Stephanie Smith
Since being honored with the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Service Award in 2006 for contributing over 4,000 volunteer hours over her lifetime in youth mentoring, disaster relief and humanitarian work, Stephanie Smith continues to serve by example, contributing another 2,000 hours over the past fifteen months alone. Her work in sports medicine, specializing in treating concussions and emergency management, has provided international opportunities for service from Ground Zero, to the Winter Olympics to humanitarian exchange athlete trips. However empowering others to “live out their calling” more effectively and efficiently has been what has guided her more recently to serve as a catalyst for strategic partnerships and chase a bold vision.
Stephanie envisions creating a youth mentoring campus designed to house over twenty nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. Although she has worked on the plan for nine years, her passion for this project was really ignited after serving at the 2002 Winter Olympics where she witnessed how special events and sports can be used as a platform for a unified community response to social issues. The amazing milestones of her Northern Lights Athlete Village project clearly demonstrate that one person’s efforts can make a tremendous positive difference. She has invested her time in casting this bold vision to community leaders and potential funding sources, in networking and team building, in researching and writing business plans.
The target campus location for her vision is the Fort Snelling National Historic Landmark District located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, connected by light rail to the Minneapolis Saint Paul Airport and the Mall of America. The location was recently listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Eleven Most Endangered Historic Properties” in the United States due to the disrepair of over twenty historic buildings on the Upper Post. Through the Northern Lights Athlete Village project Stephanie aims to bridge advocacy efforts for public health, environmental stewardship, economic development, historic preservation, youth mentoring, natural resources and volunteer service. She envisions that this nonprofit complex would be located within a reunified historic district Peace Park that would welcome national and international guests to explore the beauty and culture of the area while experiencing Minnesota hospitality. Stephanie states that even if the full vision does not come to fruition, that the results of community bridge-building has been worth all her effort and investment.
On October 14, 2007 Stephanie’s leadership was instrumental in rallying veterans, students and preservationists for an event proclaimed by the Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as “Fort Snelling Day.” Concurrently, she led the planning of a “National Make A Difference Day” project with volunteers that have created a GPS historical photo “treasure hunt” to be available to scouts, school groups and families throughout the 2008 Minnesota Sesquicentennial Celebration. But she’s already envisioning next steps in helping showcase the importance of saving the resources within the Fort Snelling National Historic Landmark and in bringing together local youth mentoring agencies. In May 2008, a Sesquicentennial covered wagon train will arrive at Fort Snelling and she is serving as a catalyst for youth involvement at this event, culminating in a 10 mile wellness hike to the Capitol for the statehood celebration.
She and her husband Ross cofounded the Northern Light Junior Hockey team six years ago where he continues to volunteer. Together they have found ways to involve their three year old son Caleb in many of these “family projects including their international service trips: Caleb loves being part of the action and has amazing energy and joy while blessing others. It is apparent to all those who work with the Smiths that their passion is driven by a profound faith in God and their belief that He motivates and uniquely equips each person to serve others. They lead by example, investing talents, time and energy, with significant personal financial sacrifice to fund “what needs to be done when it needs to be done” even if the organization doesn’t have the budget. They are especially grateful to those who have enabled Stephanie to serve more effectively including the Academy of Holy Angels for providing flexible employment, to churches that give to the Cooperative Programs for missions and to those who have invested themselves alongside their family to make their vision a reality. As a Rotarian she has found a new network of community leader who are committed to serving around the world and she is quick to thank them for welcoming her and her bold ideas.
Over her lifetime, Stephanie has lived what she believes and motivates those around her to step up to the challenge. She earned the Congressional Award and Girl Scout Gold Award as a high school student, but with new skills, education and experience, her giving is profound and in the hands of God, the results are nothing less than extraordinary.
Sarah Gossett
“I heard the commercial on KLIF Radio and it sounded like a good fit for me. I wanted to get involved and volunteering at CONTACT interested me,” Sara said. Sarah, who is a native of Houston, moved to Dallas and began as CONTACT volunteer in the fall of 2004 and has been a faithful volunteer ever since. “I love the feeling you get knowing that you’ve helped someone and I love walking away with that feeling when I fill my second and fourth shifts on Tuesdays of every month,” Sarah said with a smile.
“Sarah has many attributes that qualify her for this award, says Director of Volunteer Services, Thomas Hutter, “She is reliable, on time or early for her shift, very consistent with the use of the model, and believes in CONTACT and its mission. But perhaps her most notable quality is to hear her on the phone with a caller. Her tone of voice demonstrates genuine care; she displays sincere empathy, and skillful use of the model. The callers are clearly moved to a better place after their call with Sarah!”
