William Kopplin

Bill Kopplin is retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, and, although a long-time volunteer in public service during his career, since retirement he has devoted almost full-time to serving others. Among his activities, he has been particularly active in the Oklahoma Tree Bank Foundation, which plants trees on public lands and promotes the planting and care of trees statewide. He also serves as vice-chairman of its board of directors. He devotes two full days each week as a volunteer in the Tree Bank offices, composing letters and printed materials, answering telephones and giving advice to callers on species selection, placement and care of trees, and serving in all capacities where his help is needed.

Besides his two full days in the office, he gives numerous hours of service over a wide area in support of the efforts of the Foundation. He was creator of, and is the principal developer of a statewide Centennial Grove project, bringing about planting of groves of trees throughout Oklahoma, as part of Oklahoma’s Centennial of Statehood celebration. It is estimated that Bill Kopplin has given more than 3,000 volunteer hours to the Tree Bank, in addition to his public service activity at the present time; it is actually one of many of his public service projects.

He serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee to Will Rogers Park (largest public park) in Oklahoma City. He has served, as president of the Iris Society and Master Gardeners of Oklahoma, and it’s the Park Commissioner for his ward in Oklahoma City. In the past three years, Bill Kopplin, through a cooperative agreement with America the Beautiful was responsible for distributing more than a half-million flower bulb in Central Oklahoma. This came about because America the Beautiful acts as a clearinghouse for the nursery surplus from the White Flower Bulb Company, and Bill, as a volunteer for America the Beautiful, contacted several urban planners who were interested in having and using some of the bulbs.

In addition, Bill Kopplin is past president of Town Hall and the Classen High School Alumni Association in Oklahoma City. It is estimated that, since retirement as a Southwestern Bell Telephone Company executive, Bill has given more than 5,000 hours to public service.

The Junior League of Tampa, Inc.

“These women have worked for many years to improve the lives of numerous residents in the Tampa Bay community through various service projects,” said Governor Bush. “Their devotion and hard work have impacted many in their community in a positive way.”

Founded in 1926, the Junior League of Tampa, Inc. is an organization of 1,600 women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through effective action and leadership. They focus on establishing programs and community partnerships that provide children and their families with opportunities and services essential for their physical, intellectual, emotional and social well being. The JLT has raised and distributed more than $3,500,000.00 to various community projects since 1926.

Currently the JLT is involved in 12 community projects that benefit the Tampa Bay area including the Academy Prep Center of Tampa, The Children’s Cancer Center, the Children’s Literacy Project, Community Action Projects, Enabling Fund Grants, Fun Troupe, Kids’ Connection, Love Bundles Project, Mary Lee’s House, PACE Center for Girls, Treasures for Tampa and Volunteers at Large. Additionally in conjunction with an annual fundraising event, they are hosting the book drive Every Day is Literacy Day.

Benjamin Au Yang

Following the Hurricanes that ravaged Florida during 2005, Benjamin Au Yang, who is the youngest writer for the News-Sun launched “Operation Baby” and motivated students, parents and faculty members to donate supplies for needy children affected by the hurricanes. The response was great, much to the astonishment of the Director of United Way, Suzie Bishop to whom the supplies were presented for distribution.

Benjamin’s work does not stop there. In November, in Keeping with Thanksgiving, he launched “Operation Gratitude,” where students were asked to design cards, which were sent to those who were instrumental in assisting during the hurricanes. Teachers and non-academic staff at Park Elementary were given flowers, gifts of tea and candles. He has now motivated the community and his classmates to donate funds to UNICEF for the tsunami relief effort. Response to this young man’s recruitment for service has been tremendous.

Due to the action initiated by Benjamin scores of children in Avon Park received much needed supplies. The participating students felt good about themselves. Academic and non-academic members of staff were uplifted by the generosity displayed. FEMA was among the agencies to have received thank-you cards from the students at Park Elementary. They responded by saying how grateful they were to the students for showing gratitude for what is often a thankless job.

