LWT Communications
The Philosophy of LWT Communications is to effectively promote their clients’ image, service or product through strategic marketing and media delivered on time and on budget. This dedication, combined with creativity, energy and excellent client service consistently produces measurable results. The company offers counseling and planning, marketing strategy development, creative direction and production management, media and other services.
In addition to excelling in the for profit arena, LWT Communications and their staff are making a tremendous impact in the River Region as highly competent and generous volunteers. For the last four years, each of their 25 staff members has actively been involved in service. They have used their knowledge, skills and abilities to serve their community at large.
Each of their employees has donated 24 consecutive hours of creative time, energy and expertise to River Region area nonprofits in LWT’s annual Create-A-Thon. Owner partners, Jim Leonard and David Allred, along with their entire staff believe it is worth the lost sleep to provide their services to area organizations that normally could not afford them. Recipients of Create-A-Thon services are selected based on the mission of the organization, the type of work requested and how LWT’s expertise would best benefit the needs of each applicant. What is unique about this volunteer effort is that it is not just one or two individuals from the company, but rather all employees are involved.
In 2003, Envision’s Tourism Task Force was the recipient of Create-A-Thon services in production of an extensive map of River Region tourist attractions. In fact, this very complex project far surpassed the usual 24-hour time period and resulted in LWT donating a total of 96 hours of creative time to Envision! The map has been distributed in the five-county area to thousands of residents and tourists.
Additionally, the map itself has served another important function in bringing together tourism officials and staffs in the region to collaborate for the long-term. Tourism is a major industry in Alabama, bringing in over $7 billion annually, and LWT’s support of the Envision process, with this single project alone, will have a tremendous and lasting economic impact.
In total, nine nonprofits, out of the forty-eight who applied, benefited from LWT’s Create-A-Thon services. The organizations selected were: Old Alabama Town, the Alabama Art Trail, Eastern Seals of Central Alabama, Humane Society of Elmore County, We Are Women in Recovery, The ARC of Alabama, Alabama Postpartum Support and Education Association, Hospice of Montgomery and Group Homes for Children. Projects ranged from Web development to logo design to strategic marketing planning to brochure development.
Robert Fout
Through his extraordinary travels, Robert “Bob” Fout demonstrates his compassion for other people. Shortly after the 2004 tsunami ravaged Indonesia, Bob responded as part of the effort to reconstruct and rehabilitate the devastated country. Most people are not able to jump on a plane or boat to go help when help is needed; Fout was able to and did just that.
He spent nine days building a model community shelter and a greenhouse. He prepared and planted fields to reestablish agricultural and delivered food and supplies to three villages. His volunteer contributions in a huge relief effort truly did a world of good to the hope starved people of Indonesia.
Shortly after Fout returned to the United States, Hurricane Katrina took its toll on the states along the Gulf coast. The country and at times, even the world looked on as water seemed to pour through many communities along the coast.
Without hesitation, he responded again to help another community in massive relief effort. Just as he did in Indonesia, Fout was able to offer invaluable assistance to the people of Mississippi, helping rebuild and offering assistance at a time a community needed it most.
Selflessly dedicating his time, Fout’s remarkable efforts to help those around the world in times when help was needed most is an inspiration to those who know him or hear his story. It is that story which inspired his fellow colleagues to nominate him for the 2006 Aetna Voice of Conscience Award, in which he was a runner-up.
Christina Garcia
Cristina Garcia, was born in Tampa, FL to two parents, who instilled in her the importance of volunteering from the beginning. Cristina is a 18 year old, freshman at the University of South Florida, who is pursuing a degree in Pediatrics Physical Therapy. She graduated from King High School with honors in May 2006. Cristina’s older brother, Joey has Cerebral Palsy.
Cristina is dedicated to Sibshops, a program at Achieve Tampa Bay. Sibshops is a Sibling Support Project that is the only national effort dedicated to the interests of over six million brothers and sisters of people with special health, mental health, and developmental needs. This program is offered through Achieve Tampa Bay, an organization that is an affiliate of United Cerebral Palsy. Achieve Tampa Bay is dedicated to turning disabilities into capabilities. It has been in the Tampa area for 53 years and is where Cristina attended preschool. She grew up to become their top volunteer through the years. Though she is a youth, Christina is very active in this support group for brothers and sisters of children with disabilities.
