Rhonda Allen

More than 20% of Arkansas’ citizens are functionally illiterate and Rhonda Allen is determined to improve the overall state of literacy in Arkansas, one student at a time. Inspired by her 93-year old great grandmother, who taught herself to read without substantial formal education, Rhonda shares her optimism for literacy with children. She provides a supplemental literacy curriculum for 1st grade students that include a “Reading Challenge” which consists of “One Hour of Power” family reading time at least 4 nights per week. During the second phase of the program, Rhonda collects the students’ “One Hour of Power” worksheets and distributes free books to every student. To date, Rhonda has collected more than 400 books for elementary students in her community. The “Ready…Set…Read!” Program culminates with a session of peer reading and awards ceremony.

The far reaching impact of Rhonda’s commitment to literacy is evident in her involvement with Arkansas Literacy Councils. Since 2005, Rhonda has worked on a team to raise more than $100,000 so that 51 literacy councils across the state of Arkansas can continue to provide free literacy training, English as a Second Language Instruction, and course materials for thousands of students every year. Rhonda has also served as the Children’s Committee Chairman for the Arkansas Literacy festival. In this capacity, Rhonda recruited authors, coordinated a “Lunch and Learn” workshop for literacy professionals, managed a team of volunteers, and assisted with a children’s literacy breakfast at the Clinton Presidential library.

Rhonda has partnered with the Clinton Foundation and the Central Arkansas Library System to coordinate an International Literacy Day Celebration. To celebrate the United Nations’ International Literacy Day, Rhonda organized a celebration of children’s programming, and a press conference attended by literacy professionals, politicians, advocates, and media guests.

In 2006, Rhonda shared her passion for literacy and education with underprivileged children in Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Burma, India, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, and Spain on a 100 day journey around the world. Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Chennai India, the Su Htoo Pan School for the Handicapped in Vietnam, and the Dalit Delta Center in Kancheepuram, are just a few of the grassroots service organizations to which Rhonda donated books, monies, school supplies and time.

Upon her return to the United States, Rhonda founded the “Read around the World!” international pen pal program. In her signature web-enhanced curriculum, third and fourth grade students learn about geography, world cultures, letter writing, and congressional advocacy by engaging in classroom-to-classroom pen-pal program with students in Uganda. Rhonda Allen’s service to literacy is the epitome of a shining light to her hometown, state, and in developing countries around the world.

Wendy Glick

Wendy Martin-Glick serves as the chair of the Aetna Volunteer Council in Fort Wayne, IN. She has been leading members of her office to support charitable organizations including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Fort Wayne and The Franciscan Center.

Wendy is an invaluable resource, advocate, and volunteer for the American Cancer Society (ACS) helping to raise over $150,000 in the last five years. Wendy has also volunteered over 2,000 hours in the last five years to help the society defeat cancer. Through her association with ACS, Wendy motivates her co-workers to get involved helping to make the ACS events very successful.

What drives Wendy to make a difference? In part, she draws on her own experience caring for her parents when they both battled cancer. Wendy helps cancer patients everywhere by dedicating herself fully to this cause. Wendy has led the Aetna Volunteer Council (AVC) to success in so many different ways. She serves as a committee member for the Northeast Allen County Relay for Life, helping that event raise more than $35,000. Wendy has sown her commitment not only as a leader, but also by encouraging others to take leadership roles. As a result, by stepping back, she has given people the chance to experience what volunteering has to offer.

Wendy invests an extraordinary amount of time and energy into various service projects and activities sponsored by the Volunteer Council at Aetna. She has assisted by organizing teams, recruiting sponsors, serving on the committee, organizing events, and inspiring others to fight against cancer. No wonder her fellow volunteer describe Wendy as "the first to arrive, and the last to leave." Last year, she provided additional help to the ACS by selling over $1,000 worth of daffodils. Wendy also organized a team for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and helped with Project Linus, which directly benefits cancer patients everywhere.

She has organized multiple volunteer days at her office, facilitated multiple meetings for the Aetna Volunteer Council monthly meetings, helped run the Toys for Tots and Angel Tree drives the last three years (helping to collect and purchase over $6,000 worth of toys and clothing for the Salvation Army within the three years).