Benjamin’s actions are tremendous and have affected the community; however, the fact that he is only 10 years old is awesome. He serves others with innovative ideas while also remaining a straight “A” student. At such a young age this youth is able to motivate others to think not only of themselves, but others as well. His ability and willingness to think not only of himself but also of the well being of others and his ability to love and serve others has helped him embark on and complete three successful projects to date. He looks forward to continuing his service projects and continuing to get more in the community involved.

La Habra Branch Library Teen Tutors

Each week dozens of teens congregate at the La Habra Branch Library, not to hang out with friends or surf the Internet, but to volunteer their time to tutor younger students who struggle in school and are often below grade level. The teen volunteers offer homework help and provide academic resources and encouragement to an underserved and at-risk population of children.

The La Habra Branch Library initiated the after-school homework help program at the urging of high school student Teresa Chan who served on the library’s Teen Advisory Board and volunteered with the Families for Literacy program. Teresa noticed that there were literacy programs offered for preschoolers and adults, but nothing was available for elementary school students who gathered at the library each afternoon.

With Teresa’s help and under the direction of Teen Library Assistant, Carrie Robertson, the Homework Help Teen Tutor program was implemented in January 2003. Initially, 16 teens signed up to serve as volunteer tutors for 35 younger students. Over the past two years, the program has expanded to 130 tutors who have dedicated 2,247 hours as academic mentors and role models for more than 250 children.

To prepare for the tutoring sessions, each teen attends a four-hour training, which includes topics related to learning styles, goal setting and helping students build reading and math skills. Most of the teens volunteer at least once a week for an entire academic year and several tutors have continued with the program for two or more years.

The teens find time in their incredibly busy schedules to work with squirmy students who sometimes don’t welcome their help. They demonstrate tremendous patience and have become outstanding leaders capable of managing stressful situations, always adapting and creating solutions. The volunteers have learned to work through challenging situations with students as well as with parents. Whatever the circumstances, they stay focused on the child’s well being and on helping that child achieve success.

Each day the Homework Help Center is managed by a volunteer team captain who sets up the room, matches students with tutors, watches for the shy child or the overwhelmed tutor, and makes sure everyone has what they need to accomplish their tasks. These teens in particular have stretched their wings through this added layer of responsibility and have successfully soared new heights.

Young children who attend the library’s after-school program have a safe place where they can receive help from trained and dedicated teen tutors. Students who struggle with math or reading one week arrive the next week sharing their successes. It’s not uncommon to hear a child proudly mention that he/she received an “A” on a spelling test. One parent wrote, “My daughter’s tutor helped her to understand her homework and when she brought home her first 100 percent in math, it was the best moment for her and for me.” The parent of fourth grader shared that her child’s math test scores rose from a third- to a sixth grade level because of the Homework Help Teen Tutor program.

The La Habra Branch Library Homework Help Teen Tutors are making an important and long-lasting impact within their community. Their efforts are helping youngsters attain their dreams through academic success.

Joan Mueller

Dr. Joan Mueller serves as the volunteer Executive Director of Project Welcome Sudanese Refugee Community—an organization that she founded in 2002. Developed to respond to desperate needs of children in the Sudanese community. Project Welcome now funds a full time Social Services Director, as summer school, summer math and vocabulary camps, in-home tutoring, at-school tutoring, and an after-school homework club. Benchmarks measuring the program’s success are overwhelmingly impressive:

The Project has raised more than $70,000 to pay for airline tickets—Sudanese refugees have to sign promissory notes paying back their airline fare to come to America. This debt is between $4,000-$5,000 for a family of six and affects credit, the ability to find housing, transportation, etc. Numerous “runner” cars have been purchased for families who need transportation for work.

Health and human services forms are processed for housing, food stamps, energy assistance, and Medicaid. Five Project Welcome families now own their own homes. Four more families are eligible for and have applied for a Habitat for Humanity home or rent-to-own programs.

Dr. Mueller designs individualized educational programming for each child. Project Welcome children participate in the Project Welcome Summer school, math camps and vocabulary camps keeping these children reading and off the streets during the summer months. Dr. Mueller coordinates a network of hundreds of volunteers to fund and staff this program. Dr. Mueller does not have an operating budget or a corporate sponsor for this program. She operates entirely through donations and through small grants.