Cristina has been with Sibshops since she was nine years old. She is one of the original members of the Tampa chapter and now serves as the Assistant Director. Once a month, faithfully, on Saturday, Cristina lends her expertise and knowledge to the siblings. Because she is living this, many of those that come to Sibshops for direction can easily relate to her. They know her care and concern is genuine and heart felt. She is helpful to the siblings with her experience and knowledge as well as to the parents about what not to do and how to handle situations that may arise. She also speaks to the community about siblings of children with disabilities.
In addition, Cristina is a great role model by being a straight “A” student who is very involved with kids with special needs. For the past 4 years, she has worked for “ALL PEOPLES” an after school program through Hillsborough County for children with disabilities and non-disabled children.
Cristina supports the siblings by calling attention to their role as a sibling of a child with disabilities. She celebrates their strength and ensures they understand the important role, they, as siblings play in the family. Christina’s dedication to Sibshops, Achieve Tampa Bay and her family is a great example of a servant leader.
Michael Thornton
Michael Thornton is a senior at LAMP, president of National Honor Society and co-president of Key Club. Though only 18 years old, he has made service to others a way of life. It is also his care goal for the future, probably structured around the field of education. His explanation for volunteering has always been simple: “It’s the thing that makes me most happy.”
Michael hasn’t started any soup kitchens or set up any new programs. He serves multiple programs already in place, individuals who come to him or are referred to him for help, people who just pop up on his radar. When he read a news story about our troops needing personal items in Iraq, he rallied his church teens to collect and mail packages overseas. When Katrina hit, he organized LAMP students to collect and deliver boxes of clothes and household goods directly to families in need in the Gulf. He also rolled up his sleeves to serve food and entertain children at shelters in Montgomery. When the organizers of the Discovery Village project at Old Alabama Town requested help for the weekend build, Michael gathered LAMP students to participate. He not only puts himself on the line, but he consistently leads others to step up as well.
Michael has done so much; it was hard for him to narrow down his service on his college applications. In addition to his work with the National Honor Society and the Key Club, he has done so many one-on-one things for individuals just as a matter of course in daily life. There have been many nights when he was making cards, wrapping items, or racing to stores for hours to purchase gifts or balloons or clothes for some family or project one of his clubs has “adopted” in spite of the long hours of homework facing him. On most of those nights he’d get to bed well after 1:00 am and then head back out my 6:40am the next morning to get things in place before school classes began. He has managed to maintain a 4.5 GPA.
Michael has spent many hours of his summers and school breaks at service projects as well, mostly through Heart Work Camp and the “Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club” at St. Bede Parish. The Club meets for early Mass and breakfast, then heads out to do service at soup kitchens, Catholic Charities, senior citizen homes, the battered women’s center, etc. Heart Work Camp requires teens to raise the funds to purchase all of the supplies needed and to travel to another city to execute projects for people who need assistance. For a week each summer, they sleep on a gym or classroom floor and spend their days painting, building, and cleaning, etc. in the homes, schools, or service agencies of needy areas. Michael has served in Mobile and Atlanta and will travel to Florida to work this summer.
It seems Michael is always on call for teachers, youth group advisors, and coaches who see someone or something in need. He has helped at the Salvation Army, Catholic Social Services, AUM, several public elementary schools, LAMP, St. Bede Church, nursing homes, Father Walter Purcell’s Children’s Center, the YMCA, UNICEF, the Humane Society, the American Institute for Cancer Research, MACOA, the Riverfront Artfests, Jubilee Kidfests, the Sunshine Center, and St. Bede Vacation Bible School.
Gamma Sigma Sigma
Gamma Sigma Sigma is traditionally a service organization, but they are more than what you see in an average service organization. By the end of this year, this group will have completed 10,865 hours of service since they were founded at Georgia College & State University in 1997. This group does all types of service for many different agencies in their community as well as being very active on campus.