In short, Wendy finds a way to give of herself in many areas of her life and her devotion to volunteerism is an inspiration to all, in this light, she has nominated for and received runner-up status in the 2006 Aetna Voice of Conscience Award.

Jeanette Chase

In 1999, Jeanette was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare, acquired, sensory-motor nerve disorder that is considered to be the chronic variety of the Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). She was losing strength and confined to a wheelchair. She now walks with a cane, thanks to years of treatments with immunoglobulin, a drug made from blood products.

Jeanette was determined to “give back” for the donations of blood and joined the Carter BloodCare Donor council at Lockheed-Martin, her place of work. Jeanette has worked at this council for 3 years. In 2005, Jeanette joined the donor council for the Carter BloodCare center in Keller and is now serving as the Chairperson for this council. Jeanette works with both councils to help increase awareness of the great need for blood. She has worked with a multi-council group to design and build Carter BloodCare floats for Christmas parades for the last 4 years.

Jeanette organized car shows to bring people to blood drives in Keller in 2005 & 2006. Not only did the Keller blood center draw record numbers of donors, over $10,000 was raised for Leukemia & Lymphoma research. Jeanette continues to look for new ways to draw people to the blood center by working with local businesses and other service organizations.

In 2004, Carter BloodCare partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help raise funds for research to find a cure for blood related diseases. Jeanette volunteered to form and lead Lockheed-Martin teams for the Light the Night walk in 2004 and 2005. Lockheed’s combined total in 2004 was $10,000. Jeanette could not take the walk, but stayed behind and cheered her team on. The 2005 total raised was over $25,000 and Jeanette proudly participated in the walk on her scooter. Jeanette continues to raise funds through the Keller council today.

Tania Wagner

Tania Wagner is a parent volunteer and Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) president at Ben Hill School in Tampa. In addition to a full-time nursing job, Tania comes to the school at least three days a week after working the night shift to meet the school’s needs. She has volunteered for each and every school event, chairing numerous projects that have either enabled a new program to be started or provided the means for successful programs to continue. Her enthusiasm, energy and positive attitude have been instrumental in the school doubling its total volunteer hours and continuing their great parent involvement programs.

Tania is a volunteer available to everyone. She is unique in that she truly cares about the safety and education of all Ben Hill students and does not just focus on her child’s grade or class. She instituted two very special and educational programs at Ben Hill this year. Single handedly, Tania organized a fantastic liaison program for the school, parents and community to bond. Her “What’s up at Hill?” night included a variety of interactive activities for all. Parents and students gained academic knowledge from various exhibits and workshops. They were able to meet the key players at our school magnet school and choice speakers. Tania also started red ribbon week at Hill since promoting school safety is one of her special goals. She provided ribbons, bracelets, stickers, ice cream, and other fun incentives to encourage students to continue to stay safe and drug free.

Tania leads by example. She never asks anything of anyone that she will not do herself. Yet, she is great at managing different personalities among the 1,057 PTA members because of dynamic leadership. She has a calm and positive presence and a “can-do” attitude.

Tania created new programs at Ben hill and continued to put in hundreds of hours continuing our programs from the past. Her greatest strength is that she can produce a large amount of work from her thirty board members with her smiling, positive and hardworking manner. The school is much better because she has helped to continue the PTSA’s good works but also updated many programs and added new ones. The faculty appreciates that Tania encourages them to try new academic endeavors by offering PTSA grants and helping teachers to find the resources and volunteers they may need to be successful.

Tania Wagner has dedicated so much of her time even though she is a full-time nurse and mother of three, that it is an inspiration to all. She embodies the idea that all parents can find the time to help our schools be the greatest.

Ronaldo Briones

Ronaldo Briones has participated in the Homeless Stand Downs held in 2006 and 2007 for the city of Norfolk. There was a stand down in August of this year and again Mr. Briones was front and center delivering job services to the veterans. At the most recent stand down, held last winter, more than 40 veterans were registered for job service. All received a meal and support services were provided from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Disability Rehabilitation. Many other agencies were in attendance to meet the needs of the homeless.

