Amanda Quintos
Amanda Quintos service activities include, but are not limited to, babysitting, assistance in her school’s Liturgy Committee as well as in her own parish, active participation in school fundraisers, tutoring, a conservable investment of time and energy in school productions and promotion of the Performing Arts program, and diligence in providing support where the need may arise, such as in school, at church, at home, or in the community.
Amanda has been involved in the aforementioned service activities for the past six years and has addressed the needs and concerns of individuals and organizations alike by offering her services as a tutor for French students, babysitting, and displaying leadership qualities and active involvement in extracurricular activities and clubs of which she is a part. Through her ongoing efforts, the nominee constantly offers the recipients of her services the means to achieve a solution to their problems.
In addition, Amanda reaches out to the community and to those who are isolated from it in a compassionate and understanding manner. Her acts of community service have had lasting positive impacts on the recipients. Those who are tutored by her state that the material has become easier to understand after a short period of time.
It is apparent that the Amanda’s varied services are effective, unique and hands-on approaches to alleviating burdens within the academic environment, the church, and the community.
Todd Youngblood
Todd Youngblood is an inspiration to everyone at Special Olympics Georgia. He is a volunteer coach, certified to work with athletes in 10 sports; he has served as Local Coordinator for the athletes in Peach County, GA for three years, served on the Area Management Team and State Games Management Team for State Indoor Winter Games as Co-Director of the Powerlifting Event for five years. Todd started the Powerlifting team at the Kay Community Service Center for individuals with intellectual disabilities in 1995 and has taken his team, which has grown from 3 to 22, to meets and competitions all over the Southeast. He has served as assistant organizer of the Special Olympics Southeast Regional Powerlifting Competition in which athletes with intellectual disabilities from 5-7 states compete. He has taken his athletes to IPBF Competitions, the Georgia Games and Powerlifting Competitions in Alabama and Tennessee. On other occasions he has chaperoned his athletes at snow skiing competitions in North Carolina, National Volleyball Competition in Louisiana and attended the 1st ever Special Olympics National Games in Ames, IA in July.
Special Olympics meets a very real community need—it improves the health of this population, decreasing the likelihood of obesity. It provides a safe arena for peer interaction and socialization, which is very important for this group because they have no opportunities to join community sports leagues or play on a team. It highlights the individuals’ abilities instead of their disabilities and it leads to employment opportunities. The impact of Todd’s work is demonstrated by his athletes having been chosen as “Athlete of the Year” at the Special Olympics Georgia Distinguished Service Banquet for the past 3 years in a row. Special Olympics Georgia has over 22,000 athletes participating so Todd has been the motivating factor in his athletes receiving these honors. Todd feels it is important to recognize these individuals for their hard work and dedication to self-improvement. Skills learned in sports training and competition carry over into all areas of the athletes lives improving performance in school, on the job and in independent living situations. Not only is Todd a mentor and role model to his athletes and the individuals at Kay Center but he truly their friend—looking out for their well-being and promoting their abilities on and off the field. Todd’s efforts have been recognized by many awards. His approach is innovative because he doesn’t stop at venues where individuals with special needs are accepted but pushes them to compete in the Georgia Games and USA National Volleyball Competition against athletes without disabilities.
All of Todd’s work with Special Olympics—coaching, serving on management teams, organizing competitions, attending competitions in Atlanta and out of state—is voluntary. He also serves on the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, Past Director of Kiwanis Club, Action Clulb Advisor and teaches and coaches basketball at Peach County High School.
Students Offering Service
Students Offering Service (SOS) is a group of Volusia County High School students who mentor, coach and bring respite to children and teens living in the homeless family shelter of the Bray and Gillespie Center for Human Services. The program has already recruited twenty-five students to join in providing weekly arts and crafts projects and activities for younger children, and mentoring and coaching for older children and teens. The group is actively recruiting students from all Volusia and Flagler County high schools to participate.
The supplies needed for SOS are funded and will continue to be self-sustaining through business partners the students have recruited. Handmade aprons were prepared for the children to protect their clothing during art activities and activities follow an organized system. Future plans include bringing music and dance into the program. In addition, the group is studying how other shelters have brought therapy pets on weekend to ease the pain of pet separation and for general exposure to a variety of animals.
