Gwen Thibodeau

Gwen Thibodeau is an active 83-year old adult who serves her community of Missoula, MT. Gwen volunteers at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Milltown Dam Working Group, Back County Horseman, is a member of the Missoula Senior Center and serves with the Riverside Health Care facility.

Gwen comes to the Missoula County Sherriff’s office weekly. Her duties revolve around pawn sheets. Gwen goes through the pawn sheets collected from the Missoula county pawn shops. She then notifies the other law enforcement jurisdictions if any residents from their jurisdictions have pawned merchandise in Missoula pawn shops. Gwen has been doing this for the past three years. She excels at her assignment and is a great asset to Missoula and the other counties.

Gwen is also on the Milltown Dam Working Group, where she represents Milltown. She is a member of the Board for the Bonner Development Groups, and has also been a member of the Back County Horsemen for 35 years.

Gwen is a member of the Missoula Senior Center. She makes herself available for the social activities as well as the service projects there. She also is an active member of the “Mellow Aires,” one of the Center’s singing groups.

In addition to serving with the Sheriff’s Office and the Senior Center, Gwen also volunteers at the Riverside Health Care Facility. Gwen’s duties include coordinating activities for the clients, planning church services, birthday parties, and other events for the group.

Having started her teaching career in a small rural school, Gwen has, for 20 years, hosted field trips to the restored Grant Creek school house at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. This volunteer activity has provided an opportunity for many third grade students to participate in a one-room school house experience.

In addition to serving with the Sheriff’s office, the Milltown Dam Working group, the Historical Museum and the Senior Center, Gwen also volunteers at the Riverside Health Care facility. Gwen’s duties include coordinating activities for the clients. She plans church services, birthday parties and other events for the group.

Gwen Thibodeau retired after teaching 25 years at Franklin Elementary School; however, she continues to work every day to make life better for the members of Missoula.

Mary Peone

Mary Peone has been serving with Missoula Head Start since September of 2005. During the past two years, she has been a constant source of inspiration for the teachers, staff and students in the program. She is gifted when it comes to working with children, and the students with whom she works with absolutely love her.

Mary is the only Foster Grandparent with the Missoula Head Start program who works for two full classes. From 8:30-3:30 Mary provides an unending supply of patience and care to the students. She does many things to make the students feel special and especially cared for. Mary bakes cookies for the classrooms, provides fun activities for the students and is always willing to take time to work one-on-one with any student who is having a difficult day. Mary is a model for all of the Head Start volunteers as she is the embodiment of the virtues of patience, love and respect.

The quality and amount of service that Mary provides to Head Start sets her apart from many of the other volunteers. Her commitment to the Missoula community does not end when she leaves her school. May is then involved with other activities. She also volunteers with her church. Her service at church involves anything ranging from yard work to preparing pastries for bake sales.

Mary also donates time at the local chapter of Teen Challenge. She is called upon at any hour to do various duties. Mary does anything from coordinating clothing drives to providing rides for youth who want to attend Teen Challenge activities.

Mary is an example of an American with true volunteer spirit. She is dedicated and passionate about serving her community. Mary is an incredibly gifted human being who shares her gift of time with the children at Missoula’s Head Start, members of her church and Teen Challenge.

Bob McDuffie

The Ronald McDonald House of Missoula opened in April of 2006. Since they opened their doors, volunteer Bob McDuffie has been a constant fixture! By September, he had served more than 500 hours for the House. The number of hours is impressive to donate in five months; however, the numbers of hours pale in comparison to Bob’s contributions to the House.

Bob’s personality lights up the House and has a positive impact on everyone. Bob makes himself available to help out with projects around the House. He also interacts with the guests who are going through traumatic events in their life. Bob takes the time to listen, and he has a way of bringing a smile to even the saddest face. Bob chooses to be positive and takes the time to always see the silver lining—not the cloud. Bob brings hope to the parents of critically ill children. He shares, empathized with their situations, and somehow he brings joy.

The guests stop by the reception area just to speak with Bob. The other volunteers cannot wait until he comes in so he can write in the Volunteer Communication Log book. Even the Executive Committee for the House knows Bob and looks forward to communicating with him.

