Mariam Todd

Mariam enjoyed a happy childhood and her family life provided the opportunity to learn to give back to the community from an early age. This is a trait that Mariam has kept to this day. Mariam’s life has been devoted to the service of others and the focus of most of her service has been children and faith-based.

From an early age, Mariam has been exposed to the spiritual experience and has been a very active participant in events of the church. Stanton Presbyterian Church is the place that Mariam now devotes her volunteer time to. Mariam sings in the choir and also works with the children’s church ministry. In addition, Mariam is a trustee in the church and has served as the director of their Vacation Bible School for the past three years.

In addition, Mariam’s concern for children has affected her career choice. She attended Eastern Kentucky University to become an elementary school teacher. During the day her career is to teach children; however, her time after hours is spent continuing to enrich the lives of children.

Mariam has been an active part in Stanton Presbyterian Church. From her volunteer duties as a choir member to the director of Vacation Bible School, Mariam has enabled important aspects of the church to be organized and effective ways to reach other community members. In addition, Mariam continues to nurture children during her after-hours as a teacher. Mariam also volunteers at the Stanton Food Bank. At the food bank, Mariam is responsible for stuffing grocery bags with food for the needs. During the school year, Mariam stuffs several back packs with food for needy students at her school to take home each weekend. The students are then able to return empty back packs the next week to be filled for the following weekend. Without these staples the children and their families would be hungry during the weekend.

Mariam is a dedicated constant volunteer. What she does my not be innovative; however, in today’s society it is unique that someone would continue to give of themselves year after year to help others. Mariam has taken the principals she learned as a child and continued to use them in her everyday life to affect change for others.

Don LaChance

Don LaChance, Senior Director of Inbound Quality Logistics at C&S Wholesale Grocers, had a deep commitment of time and talent for The Boy Scouts of America.

The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—incorporated on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916—is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and to develop personal fitness. Don has contributed his time and efforts to the Boy Scouts of America, Troop #355 in Newington, CT as an Assistant Scout Master.

Don has volunteered with the organization for the past fifteen years, and last year alone, Don devoted more than 200 hours of service to his troop. As an Assistant Scout Master, Don helps the scouts to build character, teach responsibilities of citizenship and develop person fitness.

Don further extended his commitment to the Scouts by participating in C&S’s Dollars for Doers program, which matches employee’s time with $1.00 per hour volunteered as a cash contribution to a nonprofit organization. As a result of this program, Don earned $1.00 for every hour of his volunteer time with the Scouts and has been able to donate those earnings along with his time to Troop #355.

Don’s long lasting commitment to the Boy Scouts of America has inspired, motivated and challenged the entire C&S family. In addition, a panel of C&S employees voted Don the 2008 C&S Volunteer of the Year Award for his dedication.

Carma Gilligan

Carma Gilligan is an extraordinary volunteer. She is an extremely committed board member of the Downtown BID and has served on two committees; Streetscapes and Clean Team. The Clean Team is staffed by young men from Opportunity Resources and is Carma’s pride and joy. It is a wonderful program, offering employment opportunities to disabled men while improving while improving the cleanliness of the downtown area. Carma has invested approximately 20 hours per month as a board member over the last two and a half years. She is consistently accessible, and is willing to come to the office to sign checks whenever needed.

Carma doesn’t limit herself to only one cause. After retiring from the Forest Service she enrolled in the RSVP volunteer program in 1998, making herself available to numerous non-profit organizations. The Missoula City Police Department has been fortunate that Carma has volunteered to do ticket tallies every Monday morning since 1999. She has worked other special events, such as the Pawn-a Thon, and helps edit the police department newsletter on occasion. Several times, she has opened her home for gift wrapping and storage for the Cop Kids Christmas Party. Carma also volunteers in the St. Patrick’s Hospital gift shop every Wednesday morning. She started about four years ago and is very committed ad reliable, helping with general office duties as well.