They have participated in intramural sports and have attended campus activities and diversity programs. Many of them are members of other student organizations and often hold leadership positions in some of them. They have co-sponsored and participated in many programs including Think Pink Week, AIDS Awareness Week, Good Neighbors Clean Up, Make A Difference Day, Collegiate Challenge with Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity, Maranatha Mission Home, St. Stephen’s Food Pantry, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Children Medical Hospital, Blood Drives, Mary Vinson Library Casino Night, Baby sitting with DEFACS, Clothesline Project, Project Impact, Domestic Violence Programs, Empty Bowls, the Potato Drop, and Relay for Life. Many of them have been student coordinators for different programs in the GIVE Center.
This group has received the National Service Merit Award from Gamma Sigma Sigma due to the wonderful things that these students at GC&SU are doing. The volunteers are such a valuable resource in Baldwin County and have been given the opportunity to build the bonds not only with faculty, staff, and university administrators but also with community members. In the Past, the Zeta Omicron Chapter of Gamma Sigma Sigma at GC&SU had the honor as being named the National Chapter of the Year, and also had one of their members, Ms. Aliceson Burkart a former President was named as the National Sister of the Year. These are two well-deserved honors.
The past 4 years, together with The GIVE Center, this group has sponsored the annual potato drop. They worked to write a grant in the amount of $2,350 fund this program. During this event we had close to 170 volunteers that gave back over 500 service hours to the community and were able to feed over 135,000 people throughout 8 countries. Four years ago this event was also part of the Unity of Spirit Initiative in Conjunction with President Bush and The Points of Light Foundation where you can complete a service project in honor of someone who lost their life during September 11th.
Kyle Freas
Kyle Freas, a junior at Plano West High School, founded a volunteer organization called Plano Youth Together in 2003. His organization works with student councils, STOP Programs, Pal Programs and National Honor Societies to help abuse, homeless and critically ill children as well as homeless animals. Plano Youth Together has benefited area organizations such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Samaritan Inn, Hope’s Door, Plano Presbyterian Hospital and Operation Kindness through their myriad of programs.
Operation Backpack is one of the Plano Youth Together programs that works with the Children’s Advocacy Center to provide abused and neglected children with school supplies and backpacks. Plano Pals is another signature program. Children make holiday bags that include toys and gift cards for the Samaritan Inn, The Children’s Advocacy Center and Hope’s Door. The program is a pen pal program where the children can write each other. Another program is Operation Paws. Through Operation Kindness, a no kill animal shelter, each child sponsors a homeless animal and receives a bio, a picture and a gift bag. Participants are also invited to a party to see their pets and learn about animal shelters. Started by his brother, Kyle has continued this program under Plano Youth Together since 2002.
Children donate movies and board games to the Plano Presbyterian Hospital for sick children for the Kids Flicks and Games program. Kyle and the Plano Youth Together, then distribute the gifts to youth that are in the hospital for treatment. Kids Wish for Kids benefits the Make a Wish Foundation of North Texas. Children are allowed to pick a critically ill child and help make their wish come true by making a donation. In return, they receive a letter about the wish they helped supply, the pictures of the child they helped and other “star” goodies.
Kyle has raised in excess of $60,000 for these organizations through his programs. He contacted all 50 schools in eight North Texas cities regarding his projects and has worked with 45 schools in the area. He designed boards and flyers for each program and helps design and fill gift bags. He also helps deliver donations to area organizations. Kyle has his own group of volunteers who help him with these programs. Through his programs, he has taught thousands of students about community service. His goal was to utilize many children who were not involved in organizations that required community service for hours were not being used. Although the projects are being run in elementary and middle schools, high school students make the gift bags and deliver donations to area organizations.
Staff of the Office of the Public Defender
Tampa, FL boasted of a population of 303,447 in 2000 which grew to 325,989 in 2005. A great percentage of the change in population is children, and many of these children may not have all the tools they need to succeed.
The Staff of the Office of the Public Defender in Tampa understands that Tampa’s children have unmet needs and they have decided to do their part to change this. These public defenders volunteer their lunch hours three times a week in order to drive out to Palm River Elementary Academy to tutor and mentor students in the third grade.