Lou Mallow
From the nominator:
“Lou began as a volunteer with the Red Cross as an Amateur Radio Operator in 2003. Earlier this year we asked him if he would assist us in Staff Services and database maintenance, and he accepted. I was surprised at how quickly he picked up the concept and I noticed that he was extremely self-motivated. Although he originally agreed to work two days a week, he willingly expanded his time commitment and now works Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Streamlining the process of disaster volunteer intake has been his major goal and he is doing an amazing job in collaborating with other departments to find the best solution.
The intake process is very important during times of disaster because it allows us to keep an accurate record of all volunteers who serve with us during a specific event. Lou understood this need immediately and responded with new ways to input/process volunteers year-round. On top of all this, Lou is extremely pleasant and easy to work with, and his amiable personality has made us all grateful for his presence at the Chapter.”
Bill Halligan
Bill Halligan is a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham. Bill has been a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization for two years. He not only has served as a big brother to two children in need of a positive role model; he has also served as a committed member of the agency’s executive board. Bill has been a “big” to his 14-year-old little brother Caleb for over a year, who had been on the waiting list for a big brother for almost two years prior. Caleb lived in an area that was far on the outskirts of town, an area that unfortunately did not produce many volunteers. Not only did he live far out, but he had become a teenager while waiting which unfortunately makes it more difficult to find a match due to some people’s reluctance to work with teens. Caleb thought that his chances of getting matched were over. Then came Bill. Bill lived nowhere near Caleb, but when he heard that the boy was in need of a brother, he gave no consideration to distance. Since being matched, Bill has gone above and beyond to not only nurture his relationship with Caleb, he has also strengthened Caleb’s relationship with his parents! There are times when Bill will make special arrangements to have outings not only with Caleb, but also include Caleb’s father on some of the outings occasionally to encourage them to have a stronger relationship. Caleb’s parents are divorced and his relationship that was somewhat strained with his father has grown much closer as a result of his Big Brother’s efforts! That’s something we don’t see every day. Bill sees his brother almost every single weekend though he is only required to see him twice a month. He and his brother have become spokesmen for the organization, often speaking at churches and community functions in order to encourage others to be mentors.
As a result of his relationship with Bill, Caleb, previously very shy and insecure, never turns down an opportunity to speak in front of others, whether it is the Executive Board or a whole congregation of strangers! Bill has encouraged him to see that there are no limits to what he can achieve. Though he still sometimes has typical difficulties with schoolwork, Bill’s little brother has found a new sense of the future as a result of his Big Brother opening him up to a new world of possibilities. Bill’s existence in his life has helped to deter Caleb from joining gangs when he was approached. As he explained it, he didn’t need them to be his brothers because he has a brother. It is people like Bill Halligan that help to mold our youth of today and pave new roads for them to have better futures. Without positive mentors like Bill, the youth would often be forced to lead themselves, or even worse, be led by negative peer influences. If all of us could touch one life the way Bill has touched his life.
Maria Rice
After completing a Master’s Degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders, Maria felt volunteering at CONTACT would be a great experience for working with families in crisis. She began in June, 2005 and has been a dedicated and consistent volunteer since that time; say those who have worked with her.
“Maria is a perfect role model for the call center as she fulfills her shifts twice a month. She has recently taken on the responsibility of being a mentor to help our trainees in their internships,” says Thomas Hutter, director of Volunteer Services.
“Volunteering at CONTACT makes me grateful for the life that I have. I get a perspective that my problems aren’t so bad and it also helps me to be a better listener,” Maria says, “It also helps me in dealing with my own teen-aged kids at home.”
In a recent 911 transfer to CONTACT, Maria was told to take over on a suicide call until the police arrived. Maria talked to the caller and used the model to listen to the caller’s story. The caller had taken an overdose of pills to commit suicide, but had changed her mind afterwards and called 911. Maria had no idea the 911 operator was on the line after the call was transferred to her. Maria was able to keep her talking and helped her to maintain consciousness throughout the call, even though she was getting groggy and her speech was getting slurred. Once the police arrived, they instructed Maria that she could end the call, and she was then she was told by the 911 operator that she handled the call very well. Knowing she can make an impact in a life or death situation is extremely rewarding to Maria.
Christine Ray
Christine Ray has been a volunteer coordinator at Overlook Elementary for over 20 years. The amazing thing is that Christine has not had a student in the school for the past 15 years. Both of her daughters have graduated, but Christine has remained to volunteer.
As volunteer coordinator, Christine is the liaison between the parents and the teachers at the school. She makes sure there are volunteers to assist with various needs such as copying and fluency checks with students. She helps organize parents who lead lunch bunch book clubs and the book fair, as well as assisting teachers as needs arise in the classroom, just to name a few. All of her efforts help support the academic program at the elementary school.
