSOCIATION – PROJECT SUCCESS

Project SUCCESS is a unique service-learning program in which youth with and without disabilities use community service activities to apply academic lessons to the world beyond the classroom. The Project SUCCESS curriculum addresses team building, diversity, effective communication skills, civic leadership, accessing community needs and community service. Through the curriculum, students learn how to assess the needs and problems of their community and work together to create solutions. In many cases, Project SUCCESS leads to a long-term solution because students from the program experience the importance of service learning and continue to give back to their community.

Historically, youth with disabilities are the recipients of service and rarely seen as possible service providers. Because of this viewpoint, many young people have been prevented from accessing the valuable personal and professional opportunities provided from the experience of serving. Project SUCCESS offers all youth a chance to experience the benefits of volunteerism. By building on the skills that each member possesses to overcome societal and personal limitations, the students in Project SUCCESS can create an environment where diversity and individualism are celebrated.

UCPA of San Diego launched Project SUCCESS in December of 1997. Currently, the project is held at eleven school and community sites in the San Diego Area. During the 2004-2005 school year, over 215 students completed 160 service projects and volunteered over 2,500 hours. Nearly half of those students are young people with disabilities. Every year new students are invited to participate in the program. This ongoing enrollment leaves room for more students to learn the importance of service learning. Project SUCCESS is funded through the UCP and is paid for through fundraising events, local and state grants.

Through this project young people are given the opportunity to contribute to their own communities while at the same time learning about the value of inclusion and volunteerism. Past service projects include visiting the Children’s Convalescent Hospital and nursing homes, beach clean-ups, graffiti paint-outs, sponsoring a can food drive for the San Diego food bank, organizing a book drive for a local library, holding fund-raisers to support local charities, making cards and crafts for military and elderly and participating in local events such as Martin Luther King Day festivities with Volunteer San Diego. Through evaluations and feedback from the community, it has been demonstrated that project SUCCESS has made an impact on the youth volunteers and their community.

Project SUCCESS involves innovative and unique ways for youth to give back to their community. The all inclusive model and curriculum help students to choose service projects that will improve their community and impact serious social problems. Project SUCCESS recently started an interactive website, (www.sdprojectsuccess.org) which illustrates various service projects students have been involved in and is helpful for teachers who want to start a Project SUCCESS Site at their school.

AMY HALL

Amy has volunteered many hours to the GC&SU Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is a national fundraiser where dancers (college students) raise money by securing donations and pledges in advance. One hundred percent of those funds will stay local to benefit hospitalized kids in the local community.

Her passion to want to give back to the community as well as specifically help sick children has helped her coordinate the first annual GC&SU Dance Marathon Fundraising event as well as to develop the GC&SU Dance Marathon Registered Student Organization on campus. She worked so hard to meet with the correct people to help make this event happen. She met with the Student Government Association to become an official Registered Student Organization on campus. She met with the Children’s Medical Hospital staff in Macon and GC&SU staff members to assist her in making this even happen. She did have some trying times in the beginning and during the process of planning our first GC&SU Dance Marathon.

Through all of Amy’s determination, commitment and hard work this past February her dream came true and the first Dance Marathon was held on campus. The event attracted 30 participants, raised over $300, and had four Miracle children and their families to attend the event. A miracle child is a child who has been to the Children’s Medical Hospital. Amy had an executive committee of between 6-10 students that helped assist her to plan this event.

Amy attends monthly meetings and represents her program well. She also attends leadership workshops and meetings so that she can become the best student coordinator she can be and to make herself a better leader. Her program has received the Student Coordinated program of the month from The GIVE Center as well as received the student coordinator of the month and for the semester. She has also been named the Individual for the semester from the GIVE Center. This April during volunteer appreciation month one day will be in honor of her and Dance Marathon.

AETNA EMPLOYEES REACHING OUT (AERO) HIGH POINT

Community spirit and civic leadership make Aetna’s High Point, NC office a rewarding workplace. Through events organized by its active Aetna Volunteer Council, it has brought hope and help to battered women, senior citizens, cancer patients and countless others. In recent years, employees have biked, donated cell phones, made beautiful blankets, and performed countless other caring acts. In 2004, they organized a weeklong program honoring Dr. Charles R. Drew, an African American physician who broke new ground in blood collection and plasma processing. Besides galvanizing the office and bringing community attention to blood donation, especially in the African American community, the program generated 162 pints of blood from community drives.

High Point employees donated an impressive 1,700 hours to group employee events in 2004. The office represents three percent of Aetna employees, yet it accounts for 13 percent of Aetna’s group volunteer hours. High Point employees also donated more than 200 pints of blood, or five times more blood per capita than the average American.

