Carl Hopkins

Carl Hopkins has been an extremely active volunteer mediator for the Community Mediation Program and Guardianship Program since he joined the organization in the early 1990’s. Mediators devote four hours to each session, expertly facilitating communication between people in conflict. In addition, Carl has worked tirelessly developing the mediation cases before the mediations. This part of the work involves contacting the parties in conflict by phone and starting the facilitation process.

Carl’s skill as a mediator is especially apparent and appreciated when he is working with families in distress in the Guardianship Mediation Program. He brings a wealth of experience and compassion. His approach in mediation immediately puts families who are on the brink of losing their child at ease. This opens the door for a more productive mediation experience. Considering just the past couple of years, Carl has mediated, on average, two to three mediations a month. Each mediation session involves three to six parties. Therefore, he has served over 150 people on a yearly basis and given triple that number of his personal time. Carl was an important presence in the Diversity Dialogues group which was designed to improve the consciousness, sensitivity and understanding of volunteer mediators so they could better deal with ethnic/cultural/racial diversity when mediating.

In a turbulent, low-funded period of the organization history, Carl came on CRP’s Board of Directors and helped to keep the organization afloat as it was going through this rough patch. Serving in the Armed Services, working as Chief Probation Officer for Contra Costa County and Assistant Chief Probation Officer, Carl has brought his unique life experiences, understanding and compassion to his work with the organization.

Carl assures that cultural sensitivity is always kept in mind. As an African American raised in Texas, he and his wife experienced a very segregated America. He was determined to leave his children a better society. He has enriched CRP and the hundreds of disputants he has worked with.

Girl Scout Troop #379

The members of Senior Girl Scout Troop #379 are 15-16 years old and currently attend 11th grade at Petoskey High School. Troop members include Candace Blandford, Katharyn Burke, Erin Clark, Brittany Cox, Courtney Graham, Lauren Graham, Susie Marvin, Meghan McCullough, Courtney Nicholas, Annika Rettstadt and Brittany Woodard. To date, troop members have logged almost 4,000 hours of service as a group and an average of over 350 hours per scout. Troop #379 has earned the designation of “Honor Troop” annually since its inception from the Girl Scouts of Crooked Tree Council.

Members of Girl Scout Troop #379 have been involved in a myriad of service projects spanning the last 11 years. They have provided service to other scouts (Pancake Breakfast fund raiser for Girl Scout Camp Charlevoix, International Friendship Day, badge and craft events for younger scouts), their school (playground beautification, babysitting for the PTO, carrying out a two-year cardboard and tin recycling program, “Scouts Sort & Salvage” project that was recognized by Emmet County Recycling and the Colgate Youth For America campaign, flag ceremonies for their school and school board) and their community (providing service to the Emmet County Care Facility, Northern Michigan Hospitals, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, See-North environmental organization, Emmet County Cancer Relay for Life, the Petoskey Children’s Nursery, North Central Michigan College, Bortz Nursing Home, the District Health Department, Father Dan’s Food Pantry).

In honor of school board recognition month in January of 2005, members of Girl Scout Troop #379 culminated the second phase of their three yearlong “AEDs For Life” service project by donating six automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) with adult and pediatric electrodes, 6 wall cabinets and one AED trainer to the Public Schools of Petoskey. Grants written by the scouts provided funding to train or re-certify 100+ staff members in the Petoskey Schools. The scouts have maintained their CPR/AED/First Aide certification to date. They were recognized for this project by receipt of an American Red Cross Everyday Heroes Award and as one of the five finalists for the Governor’s Service Award in Michigan.

The scouts have forged a special relationship with their sponsor, VFW Post 2051. For the last four years, the troop has assisted the Post with their Veterans Day ceremony and partnered with the veterans in the “Cookies and Calling Cards” project to send Girl Scout cookies and pre-paid phone calling cards to our soldiers on the ground in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Iraq.

The scouts have now embarked on their final big service project before high school graduation, “Flowers For Friends”. Girl Scout Troop #379 has begun to recycle flowers from funerals, weddings and other community events that would otherwise be thrown away, into smaller arrangements to be delivered to nursing homes, disabled veterans, infusion centers, hospice patients and other community members who are isolated and in need of a smile. Each arrangement will have a card recognizing the donor and indicating “In honor of the marriage of…”, “In honor of the life of….” The scouts obtain supplies, rebuild and deliver arrangements, make meaningful contact with recipients and handle all other aspects of moving this project forward. The project will span over the course of 18 months. It is the intention of the group to train another group of volunteers to then carry the project forward. Although all Girl Scout troops provide service to others, this Troop has gone far above and beyond any ordinary expectation. In far too many ways to enumerate here, these scouts have impacted many lives in their community. In partnership with local veterans, their efforts have impacted soldiers in Cuba, Iraq and nursing homes. Through their service, they have built relationships with elders and youth, with health providers and environmental conservationists, with social agencies and schools, to name just a few.

