SCI Dorchester Youth Council

The SCI Dorchester Youth Council (DYC) is a dynamic group of 14 teenagers that are committed to improving their community through community service learning projects, youth philanthropy, and peer education of community service learning. The program is voluntary, with no monetary compensation for participation. To date, the SCI Dorchester Youth Council has earned over 1,000 combined community service-learning hours since October 2005. This group of youths exemplifies the meaning of service through their dedication to their projects and their sheer will to change the stereotype of youth in the Dorchester, MA community.

Through a community needs assessment, DYC identified youth violence, peer pressure, sexual education, and bridging communities with diverse individuals. They chose to address these issues in a number of innovative and divers ways, such as youth philanthropy and community service learning. The youth council kicked off the service year with the second annual Trick-or-Treat Canned food Drive to benefit local food pantries; a project that collected over 300 cans to support local food pantries that suffered in donations after Hurricane Katrina. It was through this first introduction into community service learning work that DYC began to understand the crucial role in which service is essential to their community.

Their roles as youth representatives were solidified as planning aides for mayor Menino’s Dorchester Avenue Youth Summit. DYC members met every week with community leaders and the Boston Redevelopment Authority to plan an event that would gauge youth interest in how youth would like to see improvements along Dorchester Avenue, a main road in the city’s largest neighborhood. DYC youth also facilitated youth discussions around these topics at this event. Two DYC members were also nominated and selected by Mayor Menino to serve on the Dorchester Avenue Task Force, the first time in city history that youth have been appointed to a city task force.

In youth-led meetings, DYC also organizes and plans two major service-learning projects: Safe Love and the Mini-Grant. These two projects represent a bigger picture of service for the DYC members. In December, DYC wrote and distributed a grant application for Dorchester youth and Dorchester youth programs that complete community service learning projects. DYC receives $10,000 from the Massachusetts Service Alliance for this project, as well as an additional $10,000 from Sovereign Bank to supplement the funding as well as to provide support for mini-grant events. In December, DYC members hosted a community meeting to release the grant application, which was due in January. After receiving 28 grant applications, DYC facilitated interviews with applicants, as well as a 5-hour deliberation session in which members advocated for projects that they felt addressed an urgent community need.

DYC settled on 8 projects to fund, which were announced at Safe Love, DYC’s annual Valentine-themed party that promotes healthy relationships and positive alternatives for Dorchester youth in a safe and fun environment. The event was a great success, with over 200 Dorchester youth in attendance and 12 resource organizations.

It is through their commitment to bettering the community through addressing community needs that the SCI Dorchester Youth Council is an absolutely example of points of light in Dorchester.

Susan Jacobs

Susan Jacobs is the Founder/Executive Director of a grassroots nonprofit, Wheels of Success (WOS). WOS provides transportation to keep working families working. WOS works to help low to middle income working families, typically those either ineligible for or not desiring to take government assistance due to the negative stigma.

Susan previously ran a staffing agency that specialized in the hospitality industry and low-level clerical positions. She placed employees referred to her by the Salvation Army, local Women’s shelters, and other community agencies. This experience gave her a true understanding of the working poor and their needs. She discovered that you could give a person the right clothes and the right resume, but if they had no transportation, they wouldn’t be able to obtain or even keep the right job. These people were the ones that were falling through society’s cracks and tumbling into a life of despair, living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet.

During this time, Susan found herself in an abusive relationship with few options on how to move forward. She decided to walk out of the relationship with no car, no job, and no place to live. She slowly built herself back up with the help of her family, and it validated the gap in the community for a unique program that could help working families keep or obtain their employment that they might otherwise lose due to transportation issues. In 2003 she successfully created Wheels of Success.

Susan serves on the Board of Altrusa International, and is spearheading a project called Cases for Kids, which collects suitcases and totes for foster children as they relocate through the foster care system. She has served on the Board of Directors for Dress for Success, and organized their first major luncheon in the Tampa area. She is actively involved in e-Women Network, a Professional Women’s Networking Group and holds several other business memberships.

Hillary DeLone

In the spring of 2004, Hillary DeLone, a 34 year old mother, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. By July 2004, Hillary’s treatments were almost complete and she was overwhelmed with gratitude and relief that her prognosis was positive. While Hillary and her family were celebrating her good news, she could not help but think of the families who were not as fortunate has her family—the families in which mothers of children had died. Hillary was determined to find a way to support these families.

