MASCO

Adopting the motto, “It’s our business to help kid succeed.” MASCO Contractor Services has reached out to make a difference in the lives of children and youth in Daytona Beach, FL.

MASCO representatives contacted Westside Elementary wanting to do something to help Westside students and their community. They have become very involved with the school’s Toy Drive over the past couple of years. In 2005, the efforts of MASCO employees provided toys, clothes, books, and gift certificates to 22 families that included 77 children. Two employees also spent a day gift-wrapping while parents picked out gifts for their children. Not only do the employees of MASCO volunteer their time and money, but they also work hard to enlist the help of other corporations in the project

The corporation is also very involved with many other community activities, such as Junior Achievement. MASCO employees have led the hands-on experiences that bring the real world to students, opening their minds to their potential.

Westside Elementary nominated MASCO Contractor Services for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards presented by the United Way’s Volunteer Center of Volusia-Flagler Counties, FL, and Bright House Networks. Because of their commitment to helping children and youth, MASCO Contractor Services was chosen as the Winner in the Corporate Group Category.

Charles Otis

Family Renew Community provides transitional housing to working families with children that have encountered difficult times and are in crisis.

Volunteering 90 hours per month, Charles Otis’ skills help these families, particularly the children at Family Renew, to have a clean, safe and cheerful environment in which to live.

A self-starter and a problem solver, when Charles observes a need, he will consult with Family Renew staff and then is off and running to achieve the solution. Working at multiple Family Renew sites, he has re-keyed and master locked doors, installed kitchens, refurbished bathrooms and replaced air conditioners. Charles has built computer desks, storage units and organized sheds. Smoke detectors, ceiling fans and electrical outlets are installed by Charles.

Charles purchased many of the materials used for his work out of his own pocket. Charles is also very involved with the St. Joseph’s carpentry ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach, FL.

Charles Otis was nominated by Family Renew Community for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards presented by the United Way’s Volunteer Center of Volusia-Flagler Counties, FL, and Bright House Networks. Because of his work with Family Renew, Charles was chosen as the recipient of the Super Hero Award.

Carl Schwenker

Dr. Carl Schwenker is a visionary whose vision is contagious. He is a volunteer with a passion for helping vulnerable children in the foster care system who are often overlooked. For the past four years, he has been serving at the Community Based Care of Volusia-Flagler Counties. Dr. Schwenker volunteers 80 to 100 hours each month.

Community Based Care of Volusia-Flagler Counties provides child welfare services in Daytona Beach, FL and the surrounding area. Because of the vision of Dr. Schwenker, many more children are reached and assisted through Community Based Care services. In addition, he is a role model for other professionals who are looking for places to volunteer and give of their time.

Dr. Schwenker has been instrumental in the lives of many abused and neglected children. He has pioneered programs such as Adopt a Foster Home, Holiday Tree of Angels, and clothing drives. Dr. Schwenker has also been the driving force behind the Foster Parent Appreciation Picnic. This event impacted one hundred families and gave them an opportunity to be celebrated and appreciated. They were surprised with pony rides, helicopters, blow-up rides, clowns and food for everyone.

In addition, Dr. Schwenker works with the children as they are aging out of foster care system. This is a critical time for them as they are about to be independent, and some of them may still lack the resources or skills to succeed. Dr. Schwenker works on the community Based Care’s Development Board to provide further guidance and support to children.

Palm Coast United Methodist Women

The quality of a child’s life depends on the people they meet and the education they receive. Because of the work of the Palm Coast United Methodist Women, many of the children in Flagler County, FL are having their lives changed.

When the Palm Coast United Methodist Women with a reading/mentoring idea approached Brunell Elementary, there was no way to know that the effort would now be in its fourth year. The women and the men of this group volunteer approximately 80 hours per month to help children who have difficulty in math and reading. Their one on one special help has given struggling students the opportunity to succeed.

Palm Coast United Women not only volunteer at Brunell Elementary, but also at very school on Flagler County. These educated leaders with servant hearts are having a promising impact on the children of today, the leaders of our time.

Palm Coast United Methodist Women were nominated by Brunell Elementary School for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards presented by the United Way’s Volunteer Center of Volusia-Flagler Counties, FL, and Bright House Networks. Because of their work with the children in Flagler County, FL, the Palm Coast United Methodist Women were chosen as the Runners-up in the Civic Group Category.