Tania & Patrick Foster

Dallas is Love is a 501© (3) non-profit organization created by siblings Tania and Patrick Foster. Dallas is Love raises money to convert into AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) gift certificates to benefit all four branches of the military stationed worldwide and was founded in 2004 by Tania (15) and Patrick (12). Now that Tania is a freshman at the University of Texas at Dallas and Patrick is a junior at Sachse High School, they are moving on to do bigger and better things to support the troops of the United States. In January 2007, Dallas is Love expanded to benefit all four branches of the military stationed worldwide and partnered up with local radio station KLIF 570 when three of their crew members went to Iraq to broadcast live. Dallas is Love provided these radio broadcasters AAFES gift cards, lip balms donated by Blue Cross Blue Shield, music compact discs by Spiritual City Music, Dallas Cowboy merchandise autographed by former Dallas Cowboy Tony Hill, items donated by the Frisco Roughriders and designer t-shirts by Red 2wenty Se7ven.

In March 2007, Tania and Patrick received an e-mail from a Sergeant First Class in Kosovo. He explained that his unit’s primary duty was rebuild the country of Kosovo and specifically, they had adopted an elementary school that consisted of 60 children from first to fourth grade. These children were in need of basic school supplies as well as clothing. Tania was the Student Council President at Sachse High School at the time and she suggested that the Student Council take this up as a project. Sachse High School’s Student Council purchased 60 backpacks filled with school supplies. Dallas is Love donated many toys and clothes for the children as well. Tania and Patrick spend a great deal of her time writing letters to local corporations on a weekly basis for donations. With much success, she has received support from the Harold Simmons Foundation, Dallas Mavericks and Schick Razors. Tania and Patrick just finished up their work for this current holiday season. Dallas is Love sent AAFES gift cards out to troops deployed overseas and participated in two local military Christmas parties in Dallas where Tania and Patrick provided AAFES gift cards for the soldiers and raffled off numerous items.

Dallas is Love just recently partnered up with Robbins Bros. Engagement Ring Company to find deployed soldiers who plan to get engaged soon. Dallas is Love finds a deployed soldier who intends to marry in the near future and Robbins Bros. provides the engagement ring while Dallas is Love also gives the couple with a cash prize to enjoy while back in the United States. The first engagement took place on December 7, 2007 in Los Angeles, CA and the next engagement is to take place in January in Dallas, TX.

Guy Ferri

Guy Ferri, who has held the titles of teacher, principal and school superintendent, is most proud of his title of RSVP TaleTeller.

This year Guy is reading to twelve kindergarten classes every week, an increase of three classrooms over the nine that he read to during the previous three years. The vast majority of the 780 children whose lives he has touched are from disadvantaged families and are without good male role models. And, as important as reading is, he also inspires and encourages the children by spending time with them on field trips and sharing their school programs and special events. He fills that empty space in their lives as he models dependability, selflessness, caring for others, and sends them the messages that men read books and volunteer.

Kathleen Elliot

Kathleen “Kit” has been involved in almost every aspect of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), either giving much-appreciated advice, or doing administrative duties, giving CPR trainings, providing hands-on care at first aid stations, serving in disaster response activities, assisting with immunization clinics, or volunteering for disaster exercises. If she only volunteered with the MRC, she would be constantly busy. But, she offers the same level of volunteer service to the American Red Cross has worked for years with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team, volunteers with the Community Emergency Response Team, and participates in the Local Emergency Planning Committee activities. When the city needed volunteers for a city-wide disaster exercise, Kit recruited and organized over 100 students to serve as disaster “victims.” She made the exercise into a learning experience for the students, and ensured that each student was recognized for their volunteerism. Kit has volunteered with Blue Star Mothers, and was instrumental in organizing a support network for families of soldiers deployed to Iraq.

Kit’s main job? She is as a full-time nurse at a local community health center.

There was a woman who had just lost everything in a house fire, had no money and knew no one in the community with whom she could stay. A local disaster relief agency was able to provide lodging for 3 nights, but after that the woman had to find a place to stay on her own. Kit made it her mission to find the resources available for a woman who was from out of town and her husband was a patient in a local hospital. Through much effort Kit was eventually able to find long-term lodging for people who have family members in the hospital. She did not do this as a Red Cross volunteer or an MRC volunteer. She did this as a citizen helping someone in need.

Kit has dedicated her life to serving others. Her selfless acts, unending energy, kindness, humility, and compassion are what inspire me and other volunteers. She does not serve out of a need to be recognized, but out of the goodness of her heart.

Donald Dickinson

Donald is a volunteer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Custody Division. Don retired from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in 1982, after 25 years of service. The very next day, Don was working in Los Angeles County Jails, with our inmates, as a volunteer Assistant Chaplain. He ministered as a Chaplain to inmates at Pitchess Detention Center and Men’s Central Jail from 1982 to 2000. In 2000, Don Dickinson took charge of a new all-volunteer program called “Family Outreach.”