In her spare time, Carma has assisted the American Cancer Society, Missoula Aging Services Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program, the Missoula Food Bank, Montana Campus Compact, Missoula Chamber of Commerce, First Night Missoula, the YMCA and A Carousel for Missoula. She was chair of the Missoula Senior Service Corps Advisory Council and Montana SMP, helping fellow seniors to become proactive consumers identifying potential mistakes, abuse, or fraud in medical billing. During Missoula Aging Services numerous renovation projects, Carma’s enjoyment of physical activity made her a major contributor to the extensive painting projects spanning five years.

Carma still finds time to enjoy activities in the Red Hat Society and is instrumental in coordinating events. Her chapter is called the Movers and Shakers, and Carma is probably one of the reasons why! She was a key planner in the “Convergence” of 680 Red Hatters from all over the U.S. and Canada in September of 2006. She is extremely organized and was in charge of registration, name tags, table favors, and gift bags for every person in attendance. Once again she opened her home for work parties to stuff the bags with gifts and coupons from local businesses.

Madison Lewandowski

Madison’s idea: Why not have all the kids in our community clear out their closets and rooms, come together and sell their gently-used belongings to help fund pediatric cancer research? She had inspired one child. Why not a city full of children?

It was a phenomenal idea, but neither Madison nor her father had ever organized a community event before. They turned to The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara for guidance, a partnership and an outlet for the funding. The Cancer Center would use the proceeds to support children’s pediatric research at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. The Cancer Center and Madison hammered out a date for the early summer of 2008 for the “biggest kid-run rummage sale in the city’s history”.

Madison made participating easy. She got local sponsors involved so the children donating their items would have goodie bags with free miniature golf, bowling, museum visits, food at local restaurants and more. Parents wanted to get involved so they could clear out their children’s cluttered rooms. People wanted to come to get great deals on children’s items while helping raise funds to beat childhood cancer, which of course was the biggest benefit of the Kidz For A Cure event. But, Madison had a hidden agenda for the event—to get kids involved in their communities.

The event slowly grew from a rummage sale to a not-to-be-missed city event. The slogan, “Kids helping kids,” started to take shape. There would be a band entertaining the crowd, The Newcats, comprised solely of children. There would be a kid-run origami, paper-crane-folding table, to send positive wishes to pediatric cancer patients. There would end up being food and face painting, a silent auction and a raffle, a clown and a professional storyteller.

The local media was stunned to see such an incredible event taking place with an absolute zero budget and all stemming from the mind of a third grade girl.

One of the highlights of the morning sale was when Congresswoman Lois Capps arrived to see the festivities. She spoke and told how she was inspired to see so many children making a difference in their community.

Childhood cancer is an uphill battle. Everyday there are on average 36 young people who are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. and cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under 15. Most childhood cancers’ causes are unknown and cannot be prevented. Yet, its research is terribly underfunded.

The event raises nearly $3,000 in just three hours, but it also raised awareness of childhood cancer while raising the awareness of children’s philanthropic abilities. Madison was asked over and over again if she would run the event the following year. Parents and children who didn’t donate items vowed they would the following year. Businesses have approached her wanting to be a part of Kidz For A Cure. Madison believes that her event will continue to grow as long as there are kids willing to help kids.

The week after the event, Congresswoman Capps stood in front of the legislators on Capitol Hill and spoke about a bill she was backing, The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. Then she went on to mention the impact one person can make, Madison Lewandowski and Kidz For A Cure.

Last year, when Madison was eight years old, she had just cleaned her room. She emerged with a bag of stuffed animals, books and toys. She dragged the bag to her father and told him, “I want these to help raise money for cancer.” And then she headed back to her room.

Her father always appreciated Madison’s efforts at helping others, but wasn’t sure what to do with the bag of items. He finally decided he’d stash them aside in the garage and sell them at their annual yard sale and then donate the money to some cancer organization.