Life in a homeless shelter can be grim and stressful; the SOS efforts have transformed the lives of the children living there. The children look forward to Saturdays with eager anticipation and for a few hours they are able to have a childhood and the comfort of friendship and companionship thanks to SOS. The parents of the children also have an opportunity or some relief, with the freedom to rest, read or do chores during the hours of the SOS program.
Amanda Erwin
Safe House Ministries in Elberton, GA provides assistance to victims of domestic violence and homelessness. Amanda Erwin is a volunteer with Safe House Ministries and displays an extreme degree of professionalism and integrity throughout her endeavors with them. Amanda has also been a Corporate Sponsor in their fundraising for the past 3 years and will lead the Motorcycle Charity Ride she planned as her fundraiser for them and the Children’s Miracle Network. She exudes a confidence and willingness to tackle any and every task. Her attention to detail is unmatched.
Amanda is also very active in the Miss America Scholarship Program. She was recently crowned Miss Chattahoochee 2008. This honor has allowed her to attract an even larger audience in her efforts to end the cycle of domestic violence. As she prepares to compete in the Miss Georgia Pageant, an honor that could lead to her competing for Miss America, she uses her crown as a microphone to captivate individuals throughout the state of Georgia.
She is also a most dependable team player. Her good judgement and mature outlook ensure a logical and practical approach to her endeavors. Amanda challenged many as individuals to have focus and ambition.
Amanda was chosen as the Volunteer of the Year in 2006 because of her community service. She incorporated “A Safe Way Out – Stopping the Cycle of Domestic Violence” with the Safe House Ministries. Amanda worked to provide funding for this program so she could continue her work in ending the cycle of domestic violence.
THE LEARNING CORPS
For the past two years, THE LEARNING CORPS has led the way in feeding hungry people in Kentucky. In 2006, through the leadership of AmeriCorps members serving with THE LEARNING CORPS, over 165,000 ounces of food was donated during food drives the two weeks prior to Make a Difference Day. During this community service effort, 436,306 ounces of food was donated by all entities in Kentucky. Therefore, food donated through THE LEARNING CORPS made up 68% of the food donated across Kentucky.
Additionally, schools that could not participate in the scheduled Make a Difference Day food drive held food drives at a later date and donated 25,000 more ounces of food.
AmeriCorps members serving with THE LEARNING CORPS led the way in the schools where they serve to teach students the necessity of taking care of those who need food in their communities. The food was distributed to community food banks, church food pantries, Family Resource Centers, groups that provide Thanksgiving baskets and to families who had recently lost their homes to tornado damage.
According to data collected by the Annie B. Casey Foundation, in 2006 almost 49% of students in the five counties where members of THE LEARNING CORPS serve receive free/reduced lunches. The need for this food drive on a yearly basis is enormous. Many volunteers were engaged, as food had to be counted and moved to each food bank. Students learned the about citizens in their community who did not have enough to eat. At one school particularly, students donated over 53,000 ounces of food. Principals from each county were pleased that food banks in their counties were well stocked for the upcoming holiday season and beyond.
While they may never know the impact on all the recipients of the food, they can realize the impact it has within their communities. It teaches us all that serving your fellow man when he/she is in need is, well, just the right thing to do. AmeriCorps members saw their schools come together for a common cause and rise to the occasion of hunger within their communities.
Project READ
Joshua Schara is a member of St. John’s Evangelical Church in North Freedom, WI. His program, Project READ (Reading Equipment for America’s Defenders) is the largest volunteer undertaking for a teen in the area.
Josh was worried that people were becoming complacent about supporting our troops. So in March of 2007, he contacted our local National Guard unit to see what he could do for them. They told him that our troops are in need of reading material to help them stay connected to their families and so they won’t feel so homesick. He then designed and set up camouflage collection boxes around town to collect books, magazines, local newspapers and books on tape or CD. He had asked if he could place one of his boxes in the back of the church and if he could make an announcement after church to inform everyone of Project READ. He was allowed to do both, as the church supported this wonderful idea.