This group of volunteers found fulfillment in what they were doing, but they were not satisfied with the impact they were making as tutors alone. They then became involved in the children’s lives by volunteering beyond their lunch hours. Not only have the volunteers given of their time for tutoring, but they have also become responsible for a fundraising event at their office. This event focused upon raising money for a grill for the school to be used for family programming.
In addition to tutoring and raising money, the volunteers have also been active participants for the Strawberry Festival. The group of volunteers has donated their time and money for a booth and prizes.
These Public Defenders have had a profound impact on the students they are mentoring. The emotional support given by this group of professionals has been the biggest factor in facilitating the academic growth observed. The school has seen a positive effect in regard to academic achievement, attitude about learning, and the students’ behavior. The students’ performance has improved, especially in reading. They have also been impacted by having consistent quality time with positive role models who they know care for them.
Jeffrey Butt
Jeffrey Drew Butt has been involved with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay for over 15 years. Without Jeff’s tremendous leadership and dedication, the agency undoubtedly would not be where it is today, and would not serve as many of those in need in the Tampa Bay community as it does. A prominent board certified real estate attorney with Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, LLP, Jeff is a strong believer in giving back to the community through volunteerism and has contributed many thousands of hours of his time to Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
Jeff first became involved with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay in 1990 when he was asked to serve as the agency’s pro bono legal counsel. He is still serving in that capacity today. Two years after becoming the agency’s pro bono legal counsel, Jeff volunteered to give even more of his energy and time to the organization by joining the Board of Directors. He has served on the Board for almost 15 years serving twice each as Chair and Vice Chair prior to his current term as Chair of the Board.
Under Jeff’s leadership, the Crisis Center has expanded or added services agency-wide, increased funding levels from $1.6 million in fiscal year 1992 to $6.8 million in fiscal year 2006, and received several awards and major grants. Jeff was instrumental in the agency’s first venture into social entrepreneurship, by encouraging the transformation of one division of the agency, TransCare, from a Baker Act van service to a full-fledged Basic Life Support ambulance service.
Recognizing the importance of the United Way’s call to nonprofits to pursue social entrepreneurship, he provided the leadership and risk taking attitude required to raise operation capital for TransCare. This action required mortgaging the facility, which was a major break from the traditional attitude of nonprofits, but permitted TransCare’s startup and its successful development into a major funding source of the agency’s program.
The agency’s TransCare division now generates a surplus of over $600,000 per year. This significant level of funding is a direct result of Jeff’s vision and initiative. This surplus has allowed and will continue to allow the organization to continue to expand its services throughout the community.
During his time with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Jeff has donated more than $300,000 in pro bono legal work, secured corporate donations and recruited numerous other board members.
Edward Ameen
“Every child needs a strong mind, a strong body and a safe supportive place to grow; they deserve this.” These are the things that the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) believes and works to provide for children all over the world.
By creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is working to better the lives of children and their families.
Edward Ameen founded the local Ronald McDonald House 26 years ago. As a McDonald’s owner/operator Ameen is committed to giving back to the community. His leadership and funding has never wavered for those 26 years. He spearheaded every capitol campaign, growing with the organization from a small cottage to three houses and 66 bedrooms.
The first 18 years, Ameen donated all the organizational accounting services, groomed leadership, strategically planned expansion and growth. He not only volunteered at the houses but also served as board president, chair of every committee and remains the chairman of the Board.
Ameen has lived and breathed the Ronald McDonald House for 26 years. During the hurricane evacuation, he was at the houses helping with the hands on tasks. Throughout the year, he speaks throughout the area about RMH. Ameen also cooks at the houses for the families. He is the go-to guy for staff and meets the in-kind as well as financial needs.
Planning is now underway for a 20 bedroom Ronald McDonald House inside the hospital. This will be the fourth Ronald McDonald House for Ameen. His hands have touched so many things at the house, whether it’s the coffee and meal preparation, or orchestrating many things at the building of bricks and mortar, or securing funds raised to retire the debt, to making sure elevators are installed to assist parents and handicapped children.
Edward Ameen’s leadership has set the tone for this organization. The organization serves 2,300 families annually. It has served families from every county in Florida, every state in the US and average 18 countries a year.