Mr. Briones received the Governor’s Award for outstanding customer service and volunteerism for assisting the homeless from Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine. He was awarded during a ceremony held at the Department of Motor Vehicles on May 17, 2007.

He participated in the food drive for the Norfolk office for the USO in December of 2007. He participated in the food drive for the VETHOUSE to provide a holiday meal for the Vets of Thanksgiving of 2007. In previous years, he has been a member of the Veteran team helping to organize food drives and blanket drives for the local shelters.

Citi

Volunteers are utilized throughout the country at VA facilities in our Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) programs to supplement staffing and enhance the care provided to America’s heroes. Their traditional volunteer sources, the veterans’ service organizations, are aging and it is important for VAVS programs to reach out to the community for volunteers.

Citi has been a very gracious benefactor to VAVS since December of 2005. One person in particular from Citi, Jean Gartland, was instrumental in developing a local partnership between Citi and the VA. In 2006, their volunteer work at the VA hospital included celebrating National Salute Week by helping to assemble gift packages and Valentines for each patient, sponsoring an ice cream social for hospitalized veterans, recruiting artists to paint a mural in the Internet Café, celebrating Community Day by recruiting 20-30 volunteers to serve at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (JAVH), visiting inpatients and offering their cell phones to patients to make free calls to their family and friends and participating in the VAVS Christmas Gift distribution by purchasing hand-held calculators for each inpatient.

Citi has turned a one-time volunteer opportunity into an ongoing partnership for the benefit of veterans and active duty service members. They have expressed interest in providing support for the hospital’s Fisher House, which provides free lodging and a “home away from home” for veterans, active duty service members and their families.

Carolyn McKinney

Carolyn McKinney is a very special and valued docent at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. Since January of 2004, when Carolyn began as a docent, she has stood out as a dynamic individual and an integral part of our animal care team. The many hours of her time spent at the zoo are a testament to her dedication and willingness to serve. Her personal convictions and compassion for animals perfectly aligns with the zoo’s efforts to provide excellent animal care, as well as to be a center for education and endangered species conservation. Her service to the zoo has been as a treasurer for the docent organization, as an in-zoo educator for guests and as an essential part of our animal food preparation department, the commissary.

Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo currently cares for more than 1,800 animals in multiple habitats. The specific and unique dietary requirements is established by the zoo veterinarian and carried out by the commissary manager faces the overwhelming task of preparing these diets on a daily basis. On average the zoo goes through more than 432 cases of apples in a year. This means cutting up 15,000 pounds of apples every year. Carolyn has volunteered much of her time at the zoo in this department, assisting with this important task. The commissary manager relies on Carolyn as an essential part in the care of our animals.

Through her service as a docent at the zoo, Carolyn has demonstrated both excellent leadership and tremendous initiative. Many of the visitors at the zoo have been enriched by the knowledge and interpretive information that Carolyn has provided. During her time volunteering, she often takes the initiative to go into the zoo and stand near an exhibit to provide zoo guests with animal facts, their status in the wild and conservation initiatives. Imparting this information is essential to the conservation of the endangered animals that the zoo cares for. Carolyn truly understands this and makes an admirable effort to do her part.

The zoo spends more than half a million dollars every year to feed the animals they care for. The assistance from those individuals that choose to donate their time is essential for the zoo to continue working towards our mission. Carolyn McKinney in particular has stood out in her participation and has proven to have a tremendous impact on the zoo’s daily animal care needs. She has also had an influence on the individuals she reaches as an educator at the zoo. She helped to create concern and inspire compassion for the zoo’s animals and their plight in the wild.

Melvin “Kurt” Clemons

Kurt Clemons was the chairperson and coordinator for the Homeless Stand Downs held in 2006 and 2007 for the city of Norfolk. There is a stand down planned for August of this year and again Mr. Clemons will be the coordinator of job services. At the most recent stand down, held this winter, over 40 veterans were registered for job service. All received a meal and support services were provided from the Department of Human Services and the Department of Disability Rehabilitation. Many other agencies were in attendance to meet the needs of the homeless.

He and his team received the Governor’s Award for outstanding customer service and volunteerism for assisting the homeless from Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine. He was awarded during a ceremony held at the Department of Motor Vehicles on May 17, 2007.