Bob is a hero to many at the Ronald McDonald House and has impacted many lives with his compassion, dedication and peacefulness. In addition to his service to the staff, volunteers and guests of the Ronald McDonald House, Bob is a great family man. His sense of giving to the community is parallel to his sense of loyalty to his family. He takes care of his daughter and her children.

Sue Cushman

Sue Cushman is a caring person who donates time to various agencies. She is an active member of AARP, works with the Swan Ecosystem Center and the Alpine Artisans. Sue also works with Meals on Wheels and is a part of the Upper Swan Valley History Group, a Women’s Support Group and the Swan Valley Birding Group.

Sue has volunteered many hours to AARP. She organizes a speech contest for two area elementary schools for the past 10 years. She also plans and organizes a two mile litter pick up in several areas in her county each year. Sue has also served on numerous committees and serves as a self-appointed care-giver. In the latter role, she provides meals, transportation, and care whenever there is a need.

Sue also participates at the Swan Ecosystem Center. She is a member of the Visitor Information Committee and she paints, saws timber and assists in clearing trails at the Center. In addition to this, Sue is an active participant in the Alpine Artisans. She works on the committee for 2Valley Stage by auditioning programs, supervising, fundraising, and providing housing and meals for participants.

Sue dedicates time to Meals on Wheels and the Upper Swan Valley History Group. She works on painting pottery for Meals on Wheels and the Food Bank. Sue also delivers meals whenever needed. She makes and sells ice cream cones for the July 4th History Exhibit. She also transcribes tapes to be written up in the history file.

In addition, Sue works with a Women’s Support Group, which is dealing with health and family problems. She is also a member of the Swan Valley Birding Group. She works to document bird species and number in the areas for eight months out of the year.

Sue is an active member of her Condon, MT community and Living Water Catholic Church, which is 22 miles south in Seeley Lake, MT. She donates her time to assist with education, the environment, the arts, feeding those in need and documenting important local history.

Bertha Croghan

Bertha Croghan has been a long time resident of Missoula and volunteer at the YWCA. Since 1994, Bertha has advocated for women, men and children who are seeking to escape, or have escaped, violent relationships and sexual assault. She consistently works on the 24-hour crisis line at the emergency shelter and responds to sexual assault survivors.

The work Bertha does can be extremely hard work, but she has persisted in her activities within the movement to end violence with compassion and dedication. Bertha has been a volunteer since 1994, making her the longest-running volunteer at the YWCA. In addition to her work on the hotline, she also pitches in to make curtains for the shelter, white ribbons for Relationship Violence Awareness Month, and many other projects that the YWCA participates in.

In addition to Bertha’s commitment to the YWCA, she also participates in the Silent Witness Project. This organization’s mission is “to promote peace, healing, and responsibility in adult relationships in order to eliminate domestic violence murders in the United States by 2010.” On a local level, Bertha represents the efforts of the Silent Witness Project as a member of the Missoula Family Violence Council. As a member of the Missoula Family Violence council, Bertha contributes to the work to prevent violence in the community by volunteering her time to plan events and participate in subcommittees.

Bertha also has an active life in Missoula. She has raised her children in Missoula, and she exercises her body and spirit by participating in Tai Chi, bowling and clogging. She is a joy to be around and truly exemplifies the important contributions seniors make in the Missoula Area.

Pat Ault

Lowell Elementary School is pleased to call Pat Ault one of their own. She is a dedicated foster grandparent who makes a difference in Lisa Thomas’s classroom and the entire school each day she serves. Pat brings enthusiasm, compassion and order to the kindergarten children. The faculty, staff and children can count on Pat; she comes every Monday through Thursday.

Pat has been a foster grandparent for the past several years, and the school gives her rave reviews. She is prompt and always comes on her assigned days. Pat makes Lisa Thomas and her kindergarten class a priority in her life. She works closely with Lisa to provide the children with a quality education on a daily basis. Lisa has come to depend on and trust Pat, and she knows she can count on her to do an excellent job.