As the Sheriff’s Department moves incarcerated inmates to facilities throughout the County, to meet ever evolving and daunting security requirements, families run the very real risk of traveling great distances, only to find that they’ve arrived at the wrong jail. Many times visiting family members are grieving, traumatized, or angry. Factor in frustration of a long drive, waiting lines and the possibility that the inmate will be discovered as no longer at that facility (and is now fifty miles away) and already mounting tensions can reach a “boiling point.” Recognizing the powerful and potentially emotionally overwhelming dynamics in these situations and in an effort to provide intervention for visitors in need, in November of 2000, the Sheriff’s Department’s Religious and Volunteer Services first initiated the Family Outreach Program. Volunteer Chaplains with previous experience working with incarcerated men and women in Los Angeles County Jails were offered the opportunity to volunteer in the program. Don Dickinson was the first to volunteer his service in this new program. He “took ownership,” and recruited enough qualified volunteers to ensure the program’s continued success. Since that time, ever increasing scores of Family Outreach Program volunteers work at the Men’s Central Jail and Pitchess Detention Center visiting centers, under Don Dickenson’s tutelage, every day these facilities are open.

The Family Outreach Program, and Don Dickinson, provide a sorely needed source of aid and counseling to the loved ones of inmates who come to the facility visiting centers. Devastated or distraught persons are aided by teams of volunteers who offer emotional and spiritual counseling, alleviate anxiety by providing general visiting related information, instruct family members in how to “place money on the books”, entertain children with videos and coloring hand-outs, help with keys locked in cars, assist with vehicles which won’t start and generally lend a helping hand to those who don’t have the emotional stability at the time, to adequately care for themselves and/or their children.

Since 1982, as a volunteer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Custody Division, Don Dickinson has donated nearly 50,000 hours of volunteer service to the men and women of Los Angeles County. Don says that he donates his time and efforts in an attempt to save souls “The Lord is the reason I volunteer my time and effort. I want to lead as many people as I can, to Our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is very, very, rewarding to me, to see lives change for the better.”

Sue Currie

Sue Currie is a dedicated volunteer who has given many thousands of hours throughout over thirty years of service with the American Red Cross. She serves as both a Disaster Services volunteer and as Volunteer Coordinator for the Louisville Area Chapter’s Southwest Service Center, where she is responsible for recruiting and mentoring volunteers as well as maintaining records of the training, assignments, and experience of all the Disaster and Blood Services volunteers at the Service Center.

As a Disaster Services volunteer, Sue has responded to numerous large and small disasters throughout the Kentucky/Indiana area, starting with the April 1974 tornados and continuing through the most recent severe weather. In addition to doing damage assessment and mass care for large disasters, she performs casework for smaller events such as single family fires.

Seeing a need for enhanced preparedness in the Southwest Louisville area, Sue developed and led a community disaster education program focused on educating mobile home park managers and residents about severe weather. As part of this program, she personally arranged for several community churches and other facilities to provide shelter for nearby mobile home residents during severe weather. This program undoubtedly saved many people when severe weather struck the Autumn Lake mobile home park in southwest Louisville over Memorial Day weekend in 2004.

In addition to her work with the Red Cross, Sue also volunteers with Louisville METRO-REACT Team providing emergency communications for community events, and with the Metro United Way serving as a volunteer telephone operator and receptionist at the United Way’s southwest office.

Heather Crossley

Heather Crossley is a senior at west Allegheny High School. She is a member of Girl Scout Troop #306. She has been a girl scout for 13 years. She has earned her silver award and is working on her gold award. Each year our girl scout community has an annual camporee. Heather has always been there volunteering her time to plan and run the camporee. The planning starts in the fall and continues until the weekend of camping arrives. Heather was the assistant director of the camping weekend last year. She helped train the older girl scouts to run the camping weekend. She has worked with the adults and girls to plan the weekend, do conflict resolution training, first aid, CPR and outdoor cooking to provide an outdoor learning experience for many young girls who may not get to go camping otherwise.

This year Heather is the director for camporee 2008. She has already been meeting with Liz Borovich who is the adult in charge. The date is set and Heather and the other girls are working on a theme for the weekend and all the other logistics, such as a menu, games, crafts and canoeing and swimming. Heather will put in at least 100 hours volunteering for her girl scout community planning and executing the camporee weekend.

Alan Crocker

When a small group of parents got together in Spring 2000 to create a children’s football club, little did they know how much they were tapping into the need of a small rural village and beyond. There were enough children to create one team of 7 year olds, now Derry Hill United Football Club has grown to support over 200 children age 6 to 16. Founder and Chair, Alan Crocker is the driving force behind the Club. His enthusiasm, hard work, and boundless energy ensure the Club has grown strong and now supports 14 squads to play some 250 matches in a season.

In addition, to his management role, Alan has a host of other jobs including webmaster, volunteer coordinator, press officer, fund-raiser and coach. In 2004, Alan was presented with the Football Association’s “National Charter Standard Coach of the Year Award” at an England World Cup match. “With all the hours I spend on Club management and development it was great to get acknowledgement for the bit I love, coaching the kids,” says Croker. He continues, “Sometimes it feels like we are running a small business. As the Club has grown we have had to put more infrastructures in place to keep thing running smoothly. Our volunteers include a small management team, qualified coaches, team secretaries, a Child Protection Officer, grounds men, social events helpers and a refreshments team.” Alan volunteers 20-30 hours per week for Derry Hill United Cub.

Gloria Cooke