On June 15, 2007 Mr. Clemons participated in the Sleep in the Park at the Town Point Park in Norfolk to raise awareness and money for the furnishing of the recently completed Gosnold Apartments for homeless adults. The event started at Friday, 7:00 pm and ended on Saturday, 7:00 am. Over 60 local business leaders from the 2007 class of Lead Hampton Road, a training program of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce participated in the special event. Norfolk Mayor Fraim, Katie Kitchin, Norfolk Director, Office of End Homelessness, and April Woodard from TV inside Edition opened the event to follow with the local business leaders during role playing as a homeless individual with the local service providers. I interviewed five business leaders, provided job services, and referred them to other partners for services. This was an eye opener for most of the local business leaders. As of Friday night, over $40,000.00 was raised for the Gosnold Apartments.

He coordinated the food drive for the Norfolk office for the USO in December of 2007. He coordinated the food drive for the VETHOUSE to provide a holiday meal for the Vets of Thanksgiving of 2007. In previous years, he has spear headed and/or participated in food drives and blanket drives for the local shelters.

Kara Peart

Kara Peart has been a member of the Layton Youth Court since 1998. Since she became a member of the court, she has served as a Senior Judge, bailiff, clerk, secretary and mentor. She has been Chief Secretary and was the Vice President of the court last year. Currently she serves an average of five hours per week. As a mentor, Kara exhibited genuine concern for the youth she has been assigned to guide. She always goes the extra mile with her protégés, who enjoy her friendly personality. Kara has also been an emcee for three Utah state youth court conferences.

Kara graduated from the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, which is part of the Leadership Plenty Program, a nine month course. She was recognized in the National Youth Court Center 2006 Hall of Honor for all of her hard work, and she won a Silver Bowl Award for her service in April 2007. She has earned five Presidential Student Service Awards, donating more than 100 hours of service to the youth court each year. To date, she has volunteered more than 1,530 hours.

Kara is also involved in the Davis Youth of Promise. She is the historian of the group and they are currently working on building a 9/11 memorial. She has also been involved in the YOP (Youth of Promise) conferences each year and was in charge of Davis County youth summit which was held January 20, 2007, which was attended by more than 850 young people.

American Express, Greensboro

The number of young people leaving school early is alarming. They are inadequately prepared for the workplace or for handling their finances. Workforce preparedness and financial literacy are two key social issues of our time. Numerous studies point out that finding and keeping a quality workforce is the most pressing challenge for employers. This condition will continue to worsen in the next 15 years as 40 million American workers retire or become eligible to retire. Recent trends in consumer financial conditions are troubling. Household debt has risen appreciably in recent years and a record number of personal bankruptcies indicate that many people are experiencing significant financial distress. In a recent speech, retired Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan endorsed personal financial training for young people: “Children and teenagers should begin learning basic financial education as early as possible. Indeed, improving basic financial education in elementary and secondary schools can help prevent students from making poor decisions later, when they are young adults, which can take years to overcome.”

Founded in 1965 by local business leaders, Junior Achievement has expanded from one after school program, “The Company Program,” designed specifically for high school students to 23 programs for children in grades K-12 where programs are primarily conducted in the classroom by trained volunteers. Volunteers, predominantly recruited from the business community, educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives. In addition, all Junior Achievement programs stress ethics in business and life, workforce preparedness and the importance of staying in school. This dynamic interaction between the volunteers and the students promotes active learning and brings theory to life

Since 1997 American Express has been providing volunteers to teach JA programs in schools throughout Guilford County. During the last three years the number of volunteers increased from 20 to 36. This year 31 employees have already volunteered for the fall program, therefore by the end of the 2006-2007 school year we expect to pass last year’s record.

At Junior Achievement volunteers are unpaid. In addition to classroom volunteers, one executive serves on the Junior Achievement Board of Directors and others serve on committees. American Express employees back up their volunteer support by donating to our Annual Appeal and participating in a major fundraising event- The National Bowl-a-thon. Last year 20 teams participated in this event, raising over $10,000 for JA programs. Finally for several years we have received funding from the American Express Foundation, we believe, because of their employees’ dedication and support of Junior Achievement.