When asked how she manages all this and her full-time professorship at Creighton University, Sr. Joan simply says: “Without Project Welcome, these children would be at grave risk. We cannot lose this first generation of Sudanese children to poverty and violence.”

The Heymann Family

The Heymann family has been involved with the American Red Cross. Their sustained commitment began three years ago upon Stephen’s return from a Red Cross Youth Leader’s Conference in Atlanta. He joined with Bill Sullivan to start a youth program at the Southwest Florida Chapter. Stephen was privileged to become a founding member and officer of the Youth Corps and Chairman of the Youth Council. He recruited his Mom, Diana, who through many hours of volunteer service became Director of the Youth Council and eventually Director of Youth Services. His brother, Andrew, became involved as a Youth Advisor and worked as a Summer Intern for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Department. His Dad, Bill helped in the post hurricane recovery efforts. Andrew and Diana also became certified CPR and First Aid Instructors to teach safety to the youth and to the community.

The Red Cross volunteer activities have been very meaningful to the Heymann family. They have taken classes in Disaster Services, Damage Assessment, Logistics, Shelter Operations, Mass Care, Family Services, First Aid, CPR, and AED Defibrillation. The Heymanns have always expressed gratitude for their training in disaster preparedness and response. They have always demonstrated a profound respect for the workers and volunteers who are on call 24/7 to help with disasters and with other agencies that are first responders.

Their training was utilized during several emergencies. During the summer of 2003, there was severe flooding in eastern Sarasota County. They were involved with loading, serving and transporting meals to residents forced to vacate their flood-ravaged homes. This last summer, after having received additional certifications, they were involved with other areas of emergency response for victims of four hurricanes. They were able to set up and work in shelters, prepare and distribute food, and help with logistics and damage assessment. The magnitude of the disaster affected all of them. They talked about how hard it was to see the mass destruction of homes and businesses and to see the vacant stares of children who had lost everything. They worked hard with the Youth Corps in a very difficult situation. They were humbled by the appreciation of the families that they helped. They were appreciative of the training they received and they realized how much they were needed.

The Heymann family talked about the close connection they felt towards the people in the shelters who had lost everything. They knew that feeling well. Twelve years ago on Miami, they lost their home and Hurricane Andrew destroyed their neighborhood. Stephen and Andrew remember the loss of their favorite climbing tree. Bill and Diana remember the frustration and stress of trying to rebuild and loss of possessions. They also remember how much the Red Cross helped. They have been a great encouragement to those who suffered a similar loss. The Heymann family has expressed a renewed sense of purpose and an appreciation for being able to help as they were once helped. Through the leadership of the Heymann family, the Youth Corps has grown from 5 members to over 100 who are being trained to respond to emergencies.

Frank Sanchez

Frank Sanchez is extremely active in his Tampa, Florida community. From a local standpoint his service is diverse reaching all facets of the community and widespread throughout Hillsborough County. Sanchez is a Board Member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, The Foundation of St. Joseph’s Hospitals, The Community Development Corporation of Tampa and The ChairScholars Foundation. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Crisis Center, Habitat For Humanity, Heartbeat International, Wheels for Success, Community Tampa Bay and the Earth Charter. He has also served as a mentor for the Hillsborough Education Association.

Sanchez is the chief negotiator for the Community Development Corporation (CDC) of Tampa. The East Tampa neighborhood has, for years, been a poverty striken, crime-ridden neglected part of town. Through the work of dedicated leaders like Sanchez, the CDC is committed to revitalizing this area bringing businesses, jobs and affordable housing for residents. The economic boost that thriving businesses provide will reduce crime and bring this community back to the proud neighborhood it once was.

Recently, Mr. Sanchez was elected President of the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding. It is perhaps because of his professional work in more than thirty countries around the world and his commitment to serve others, regardless of race, ethnicity or religious background, that he works on health, education and cultural initiatives in the U.S., India and countries in Africa through the Patel Foundation.

His love of children is what drives him to volunteer countless hours to Tampa’s youth. Sanchez is an active Board Member of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. This organization has been committed to provide a safe place for youth to learn and grow, and has had Sanchez’s heart, money and time for many years. Mr. Sanchez recently completed three years as a mentor at his alma mater, Hillsborough High School, on behalf of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. In 2003, he became involved with the quest for a bone marrow donor for a young Hispanic leukemia victim. Frank donated his time to this effort by making pleas in the local Hispanic media to encourage Hispanics to become part of the donor bank.