Whitefield Memorial United Methodist Church
When the Willie V. Whitfield United Methodist Church signed up with the Red Cross to provide shelter services, we anticipated running a shelter for a couple of days at a time—perhaps three days for a big storm. Before the Katrina hurricane, they actually had a couple of shelter activations where they were in operation for three days.
The Sheppard Center of the church is equipped to handle the handicapped, has a full service kitchen, showers and lots of space. The members of our church are committed to serving the surrounding neighborhood and community. They never anticipated three full weeks of shelter activities with 85 evacuees from the coastal areas with Katrina hit. They are a family oriented church and dedicated to helping those in need, and the Katrina hurricane put those merits to test.
They had to quickly gear up for the extended shelter period, which meant planning for additional food, clothing, laundry, cleaning and so forth. Many of our volunteers worked 10-12 hour days, some even giving up the comfort of their own beds to stay at the shelter overnight and provide security. Of course, many social engagements they missed as personal schedules they altered so the evacuees would get the best care on a 24 hour a day basis. The goal was to provide a warm, stable, friendly and caring atmosphere for these people who had lost everything; cars, homes, businesses, jobs and even relatives. It was our job to ease the trauma of 85 people, including children and seniors and several people with special needs.
All of a sudden they had to plan for the extended stay. They arranged to have volunteer doctors on call and nurses either at the shelter was active, and all evacuees needing special care were seen by the nurses as soon as they arrived at the shelter. They got cell phones so the evacuees would have free service to contact friends and family. They got two television sets donated and cable service installed so our guests could watch the news of the coastal areas and to entertain the children.
People in Montgomery were extremely generous and helpful. They collected enough clothing to set up two clothes closets which was a great help as most people had a limited change of clothes; they also collected funds and bought new underwear and socks for everyone. Special offerings were arranged each Sunday for the evacuees so they would have some personal funds and could purchase needed items, fuel for their cars and so forth. They also collected household items and food which was given to the evacuees when they left the shelter and headed home; they knew they would need cleaning supplies, food, bedding, dishes and utensils.
They thought meals would be a problem, for although they had a great kitchen they were not prepared with people or food to last more than a few days. The Food Bank immediately provided a truckload of food and supplies. Local churches contacted us and arranged to cook supper meals and bring them to the Center. Local businesses began providing breakfast and lunch. While they were still busy coordinating and serving meals, by the fourth day of the shelter activation they were relieved of many of the preparation activities. But they made sure three wholesome meals were provided each day and that snacks were always on hand.
Once the early challenges were taken care of and we had established routines for the many shelters tasks, arranged schedules to insure the people would be present to man the desks and kitchen and assist our guests to doctors and dentists for treatment, to optometrists to replace lost glasses, and to local shops for car repairs. Many businesses provided these services free or at a reduced charge.
But it wasn't all hard work. One couple, who had been headed to their wedding in New Orleans when the hurricane arrived, was married in our Chapel; they got cakes and punch and decorated the center for the reception. One lady delivered her baby just one day after arriving at our shelter. One evening our guests from Louisiana cooked up a Cajun feast for the volunteers. They also had birthday parties and other parties at the center, field trips to the zoo and to the bowling alley and to the park.
While three weeks are not long in the normal scheme of time, the 23 days of maintaining all the facilities of the shelter occasionally seemed interminable and sometimes the multitude and extent of the tasks were daunting. They usually had several crises every day, from cars breaking down, evacuees trying to locate relatives or discovering members of their family had died, lost medication and other property, to the many instances of extreme remorse when confronted with the tragedy of their situation.
Katrina brought us people loaded with many problems that they couldn’t solve, but they tried to help with every resource they had and provided comfort and consolation whenever they could. For many of us working in the shelter it was an emotional overload trying to be cheerful with people whose life had been dramatically changed for the worse. But bonds were made and the healing was begun. Several of the evacuees are still in the Montgomery area. They helped many people finds jobs and apartments here. Some joined our church and others occasionally drop in to see us. It was the type of adventure that they will never forget, that they don't want to have happen again, but that they'd eagerly do over as a very rewarding mission.