“Once you volunteer, you’re hooked,” says Kathy Matthews, a member of the volunteer council. “It puts a positive face on Aetna in the community, but also I think it gives employees a sense of pride and accomplishment, something to remember in their work with our customers and fellow employees.” In recent years, community groups have recognized the office’s contributions. In April 2005, Project Linus – a nonprofit that makes handmade blankets and quilts and distributes them to children in need – presented the High Point office with an award for corporate citizenship. Thanks to the Council’s impressive volunteer record and the Aetna Foundation’s Community Grants Program, Aetna also has been recognized by the Corporate Volunteer Connection of Greensboro as the number one company in the area for its employee volunteerism commitment

In 2003, the American Cancer Society named the office a local “Team of the Year” for its fundraising, creativity and enthusiasm in the annual Relay for Life. It was selected from more than 5,500 teams in the region. Organizers involved the entire workplace, raising $36,790 with management challenges, “dress down” days, giveaways, walker sponsor donations and a walker autograph signing party. “Every day we help customers whose lives have been touched by cancer, and it’s a privilege to do whatever we can do to help battle this disease,” said Donna Murray, who chaired survivor activities.

Many employees also volunteer on the cancer society’s event planning committees and chair some events, including an Easter care basket project for patients at a local cancer center. Our goal was to provide baskets to the patients confined at the center,” said Murray. “We had such an outpouring of generosity that we were able to supply baskets to all confined patients and deliver an additional 28 baskets for outpatients.”

The desire to help others can be explained simply, according to Angela Wall, who co-chairs the local Aetna Volunteer Council: “I love to serve. I love to help someone else.”

LISA BASSICK

For the past five years, Lisa has facilitated PCAVT’s Nurturing Parents Program, a free 15-week educational program for at-risk families with young children. During that period, her volunteerism has impacted dozens of families.

Some of the parents in the Nurturing Parents program attend at the direction of the court system while others attend voluntarily to improve their communication and parenting skills. The program’s goal is to prevent – or break – the cycle of abusive behavior in families and to give parents the tools they need to raise strong, healthy, happy children. Publicized in local newspapers, in pediatrician’s offices, and in other places where families get together, the Nurturing Parents Program is held one night a week, often in both the spring and the fall. The weekly sessions include a simple dinner and supervised activities for the children while the parents are in the program.

During the program, Lisa helps parents learn from discussion, activities, presentations, videotapes, and home practice. Some topics of discussion are what children think and feel, what to expect from children at different ages, how to deal with little frustrations before they become big ones, how to recognize and deal with children’s feelings and needs, and how to recognize and attend to their own feelings and needs.

Lisa’s time, talent and passion to help local families by supporting the overall organizational goals of PCAVT as well by providing, developing and advancing child abuse prevention and treatment programs. She informs Vermonters about child abuse prevention and promotes their participation in prevention. She also assists in the development of improved child abuse prevention treatment policies.

She receives volunteer training from Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and is responsible for pre- and post- program planning under the direction of the organization’s staff. In addition, Lisa volunteers her time for PCAVT to campaign Vermont legislators to include adequate state funding for programs to benefit children and families, and she raises funds and awareness through the organization’s annual walk-a-thon.

Ms. Bassick’s employer, C&S Wholesale Grocers, selected her as the company’s first annual Volunteer of the Year recipient, during National Volunteer Week 2005. She is a great example of “Inspiring By Example!”

EDSON O. PARKER

Since 1988, Dr. Parker has volunteered his time on a regular basis to the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Program. This local chapter of the Salvation Army has been active in the community providing an addiction treatment program to more than 600 individuals annually who are, for the most part, addicted to drugs and alcohol, homeless, unemployed, destitute, malnourished, and in general poor health.

Dr. Parker has volunteered his time on almost every Sunday morning for the last 16 years, providing medical services to new arrivals and continuing care (sick call) to program residents. These pro-bono services are much needed as new arrivals need to be screened for illnesses requiring treatment, diseases that may be contagious, and other maladies for which prescriptions need to be written. These people are normally homeless, without medical coverage, and would flood local emergency facilities were it not for the services of Dr. Parker. He provides referrals when specialized medical care is indicated, recommends and sponsors emergency dental care to relieve pain and expedites services need for dual diagnosis clients from Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health. He ensures a continuing supply of necessary medications for individuals arriving from Clark County Detention Center without their sustaining prescribed medications. Lastly, Dr. Parker leaves a sizeable personal check on a regular basis to pay for the prescriptions he writes and dental care he endorses.

His personal efforts have provided a valuable service to the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Program, and have allowed persons to alleviate pain and suffering, as well as provided necessary medical attention to some of the most devastated residents of this community. His unending dedication and tireless efforts have been a tremendous help in overcoming obstacles to program entry imposed by health issues and concerns. He has been a constant advocate of “stop smoking cigarettes” initiatives and a nicotine cessation program. He has championed everything the program does to improve the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health of every Clark County resident touched by the Adult Rehabilitation Program. He is truly a vital member of the team, a responsible citizen of this community, and a very caring person.