Jim Bannerman

Dr. Jim Bannerman is a retired engineer and math professor. His career was spent educating and building; however, he has chosen to do similar for the youth in Daytona Beach with his new career as a volunteer. Dr. Bannerman has dedicated his energy to tutoring students in a variety of studies through Daytona Beach Community College, The Volusia Literacy Council and Reality House.

Reality House is a 110-bed adult male residential substance abuse treatment program. Reality House provides a foundation for change for individuals who want to live a productive life without the use of drugs and alcohol. The facility relies heavily on volunteers to provide the level of care and services necessary to meet client needs.

Dr. Bannerman volunteers his knowledge, abilities, and expertise to help the clients of Reality House. And through Dr. Bannerman’s service, lives are being changed. He is helping the clients to build a new foundation for a better life while educating them on making better choices so they can be productive members of society.

No one can describe the significance and effect of Dr. Bannerman’s service better than one who has benefited from it. One of his students said, “Dr. Bannerman’s impact on the quality of life in the community is tremendous. Besides tutoring me in an area no other tutor would go – Calculus – he also helped me to determine a career. He had an impact on my emotions as well. Being an inmate of the State of Florida Department of Corrections, society looks down on you and you tend to feel less human. But Dr. Bannerman treated me with respect and dignity. He gave me direction and hope as well as knowledge.”

Dr. Bannerman continues to change lives and make Florida a better state through his service at Reality House. He doe not volunteer for accolades, but many of the staff continuously thank him and encourage him to continue because he is making a difference, one life at a time.

Linda Brown

Reaching out to the homeless has been the focus of Linda Brown. The Agape Clubhouse is the only program for the homeless in West Volusia County, Florida. Brown directs and runs this day program for the homeless and the chronically physically and mentally disabled.

The Agape Clubhouse is a haven for those in the community who are “down on their luck.” There, the homeless are able to shower, wash clothes, and have a good breakfast and lunch five days a week. Brown is responsible for directing these efforts and also helps individuals obtain healthcare services. In addition, Brown writes grants and solicits funds to keep the Agape Clubhouse in operation.

In addition to her work at the Agape Clubhouse, Brown is also a board member of the Volusia County Coalition for the Homeless. She is very active in advocating for the homeless and uses her position to make changes. Brown also coordinates the coalition’s West Side Task Force and she assists with Interfaith’s Kitchen and Cold Weather Shelter.

Brown is an outstanding volunteer and has touched the hundreds of homeless in the DeLand, Florida community. Her work has enabled many to have a safe place to sleep, obtain emergency services and to get much needed meals. As a result of her commitment to the homeless in her community, Brown was chosen as Volusia County’s winner for the Volunteer of the Year in the Outstanding Individual Adult Category.

Wayne Murray

Wayne Murray started volunteering for Mid-Florida Housing Partnership Palmetto House in 1995. The Majority of his 50 hours a month of volunteer time is donated to helping the homeless at Palmetto House, a transitional housing shelter.

Murray is fortunate and does not have to worry about where his next meal will come from or where he will sleep at night. Because he knows he is very fortunate to have the necessities and some of his wants in life, Murray dedicates much of his volunteer service to the homeless.

He knows the importance of a hot meal, and Murray helps in feeding the guests that live at Palmetto House. Murray bys supplies and regularly brings bread to the house at least twice a week. Because of his determination and hard work, an evening feeding program at Palmetto House was established. Murray coordinates this endeavor and organizes the work of volunteers from area churches to offer this seven-day a week evening meal to those in need.

The very scope of Murray’s community involvement is overwhelming, as he devotes all his energy to helping the homeless. He has such a genuine concern for the homeless that Murray was instrumental in establishing the coalition for the Homeless. He volunteers for Halifax Urban ministries, responding to emergency needs of hungry, homeless, and low income individuals and families. He also volunteers at Serenity House, which provides a program for the rehabilitation of substance abusers through their return to society as productive citizens.