In August 2004, Hillary contacted Mommy’s Light Lives On Fund, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support maternally grieving children and teens, and said she wanted to volunteer. While any amount of time that Hillary would have offered to Mommy’s Light would have been appreciated, Hillary wanted to do something that would have a significant impact on the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission.

She offered to organize and chair a 5K race to raise much needed funding for Mommy’s Light’s direct services and bereavement education materials. When asked whether she had ever done anything like this before, Hillary responded no, but didn’t see why that should stop her and she invited several women to form a race committee and they planned an April 2005 race. By race day, Hillary had raised more than $20,000 in sponsorships an amazing feat for a first race, for a very local race.

The 1st Annual Mommy’s Light 5 K Race and 1 Mile Fun Walk founded by Hillary DeLone took place on a very rainy Saturday morning in April. There were more than 230 participants and more than $23,000 was raised for Mommy’s Light. The feedback from all involved was overwhelmingly positive. Hillary volunteered to chair the race again in April 2006 and decided that she didn’t want to limit her contributions to her success with the 5K run.

Mommy’s Light decided to produce a DVD to educate surviving fathers and family members as to the needs of grieving children. Because of lack of funding, Mommy’s Light put the DVD on hold. Realizing the worth of the project, Hillary recruited a donor for this $40,000 undertaking, and as a result, the DVD was completed. The 2nd Annual Mommy’s Light 5K Race and 1 Mile Walk yielded over 700 participants, 75 volunteers and more than $30,000 in sponsorships. What really made this event extraordinary was Hillary’s ability to involve 3 local elementary school children whose mothers had died. These children, their families and classmates wore special race t-shirts with memory patches in honor of their mothers.

Hillary is already making notes for how to improve on next year’s race. She is reaching out to potential donors to fund Mommy’s Lights geographic expansion so that we can reach out to the 626,000 maternally bereaved children nationally.

Kristi Kelly

From the nominator:

“Kristi Kelly created Lilies of the Valley as a support group in 2004, but it has grown to represent opportunity, hope and inspiration to those affected by ovarian cancer. As a gynecologic oncologist, I (her husband) treat reproductive diseases every day. Kristi has become educated about ovarian cancer through my involvement with it. She has seen some of the strongest women in the world through my patients: they are determined, faithful and resolute in beating their disease. She has also seen the fear and loneliness created by a rare and stealthy illness, and the physical struggles of fighting it.

Kristi’s interest in Lilies of the Valley is not a just personal crusade for a cause; it is based on real-life interaction with victims of a disease that leaves her shocked at its cruelty. When Kristi first moved to North Alabama, she was dismayed to find that there was no opportunity for her to volunteer at the local ovarian cancer support group, for there was no group available in this region. Dedicated and persistent, Kristi decided to start one. She educated herself about the disease, reading my journal articles and attending conferences held by reputable national organizations such as the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. In 2004, in recognition of Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, she launched a local media campaign to solicit members for an ovarian cancer support group. Under her direction, they launched the traditional support group. The survivors, however, needed more than just support. They wanted to reach out and make others aware of ovarian cancer. They wanted opportunities for advocacy.

In 2005, Kristi took steps to make the group official, filing for incorporation, turning it into a nonprofit organization, establishing a Board of Directors and a separate Medical Advisory Board. Kristi does not lead the group from a distance. She leads the caregivers group, facilitates the book discussion group, counsels the outreach and advocacy efforts, and she is the president of the Board of Directors. She rarely misses a function and she takes a personal interest in the lives of the survivors themselves, learning about their children and grandchildren, sending them personal well-wishes, and loving them like her own family.

The group itself is dynamic, positive, inspiring, uplifting. But even more impressive is my wife’s dedication and determination to turn her small act of goodwill into a much bigger stronghold in our community. She has no medical background, but she has turned her skill set into an incredible resource for the medical community and she has given her heart to a group of women who are in great need of support. Even more amazing is that she founded the group while our first child was only a few months old, and she’s continued to preside over it through the birth of our second baby. She is involved in other areas of our community as well, participating in our church, a community Bible study, the county medical alliance and serving on a local medical center’s advisory council.”Kristi Kelly created Lilies of the Valley as a support group in 2004, but it has grown into so much more: an offer of opportunity, hope, and inspiration to those affected by ovarian cancer. As a gynecologic oncologist, I (her husband) treat reproductive diseases every day. Kristi has become educated about ovarian cancer through my involvement with it. She has seen some of the strongest women in the world through my patients: they are determined, faithful, and resolute in beating their disease. She has also seen the fear and loneliness created by a rare and stealthy illness, and the physical struggles of fighting it.