Cadette Girl Scout Troop #450

So many adults over the age of 60 in Florida have no family with them during the holidays. For the past four years in Volusia County, FL, some seniors have had a brighter holiday due to the work of Cadette Girl Scout Troop #450.

For the past four years, the Council on Aging of Volusia County has made the holidays brighter for its clients who are 60 years of age and older with the help of the youth in Girl Scout Troop #450. On Make A Difference Day, the girls prepared Christmas ornaments in the shape of angels. Each angel ornament was then labeled with the name of a Council on Aging client and their wish list for Christmas.

The ornaments were then hung in Wal-Mart stores in Port Orange, FL and Ormond Beach, FL and the Volusia County Administrative offices on Angel Trees. Customers and employees were able to choose an ornament and shop for that person.

In 2005, the girls prepared ornaments to represent 600 elderly individuals in Volusia County who for the most part live alone and have no one to spend the holidays with. The Cadette Scouts also helped to deliver the gifts, helping to make the holidays beautiful and bright for elders who sometimes are forgotten and lonely. The group is also very involved with many other volunteer projects in their community.

The Council on Aging of Volusia County nominated Cadette Girl Scout Troop #450 for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Awards as a result of their dedication to the Council on Aging Clients as well as other community members in Ormond Beach.

Gregory Kithcart

Gregory Kithcart is an outstanding example of a volunteer and corporate partner in Hyattsville, MD. He has been the Managing Partner of the Outback Steakhouse since 2001. During that time, Gregory has successfully created a long-term partnership with the city. To support and continue to enhance that partnership, he is host to local events that have demonstrated a meaningful commitment and positive influence to the residents of the city of Hyattsville.

Gregory is an active participant in the annual Hyattsville 8K Rave & Fun Walk. This event benefits the Prince Georges County Special Olympics. Each October, he donates more than 50 hours of professional planning and event management for this event. All participants and volunteers receive a complimentary meal courtesy of Gregory. In 2005, The Outback 8K Race & Fu Walk raised more than $3,000 for the County’s Special Olympics. These monies support the training of local athletes.

In addition, he is an active participant in the City JAMS, which is held at the Hyattsville Municipal Building. On the first Friday evening during the summer months, residents are invited to socialize, enjoy live music, children’s entertainment and purchase substantially reduced meals donated Gregory’s restaurant. These events are so well received by the community that he has become a familiar and trusted presence. Proceeds from these events also benefit the Prince George’s County Special Olympics. Gregory and four members of his staff volunteer their time and service to participate. Gregory’s personal time and service exceeds 50 hours for the months of May through September.

Shop with a Cop is another program that Gregory is involved in. This statewide program provides 20 local children with the funds to purchase holiday gifts. Children are chaperoned by local police and treated to a complimentary luncheon at the Outback of Hyattsville. He also supports an annual Pastor Appreciation Luncheon. This event is reflective of a commitment to support faith-based community programs. Local Pastors share a meal and forge a network, and under Gregory’s direction, local students are invited to tour the restaurant and receive a broad overview of its operations.

Daphana DeKoker

Daphana DeKoker has served faithfully for 16 years at Pregnancy Resource Center. This facility is a resource for women who are expecting a child as well as their babies. Daphana understands this is a time filled with anxiety for some mothers; many are unwed, some have no family to turn to, and others just need someone to listen.

Daphana is a dedicated volunteer to the Center. She always comes on days she is scheduled, and she has a unique way of ministering to the girls. She always lets them know she cares about them, how she can help, and to let them know that God loves them and she is there to help them.

Daphana believes we all should give back to our communities and help others because we have all been helped. She lives what she believes, and it is evident in her tenure at the Pregnancy Resource Center. Daphana also went a step further this year and went to Africa to share with the people there.

Daphana is also very involved in her church and teaches in a care group there. She gives of her time to her group and meets with them regularly. Daphana makes herself available to share and council whenever there is someone in need. One of the people she worked with advised that speaking with Daphana changed her life. She obtained information, had a listening and caring ear, was able to make an informed decision, and then the young lady became a volunteer to share with others.

Julie Murphy

Families and Children Experiencing Separation (F.A.C.E.S.) is a non-profit United Way Agency that its mission is to meet the needs of Morgan Counties abused and neglected children.

Julie Murphy has been an active member for six years and is currently serving as president. She has been involved with many other charitable organizations and when she came on board with F.A.C.E.S., she knew this was where her heart and time belonged.