Pat is much more than a foster grandparent. She works with the children on a one-on-one basis and in small groups. Pat reinforces what Miss Thomas is teaching and helps the children to follow through on her classroom expectations. She set up the centers and other activities for Miss Thomas during the day. Pat also prepares snacks Monday through Thursday and even for Friday, when she is not at school.

Pat is an extra set of eyes and ears in the classroom. Her tasks include but are not limited to drying tears, tying shoes, monitoring the hallways and bathrooms and giving out hugs. She loves the children as her own, and they love her also. Pat is sympathetic to both their needs and the needs of Miss Thomas. Pat takes the children under her wing when they need it, and they blossom as a result of her nurturing and attentive ways.

Pat is a respected and admired member of the Lowell Elementary staff and community. Though she is assigned to Lisa Thomas’s classroom, she will help others if she sees they are in need. Lowell would be lost without her!

Carol Dickerson

How do you “own” a trail as a volunteer? Ask Carol Dickerson and she can tell you. It’s hiking through the woods, clearing fallen limbs and debris and then coming back a few weeks later to do it all over again. In 2006, Carol maintained two miles of Tyler Arboretum’s trails that meander through 650 acres of uncultivated natural areas—a system so extensive that volunteer help is critical. That level of dedication is typical of Carol, who is a four-season volunteer at Tyler—volunteering at the summertime Butterfly House and at the wintertime Maple Sugaring Celebration.

Doing more community work has always been in the back of Carol’s mind. But the idea turned into action when her company, AstraZeneca, became one of the sponsoring companies for Business On Call, a program of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. Carol is true to her commitment and in just the past three years, Carol has contributed 281 volunteer hours to Tyler and 18 other cultural organizations across the region. The organizations are equally pleased, especially with her wonderful sense of humor and her quick, efficient manner.

Words of praise come from the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, where she has served as gallery host at annual fundraisers, helped with mailings at a moment’s notice, and worked at a number of other events; and from the Hagley Museum and Library, where she has coordinated ticket takers at the Fireworks, greeted visitors at the Car Show and assisted at most of the other special events; as well as from the Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware County Symphony, Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia Classical Symphony and many, many more.

Carol has taken the Arts & Business Council’s Business On Call program and the arts in our region by storm. Because of the time and talent Carol contributes, the arts are flourishing and our communities are better.

Kit Racette

Kit Racette, an RSVP volunteer since 1997, has become a dynamic and vital part of our volunteer family. When asked to visit a frail elderly woman from Conshohocken, Kit responded to the request and went above and beyond the call of duty as an Eldercare Volunteer.

She drove her client to doctors’ appointments, helped her organize her house and paperwork, advocated for her to receive available benefits and even assisted with a family crisis. It was Kit who made funeral arrangements when this client passed away. Kit’s energy, compassion and patience were endless.

Kit didn’t stop her commitment to seniors with the Eldercare Program –trained to be a volunteer Ombudsman for Montgomery County Office on Aging and Adult Services; she visited nursing homes to ensure that residents’ concerns were addressed.

In addition, Kit has put her organizational and computer skills to work in our offices. She has spent countless hours preparing the Central Area Newsletters and even our recognition luncheon program booklet.

Kit is presently a major member of our Special Events Committee. She is organizing and implementing trips, dances, fashion shows, and other fundraising events.

As a vital member of the Central Area Action Committee, Kit showed her leadership qualities once again. This committee was organized to assist RSVP’s Central Area Field Coordinator recruit volunteers, 55 and older, and provide opportunities for them to pursue their interest and use their abilities to help meet critical human needs of Montgomery County.

One of her endeavors has been a unique opportunity through our Literacy program. Kit goes the Norristown Public Library to teach Spanish to the librarians in order to help them better serve their primarily Hispanic community.

She is leading monthly “Reminiscence” sessions at assisted living and nursing homes and has joined the Response program, which supports emergency preparedness in our local communities. She is part of the VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), which is a collaborative effort with the Red Cross.

Her sterling dedication and commitment have enabled us to be fortunate enough to have Kit as a current member of our Board of Directors.

Aside from her volunteer activities, Kit runs two businesses from her home. She and her husband, Paul, have two children and one grandchild.