Jode Eye

Jode Eye co-founded Clothes to Kids (CTK) because saw firsthand the tremendous need of many families in her community. A large percent of the students at the elementary school where she taught were economically disadvantaged.

Jode witnessed the embarrassment and disappointment in many of her students who felt that, because of their ill-fitting, unstylish clothing, they didn’t fit in with their classmates. Jode was certain that if these needy children had the proper clothing to wear to school, their self-esteem would improve. And increased self-esteem might lead to a higher level of school performance, which would carry over into their lives outside of school and into the future.

In the summer of 2002, meeting with an old high school friend, the idea of Clothes to Kids began to take shape. Jodie and her co-founder began the work of building and organization. She volunteered for seven months at another county nonprofit with a similar mission, and a vision for the store was solidified.

CTK clients would be treated with respect and dignity; they would be assisted by volunteers; their clothing would be folded and bagged; and they would be thanked for visiting the store. Any school age child in Pinellas County, Florida who qualified for free or reduced lunch could to come to the store and shop for five outfits absolutely free.

By the time the doors opened in June 2003, it had the look and feel of a clothing boutique. In 2003, the first year of operation, a budget of $75,000 was set and 1,885 children were served in 6 months. The 2006 budget is $250,000 with a goal to serve 6,700 children.

Cathy Binstock

In 1996, Cathy Binstock’s daughter, who was born with cerebral palsy, wanted to take ballet, just like many other little girls. Dance studios, concerned that they could not accommodate her, turned her down. Vowing that no child should be denied the opportunity to participate in the arts, Cathy contacted instructors and friends, and the River Performing and Visual Arts Center was born.

The River, a barrier-free, nonprofit, year-round arts enrichment program has served over 6,000 children between the ages of two and nineteen. Accepted are children with special needs, the homeless, siblings and community friends. The River provides classes in art, dance, music, drama and photography taught by artists in the Houston community. The River has a nurse on staff year-round, which helps provide respite for families. During the summer months, The River has an arts enrichment camp daily from 9:00-3:00.

During the school year, the River provides outreach arts enrichment classes that are held in special education programs in area schools and underserved social agencies. Volunteers receive community service that provides one-on-one assistance that requires individual support. The River students conclude each semester with a recital that’s open to the Houston community.

This year, the River students’ art work is featured at the Children’s Museum Houston as the local component of the Boston Children’s Museum Disability access Ability traveling exhibit. Cathy started this organization with a fundraiser in her home with friends and raised $20,000. This year is the River’s tenth anniversary. The River has been supported generously through grants from the Cultural Arts Foundation, The Brown Foundation, The Houston Endowment, and many others.

Lori Sarner

Just take Cook Street north until the pavement ends in Palm Desert, CA. Continue another half mile and you enter an atmosphere so powerful that one visit can change your life. There in the riding ring is Lori Sarner age 72, hearing impaired, the volunteer president and head equine therapist of Pegasus, who praises, lifts, leads and literally rescues some of the most severely disabled children and adults from a life of handicapped anonymity.

Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped is a place where children and adults of all ages and all types of handicaps can come for medically approved equine therapy. Pegasus serves a multitude of handicapped organization as well as independent living riders. Classes are tailored to the individual disability.

In 1986, Lori Sarner began to volunteer at this fledging organization which had two horses, three handicapped riders and was on the brink of financial ruin. Twenty years and 10,000 volunteer hours later, Lori Sarner has built Pegasus into an organization where over 4,600 certified handicapped persons have received full body range of motion exercise on horseback called equine therapy. Most of the handicapped children come from working poor and indigent circumstances. Pegasus is the only exercise this group receives.