Christine is also the Fundraiser Coordinator for the Overlook PTA. She enables the school to get funds to support their cultural awareness programs. With the monies she helps raise, the school is able to bring performers to present on various topics at the school such as science or have an orchestra play for the students. If Christine did no help raise money, the students would not have the exposure to many programs.
Lucille Calk
Lucille Calk began volunteering in August of 1983 when North Monroe Hospital opened its door to the community. In November of 2005 St. Francis Medical Center acquired North Monroe Hospital which is now known as St. Francis North Hospital. As of July 3, 2007, Lucille has volunteered 10,387 hours of service cumulatively to North Monroe Hospital and St. Francis North Hospital. During the transition Lucille has been steadfast in her commitment to serving others. With humility and compassion she has brought comfort and hope to patients and their families during their times of need.
During her 24 years of service, Mrs. Calk has held many positions as a volunteer. Her many volunteer duties have included: volunteering at the information desk where she delivered flowers and patient’s mail, assisting the nurses in the women and children’s unit, helping to register and transport patients in the outpatient surgery area, comforting families in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and working in the gift shop. At the age of 81, Lucille currently works 4 days a week in the gift shop. She has had an immense impact within the volunteer program through her vast array of volunteer activities.
Since 1983, Mrs. Calk has had many positions on the Auxiliary Executive Board. She has been President for 4 years, Vice President for 4 years, Secretary for 4 years, and a Member-at-Large for 6 years. She currently holds the position of Vice-President on the Auxiliary Executive Board.
As an Auxiliary, Mrs. Calk has been instrumental in raising $200,000 to help solve community concerns. Over the years, a major portion of these funds, $150,000, has been contributed to the University of Louisiana at Monroe in the form of scholarships for students studying in the Allied Health fields. Funds in the amount of $20,000 have been given to community non-profit organizations such as, the Northeast Louisiana Food Bank, the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans home, and to the American Heart Association. In addition, a benevolent fund in the amount of $5,000 has been established to aid needy families in the community. Most recently, $25,000 was donated to St. Francis North Hospital for renovations that will benefit our patients, physicians and staff.
Anastasia Marie Wroblewski
Anastasia Marie Wroblewski is always ready to serve no matter what the situation. Anastasia is 17 years old and has been a member of Camp Fire USA since she was 4. During her time as a Camp Fire USA member, Anastasia has stood out as an outstanding volunteer, earning Four Gold Presidential Service Awards during the past Four years. She was honored as the Prince Georges County Youth Volunteer of the Year in 2007. Anastasia now serves at the Vice President for Youth on the Council Board of Directors and was recently selected to serve on the Camp Fire USA National Youth Advisory Cabinet. As Youth Vice President, Anastasia is charged with overseeing all youth service activities and ensuring that the Adult Board members hear the youths’ voice.
Anastasia talked recently about her volunteer experience and said the following: “When I got to high school I decided to do something more with community service. I defined the role I wished to play in helping those around me. I started to develop my own projects and write grants to make them happen. One project that made a huge impact on my life was the development and implementation of Camp WoHeLo. Camp WoHeLo is a summer day camp idea that I came up with for the children of United Communities Against Poverty homeless shelter in Capitol Heights. This camp taught the kids life skills and took them on field trips. All summer I had the privilege to work with these children who were less fortunate. At first I thought the campers would be quite and not very excited about coming to camp, I was quickly relieved of that idea and found myself working with energetic lively children.
The kids were terrific, though some were shy. Six weeks did not seem like a lot of time to me yet it was just enough. I got to watch the kids who were shy become energetic, talkative children. I learned about some of the horrible lives that they had had so far and how they overcame challenges this far. I also got to show them how to control themselves and make the best out of different situations. The development and progress that they made was amazing to me. When I came up with the idea of Camp WoHeLo I just wanted to make a place where the kids could have a fun summer. I enjoyed being with the children and working with them through issues that came up in the camp. Some of the kids just needed an ear to listen and I was always prepared to do that. I liked working with them and being able to be a person that they could turn to and be a friend to. For me this camp was a huge success. Not only did I have a blast being with the kids but I decided what I want to do later in life. I want to major in Psychology so that I can work with more kids.”
Currently, Anastasia is a Senior at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD, where she is involved in multiple service activities. She serves as a Peer Minister in the Campus Ministry Department, serves a one of the Teens in Action Service Coordinators and volunteers for school and community activities. She has participated in Points of Light Youth Leadership Institute and now serves as a PYLI teen team leader.