Kit’s passion is “helping people live their lives as fully as they can” and she has demonstrated her commitment to that passion over and over again. The staff at RSVP all agree, “Kit is a pleasure to work with and you know that if she takes on a job, it will be done and done well!” It is for these reasons that she deserves to be recognized.

Currently mentoring two girls through our Protégé program, Kit spends quality time helping the girls with their parenting skills and serves as a great role model. One of the goals of the program is to help the girls stay in school. In fact one of the girls is headed for college.

Kit has also been involved in our emergency preparedness program, RESPONSE, since it was created in 2001. The mission of this program is to help community members be more prepared for any emergency that may arise. She has undergone training, makes presentations and runs mock drills.

Joe Banner, Phil Behr & City Year Greater Philadelphia

Joe Banner, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Eagles since 2001, serves on several boards and was a dynamic force behind the Eagles Tackling Breast Cancer Campaign that raised nearly $750,000 over the last three years.

Phil Behr, Managing Partner at Navigator Equity Partners, serves on the advisory board of Cradles to Crayons which supplies clothing, shoes, books, school supplies, or toys to low-income families.

In 1997, Banner and Behr joined together to lead the successful effort to establish City Year Greater Philadelphia (CYGP), the local branch of the premier national service organization that recruits young adults between ages 17 and 24 to commit one year to full-time community service. As President Clinton has publicly stated on numerous occasions, City Year was the stimulus for the creation and development of AmeriCorps, which has already created more than 250,000 national service volunteers. City Year Greater Philadelphia not only provides much-needed help to the Philadelphia School District by tutoring and mentoring students, but it also promotes leadership development and civic engagement in its volunteers—the young adults who will come to shape the worlds of business, medicine, politics, and academia. Banner and Behr joined forces to ask members of City Council and then-Mayor Ed Rendell to support the effort. They organized a benefit dinner that raised more than $20,000 in seed money, and secured a $100,000 planning grant from Safeguard Scientifics that essentially sealed the deal, making Philadelphia the ninth National City Year site.

Under Banner and Behr’s direction, City Year Greater Philadelphia has grown substantially. There are now 17 corporate sponsors in Philadelphia, including Comcast Corporation, which is also a National Corporate Leadership Sponsor. CYGP is the largest National City Year site with 200 corps members engaged in service each year. In just the last two years, more than 42,500 children in the School District of Philadelphia have been impacted by programs organized by corps members. Since 1997, CYGP members have performed more than 2 million hours of community service, with approximately 275,000 hours during the 2006-07 program year.

City Year Greater Philadelphia is celebrating its 10th anniversary at the same time as the Presidents’ Summit is celebrating its 10th anniversary and while the National Conference on Volunteering and Service is in Philadelphia.

Ruth El

Ruth El has been a fun, enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer since joining Greater Philadelphia Cares in 1999. Since then, she has volunteered over 500 hours of her time, starting with projects such as Hands on Camp, in which she served as a volunteer every day for a whole month!

Since then, Ruth has been a project leader at Maplewood Manor Nursing Home. In January 2004, Ruth decided to take on the challenge of leading this new project and decided to make it her own by providing direction and consistency. Since that time, she has been a dedicated leader who brightens the seniors’ days and makes them smile; they look forward to seeing Ruth and the volunteers that accompany her. Energy and enthusiasm exude from Ruth and the seniors love “Casino Night” at Maplewood Manor. No matter rain or shine, they can always count on her being there.

Ruth also serves as project leader for the Kearsley Retirement Community Center where she brings joy to the seniors while leading them in exciting games of Bingo, and she lovingly leads Play Night at Northern Home for Children. In addition, she has served as a Site Captain for Philadelphia Cares Day since 2003.

Ruth is such a wonderful leader that volunteers sign up, specifically, to be part of her projects. In addition, Ruth El is a graduate of the Greater Philadelphia Cares Social Change Leaders class of 2006; she was a member of a team which created a mentoring program for women. Ruth’s enthusiasm, commitment, and hard work make her the archetype of a perfect volunteer. She is a tireless giver and, truly, one of a kind!