The incredible response from the community has been overwhelming. The donations have now expanded to consist of: personal letters of encouragement, chapstick, gum, hard candy, stationary, Frisbees, sunflower seeds, playing cards and bug spray. He spends each day after school and work collecting the mountainous bags and boxes of donations from businesses and individuals. He then fills each box as full as he can of the donations.
Unfortunately, each small box that the United States Postal Service provides costs $8.98 in postage. Josh had over 100 boxes ready to be shipped when he realized that he would need some financial help. Josh started a part-time job to help pay for the $900 worth of shipping that he needed. Then he decided to meet with the local media to publicize Project READ and his goals. Almost instantly, strangers started calling and asking how they could help and donations for the shipping started to come in. Josh was even asked to attend a local VFW meeting so that they could recognize Project READ and donate $300 to help ship the boxes.
Josh has received phone calls and emails from people that are moved by Project READ and what it means to them; that our younger generation is compassionate and has a social conscience that can be overlooked in today’s media coverage of youth.
Normally a very shy person, Project READ has made Josh more confident in himself and what he can do. He was able to raise over $1,000 to ship over 1,800 pounds worth of supplies to our troops so far.
Colleen Sneller
Colleen Sneller is a parent volunteer who exemplifies Community Mobilization. Single-handedly, she attacked the project of procuring an electronic community sign for Sergeant Bluff. Once Colleen started the project, she decided that two signs would serve the community more effectively. Colleen worked with the City of Sergeant Bluff and about a year and a half later; the signs were in place. The signs provide communication for school and community events. What Colleen Sneller determines as a goal, she accomplishes with a flourish!
About this same time, Colleen decided that it was imperative to create memories for children through a yearbook beginning in kindergarten. She approached building principals and teachers and put the project together herself with many hours of toil and cropping images. This was quite an accomplishment for a mom who said that she was not very knowledgeable with computers. Colleen’s computer knowledge mushroomed through the course of this project!
“Colleen Sneller has volunteered her time on a weekly basis in my room for the past 4 years. She makes it a priority to get to all of her children’s classrooms to help their teachers in any way that she can. This helps Colleen know about the struggles her children may be facing academically, the teaching style of the classroom teacher, and to show her children that she values the education they are receiving. Colleen has always told me that she is willing to help with the grunt work, thus allowing teachers to use their time to meet the needs of all of the students in their classrooms. She is always here with a bright smile, a ton of energy, and a willingness to do or try anything. She is dependable and always lets me know if she is unable to make it on a given day. Colleen also stays cognizant of other parents wanting to help and allows them to go on field trips before volunteering herself in order to give every interested parent an equal opportunity to participate as a classroom helper,” said Jill McCauley, 4th grade teacher at Sergeant Bluff-Luton.
Mobilization is what Colleen does best. Whether it is organizing volunteers to help man a reading project, erecting community signs, or serving as the Emcee for a reading celebration, Colleen has five children, so it could easily be said that she is busy and occupied with her own family’s needs. However, this school/community volunteer does not think that way. She is totally about giving of her time to serve others.
Kristy Kernen
Kristy Kernen has been a dedicated member of the community and a volunteer for the Lakewood Police Department since city incorporation 11 years ago. She is personally responsible for recruiting, training and managing one of the most active volunteer programs in the city. She has also been able to provide support to police departments in other Washington cities as well as the Anaheim, CA Police Department. Kristy’s personal efforts and that of her Disabled Parking Enforcement team have virtually eliminated citizen complaints about illegal parking in disabled parking zones, once one of the most frequent complaints made to the Department. Her team provides great service to the community in the areas of traffic safety and disabled parking laws by providing education, prevention and awareness, in addition to their enforcement efforts.
Kristy has also played a crucial role in promoting the importance of having citizen volunteers as core members of this new Department’s team, which is just three years old. Paid employees do not always see the value of volunteers, viewing them as a distraction. Kristy has been instrumental in dispelling those perceptions in the Department and has devoted over 3,800 hours of volunteer time to the department since its formation. She and her team of traffic volunteers free the paid officers to devote themselves to other important law enforcement activities. In addition, they provide the disabled and vulnerable citizens a level of service they would not otherwise receive. She also willingly volunteers in numerous other areas such as National Night Out Against Crime, the Department Volunteer Recognition competition.