Anastasia has provided service in a variety of settings besides her Camp WoHeLo project. At the end of the program, she encouraged Camp Fire USA to continue the program. The Teens wrote a grant and received $7,500 to support the program which is now going on with the assistance of teens from Teens in Action Clubs. She serves as a project coordinator for Project Ignition: Camp Fire’s Teens in Action Teen Driving Safety Program. The program has achieved national acclaim and is a finalist in a national competition on Teen Driving Safety. For two years Anastasia assisted with the preparation of the grants with success in both years in winning the grant to fund their effort. She has worked with conducting a carnival for needy children at a commercial campground, engaging campers and families in raising funds for the food bank. Since the 7th Grade, she has been helping with an after school programs in an at risk school in Forestville where she has successfully written Youth Service America grants to fund programs. Her other accomplishments include assisting with the delivery of programs for children at a homeless shelter in Leesburg, VA, designing and implementing 2 National Youth Day projects for high school and elementary school students; designing and implementing a MLK Day exhibit on Teen Safety in collaboration with Camp Fire USA for the Channel 4 Health Fair for 3 years. She has served on the Council puppet team; Designed and directing a Christmas Program that collected gifts for children and then coordinating the students to deliver the gifts on Christmas Eve Morning; Building with Habitat for Humanity in their Youth United Program and Planning and Leading CF66 Service Learning Road Trips, taking other teens on service learning trips based on specific themes of poverty and homelessness.
Anastasia will be going off to college in the fall with scholarships for her service commitment. She plans to build on the experience that she has had and to be a woman of service in the future. The Camp Fire USA Torch Bearers Desire states the following. “That Torch which has been given to me, I desire to pass on to others.” Anastasia is a shining light; that light which has been given to her she is passing on to others.
Robert Whiteside, Jr.
Robert Whiteside, Jr., is currently a Foster Grandparent Volunteer through Kids Hope United. Through this program, Robert spends time in the school system with children who are at risk. Robert offers himself as a very strong and positive role model for the children he serves through the Mt. Vernon District #80 school district. Robert is a spiritual person in his personal life as well as in his dealings with the children, faculty of District #80, and the other Foster Grandparent Volunteers. Robert has been able to get things done that many have not, due to his demeanor and character.
During the summer months, Robert has been very instrumental in aiding District #80 in implementing their Seamless Summer Feeding Program. Robert oversaw the feeding of over 11,000 meals to children who would not normally receive a hot meal or even a meal. Robert has taken it upon himself to make sure each distribution site ran smoothly and the communication flowed smoothly. In fact, Robert put the program before his own needs. When traveling to Tennessee, he realized one site would be without coverage that day. Instead of contacting someone else, he turned around and came back to cover the site.
Within the building where Robert volunteers, there are additional Foster Grandparent Volunteers. Robert has become the leader of these volunteers even though he is one of the new kids on the block. He inspires them to continue to volunteer to help the children of District #80 as well as the community. Robert believes every child is the community’s child, and it takes everyone to ensure their future. Robert is known as PaPa Robert at the school.
Leah Watson
Leah Watson was already a seasoned volunteer when she turned 18 in September. When she was 15 and new to the community, she wandered into the Game Loft, Belfast, ME’s downtown youth center. She was immediately recruited to help with a community supper and she has been volunteering there ever since. She spends at least five hours per week volunteering at the Game Loft. Her talents in organization and clear thinking were immediately valued when people got to know her and she was recruited to be a youth member of the Game Loft board of directors when she was only 15. When Leah was 17 the director of the Game Loft left and the organization soon realized that it was in deep financial and programmatic trouble. Leah organized a group of meetings to recruit parent and community leaders to save the program and it worked. Today she stood proudly at a meeting where the Game Loft was awarded the #1 Exemplary Afterschool Program in Maine. Although she is too modest to ask for credit she is the reason the program is in place today.
In January 2007 when the Game Loft was reorganizing and hoping to re-establish its mission, Leah volunteered to be the office manager. She fulfilled that role as a volunteer until she was hired part-time in March. She went on volunteering for the Loft and is now cooking a daily meal for the hungry teens who gather there every day. Leah decided not to go to college but has continued learning every day. She does so much more than an office manager she is really the assistant director of the program. Every month she organizes a birthday party for any young people born that month. For some of our kids it is the only birthday party they will get. She has worked tirelessly at our first annual appeal, she organized a new administrative system, she is the contact person for our grants, and she keeps the rest of the staff motivated and happy. Whenever anyone needs help or encouragement at the Game Loft Leah is there to help. Leah continues to work as a volunteer board member and to sit on the Program Committee and the Nominating Committees of the Board as well as working two part-time jobs.