The walking motion of the horse’s body against human legs massages all muscles used in the human walk and is an inspiring and exciting experience for those whose life is spent in a wheelchair. Each rider is gently eased into a program of therapy geared to the needs of physically impaired people to help them develop usable muscles and joints. Immobility causes good muscles to atrophy which leads to further problems for a handicapped person. At Pegasus we try to strengthen muscles and joints by these exercises. All Pegasus volunteers working with riders receive special training for this work and must have the patience and sensitivity to do it.

In addition to Pegasus, Lori Sarner has also found time to volunteer at Act for MS, The Buddy Rogers Youth Symphony, The Angel View Homes for Crippled Children, The Foundation for the Retarded, The Institute of Critical Care Medicine, Desert Samaritans for the Elderly, The Desert Museum, The Assistance League and The American Cancer Society.

Sherry Abraham

Sherry Abraham is a co-founder and president of Women First. Begun as a mutual support group for women diagnosed with breast cancer, Women First has expanded to address a wide variety of women’s’ health issues.

Sherry has been and continues to be the heart, head and hands of this all-volunteer organization, along with Judy Hester. Her common sense, get-it-done approach means she devotes 20 to 30 hours every week to priority projects. Her spirit and extraordinary accomplishments are best captured in her own modest words. “Five of us with breast cancer sat around a picnic table and decided we would meet to give support to each other. Pretty soon we were passing the hat to buy food for someone who needed more than we did.

After burning up two computers doing flyers and research, we sat down and wrote a simple set of bylaws so we could become a nonprofit. We decided if we were really going to help women, we needed a permanent place, so we wrote and received a $20,000 grant from the E.R. Carpenter Foundation. We now utilize a 10-room house and we’re using every foot of it! We survive on grants, donations and prayers. All our programs and services are free and everyone is equally welcome.” Sherry and co-founder Judy Hester have expanded their support groups, educational programs and food assistance services throughout the state of Mississippi. Sherry is active with the National Breast Cancer Coalition and speaks frequently on cancer awareness and related issues. She has advocated with members of Congress and in a variety of state and local media outlets.

Victoria Steuart

Vickie co-founded Joseph’s Journey with her husband after their 14 year old son died from leukemia. After seeing firsthand what families go through they decided to keep Joseph’s memory alive and help other children and their families who have to go through such a devastating ordeal.

Joseph’s Journey is dedicated to providing outdoor experiences to children less than 21 years of age with terminal and life-threatening illnesses. Adventures include hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, climbing, and more. As a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, everything is made possible through donations and the efforts of dedicated volunteers.

Children need a break from all the medical treatments and need to have a little fun and memories in their lives for the ones who don’t survive. Joseph died Jan 5, 2000 and the organization became incorporated in April 2000 and received 501(c) (3) status Aug. 2000.

Vickie was and is very instrumental in all of the startup and the day to day running of the organization. Joseph loved the outdoors and was always concerned about the other children in the hospital. The family has done all the work of starting Joseph’s Journey without the help of paid professionals. Everyone involved with Joseph’s Journey is a non-paid volunteer. Joseph’s Journey is run from their home to help keep costs down and allow over 90% of donations to be used directly for the children’s outdoor experiences.

Jan Norman

Encouraging, empowering, a role model, a team builder, a leader—Jan Norman used all her talents to create Camp Leo Summer Camp for Children with Diabetes. And she does it as a volunteer while holding down a demanding job and raising a family. For the last 17 years, Jan Norman has spent her summer vacation running Camp Leo.

As camp founder/director, she also worked throughout the year to prepare for the next camp—recruiting, raising money, and handling the logistics of this major event. Everyone who works at Camp Leo is a volunteer, including one medical professional for each eight campers.

Imagine what it takes to convince that many highly paid doctors, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists to take time away from a lucrative practice—and from their families—to work at Camp Leo. Recruiting and training the many volunteers needed for camp, soliciting funding, developing programs and pulling the camp together each year takes a huge commitment of time and energy, but Jan has done it well year after year after year.

Now, Jan has stepped down from her role as camp director, turning her duties over to a team of carefully selected and trained volunteers who will carry on the camp she so lovingly nurtured. She continues to be active, however, as Counselor Coordinator and is responsible for recruiting medical staff.

Jan is also active in the Olympia Host Lions Club, Chair of the annual Lions Apple Sale grossing more than $50,000 for Lions activities, and has served as diabetes chair for Lions in western Washington.