Finally, wearing her “citizen” hat, she routinely reports to our City Council on the many outreach activities in which the Department engages and the exceptional service the Department is providing Lakewood citizens. For all of these reasons she is deeply appreciated. Moreover, her leadership, work ethic, dedication to the City and the Department, and engaging, positive “can-do” attitude have been primary in selling the entire police volunteer program – an essential component of the core community policing philosophy. She is central to the fact that the Department now engages over 50 citizens in the volunteer work.
Grays Harbor Fire District 8
On December 2nd, Mother Nature unleashed her fury in Grays Harbor County. Residents awoke to cold temperatures, torrential winds and biting rain. The power was gone and so were all the comforts it brings. Along coastal highway 109, are three communities, Pacific Beach, Moclips and Aloha. They are about 2 miles apart and share a common fire department, District #8. Monday, December 3rd, the first day of survival mode, the fire department recognized the seriousness of the situation and opened up their hall to the public. They drove through the area with loud speakers announcing that they were open to help anyone in need. Imagine what a comfort that was to families with young children and to the elderly and frail. Thus began six days and five nights of a round the clock volunteer operation at District #8. There were 10 to 12 volunteers present during the day and 2 to 3 spent every night at the hall.
Power was provided by generators, running constantly. They had two stationary and 6 portables for satellite use. One community resident was lodged five nights because he needed the power to run medical devices for life support. Meals provided were outstanding. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, prepared and served in the finest of style. The meals were tasty, warm and filling. They served a total of 16 meals to 1,345 residents. They also went around the area to see if anyone who could not get to the fire station needed help. Consequently they delivered 124 meals three times a day to shut- ins.
The community came together during this disaster. It will be a long time before all the damage is repaired, but the best part is the attitude and willingness of the community to share the burden. Local businesses and residents donated food and non-food items for use. Many of the residents that lost power donated the food from their freezers and refrigerators rather than lose it all. Grays Harbor Fire District 8 are hometown heroes.
Martin Castro
Countless young lawyers, scientists and artists from Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods have Martin Castro to thank for supporting their success whether they know it or not. Castro, Aetna’s vice president of external affairs for diverse markets strategy in Chicago, has dedicated his considerable talent and inexhaustible energy to fundraising for scholarships, mentoring students and serving immigrant and low-income households.
Castro has served as chair of the Juan Tienda Scholarship Fund at the University of Michigan Law School, which provides scholarships and fellowships for Latino law students who serve the Hispanic community. In this capacity, he has spent evenings evaluating and awarding scholarships and fellowships to needy Latino students, developing resources and mentoring Latino law students.
Castro is also on the Board of Directors of the National Museum of Mexican Art, the nation’s premier museum showcasing Mexican art and culture and the only major museum in Chicago that is free to the public. As a board member for seven years, he has personally raised over $200,000 for the museum’s educational programs.
For the past eight years, Castro has also served on the Board of Trustees of DePaul University, whose mission includes opening the doors of higher education to first-generation college students, among others. He was also founding president of the Hispanic American Alumni Association.
Furthermore, Castro serves on the board of the Academy for Urban School Leadership, which runs several Chicago public schools, trains master teachers, and deploys them in Chicago’s neediest public schools. Castro is also a board member for the Nuestro Futuro Fund, a philanthropic vehicle of the Chicago Community Trust designed to teach Latinos the skills necessary for effective philanthropy while providing much needed resources to the Adler Planetarium, the nation’s first planetarium focused on inspiring the next generation of explorers and scientists.
For all his leadership, Castro does not hesitate to roll up his sleeves and volunteer in more concrete ways as well. He has volunteered with such groups as the Appleseed Fund for Justice to develop financial literacy materials and outreach programs for the community; helped to establish a diabetes education and screening program for Latinos, and spoken many times at schools, encouraging young people to stay in school and pursue higher education.
Castro’s manager at Aetna, Robert Mendonsa, considers that Castro “truly lives a life of service to his community.” Furthermore, Aetna, Chicago State University, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and many others have honored Castro with awards for his community service.