She is also a dedicated wife and mother of two boys as well as owner of Regal Employment where she works full time. Julie has involved her employees in reaching out to help in the community. They have a sibling group of four foster children as their special friends. They provide special things for all holidays and birthdays to let these children know that someone cares for them. She helped her employees to sponsor a large family at Christmas. Upon delivering the gifts, they saw the many other needs in the home. Julie immediately purchased heaters, blankets and many other items for the family. In the summer while doing a follow-up visit, they found there was no air conditioning in their home. A cooling system was purchased and the wiring updated to make it safe for the family.

Julie has had three foster children as special friends for many years. If any of these children are adopted or able to return home, she takes another child. These children feel really special because of her.

In December F.A.C.E.S. has a big fundraiser, a Christmas Open house and Silent Auction. No matter what the need she will see that it is taken care of, from collecting silent auction items, getting corporate sponsors, decorating, creating invitations to getting lunch for the troops.

Julie does so much for F.A.C.E.S. to benefit the children. At Regal, she is the person between the employees and the companies with which they work. She has assisted an employee that needed transportation to the hospital for chemo treatment. She not only took him when needed but she also made sure that his family’s financial needs were met.

Samuel Shams

As a high school student, Samuel Sham’s quiet, dedicated leadership has given hope and enabled children and youth to make a difference in their community.

Through two years of intense volunteerism with over 200 hours of service, Samuel started a program to instill pride, dignity and respect in children in a public housing area in Bunnell, FL. Through Samuel’s leadership the children learned how to brainstorm on the challenges they identified in their community. Samuel worked closely with the children to empower them to create solutions and implement action plans for solution.

Gardens were planted, with produce distributed to the elderly in the housing project. To help with trash problems, trash receptacles were designed and constructed by the children with Samuel’s help, and placed throughout the housing area.

Samuel has encouraged his peers to volunteer also, organizing high school students into Project HOPE, Helping Others Provide Encouragement, and Mission History, partnering various groups in the community to restore and preserve an African American cemetery. Samuel’s efforts in this venture created an avenue to promote cross-racial communication and inspiration.

Samuel Shams was nominated by Flagler Palm Coast High School for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards presented by the United Way’s Volunteer Center of Volusia-Flagler Counties, FL, and Bright House Networks. Because of his efforts to empower children, Samuel was chosen as the Winner in the Individual Youth Category.

Samuel Bacon

Samuel Bacon asked his mother if he could volunteer with Special Olympics after watching a television special on the organization. He had recently moved across country and missed his best friend, a young man with Autism. Special Olympics reminded him of his friend and he wanted to help.

He started volunteering at local events. On his first day, Sam and his mother were entrusted with the awards tent. Sam found himself announcing athletes’ names over a loudspeaker while his mother hung medals around their necks. Later that spring, he helped out at the Summer Games where he worked in staging and leading athletes from events to the awards tent. At the age of 11, he was a tour guide, cheerleader and host to individuals his age and older.

Special Olympics introduced him to a local ARC. Sam started volunteering annually as a Unified Player on their basketball team. He encouraged one of the youngest athletes, who only had the use of one arm, to shoot at a hoop made of his encircled arms. The eight year old girl loved basketball. She also loved hitting Sam in the nose with the ball. He shadowed a teenager with Autism who needed gentle persuasion to run up and down the court. He gently assisted the most disabled, yet he also encouraged the most talented athletes, helping them to shoot better, pass and runs plays.

Today, Sam is 17 years old and coaches his own basketball team. “The Heated Lions” are a group of 10 teenagers who train weekly to compete at the winter games in Worcester, MA.

During the winter games two years ago, Sam supported the young woman with Autism. Although they worked hard, the team slowly fell behind. The coach realized the young woman was the only person on the team who had not scored, so everyone focused on putting the ball in her hands. Finally, after many attempts, she held the ball. She looked at the basket. The game—a hard fought, exciting one—stopped abruptly. Nobody on either team moved. The audience held their collective breath. She took a shot: she succeeded. Although Sam’s team lost that day, every player won, thanks to the sportsmanship and grace of all the athletes on the court.

Through his years of volunteering, he has not only contributed to making past and current sporting events successful, he has set up a program that will continue to serve the community for years to come. There will always be kids who need a sports team for socializing and physical fitness. Sam’s team will continue to play, long after he graduates and goes away to college.