It was Madison’s four-year old sister, Maya, that acted as the last piece to this puzzle. The following day, Maya approached her father toting a bag of toys of her own. “These are for cancer,” she proclaimed, then hurried off to play.

Maya always looked up to and respected Madison. She wanted to be just like her. Therefore, she decided to donate her toys, also. Madison’s father pulled her aside and explained how she had inspired her little sister to give in order to help others. After throwing ideas back and forth with her dad, Kidz For A Cure was born.

Madison had always tried to help worthy causes. After Hurricane Katrina hit, she and a friend sold pieces of art for donations, raising over $50 for the Red Cross’ Hurricane Katrina Fund. She’s run her own business (Maddie’s Monkey Business) since she was seven, creating and selling custom-made jewelry, picture frames and more to help pay for her college tuition one day. A percentage of her profits have always gone to charity. She created a handmade doll for the non-profit organization, Girls Inc., which sold at auction for $100 to benefit the program. She’s also appeared in the Girls Inc. book, More Letters from the Heart: Words of Wisdom from Exceptional Women and Girls, whose proceeds benefit the Girls Inc. program.

Madison knows that children, no matter how young, have the power to help their communities. So, she thought by having the children run the Kidz For A Cure event, she could inspire others to become more philanthropic in other ways, too.

Zachary Haines

Zachary has been a volunteer for the Activity Department at Manatawny Manor for two years. The facility is a 133 bed Nursing Care Center. He provides visits to elderly residents that cannot or will not leave their rooms. He assists with transporting residents to activity programs. He helps to serve refreshments, takes the book cart to residents and assists them in making selections. He delivers the mail and will assist residents in opening and reading cards and letters when asked. He provides assistance in setting up large special events and then cleaning up when event is over.

Zach eases the need for socialization, kindness, politeness, caring and laughter. He provides companionship to elderly which in turn eases the guilt which can be felt by family members by the fact of their loved one having to be in a nursing care center.

The most important aspect of having Zach as a volunteer is proof that there are still youth today that have exceptional manners, respect of others, especially our elders, and a very kind heart. This is what residents see in Zach. They like to brag about him to family members. Our hope is that they all see Zach and maybe that brings back a special feeling of how they raised their own children so many years ago. Many of our residents do not have regular visits from their grandchildren or great grandchildren and we hope Zach helps to fill that void for them.

What you should be aware of is that Zach took it upon himself to research volunteer opportunities on his computer at a very young age. He knew he wanted to volunteer for the summer. He located our organization, called for an appointment to interview, and has been with us ever since. Zach has left an impression on each of our residents. The men in our facility look forward to seeing him. He has a comfort level in conversing with elderly and the ability to make them feel respected and appreciated.

LAQUISHA TISDAL HALL

LaQuisha Hall is currently a Professor of Literacy at Knowledge Achievement Success Academy: College Prep. She especially likes being a teacher because she works with youth as it allows her the opportunity to mentor and maintain relationships with her students. LaQuisha’s proudest accomplishments is completing the first draft of a novel based on her experience as a teenage sexual abuse victim.

After suffering from abuse starting at a younf age, LaQuisha battled suicidal thoughts and attempts, low self-esteem and depression. Facing a seemingly lifetime of emotional scars, she left home at the age of 16; this is when the abuse ended. While residing with her father, she finally broke her silence at the age of 18.

LaQuisha currently holds the title of Mrs. Owings Mills International 2009, in preparation for the Mrs. Maryland International pageant in April 2009. She actively promotes her platform, Silent No More! Sexual Abuse Awareness & Recovery, which presents a two-pronged approach—educating the public about the realities of sexual abuse and encouraging survivors through the recovery process. LaQuisha works alongside several organizations, including Turn Around, Inc., the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) and the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She also founded an organization, Queendom, where she mentors, encourages and teaches teenage girls in Baltimore City about feminine etiquette and/or sexual abuse. A large part of LaQuisha’s presentation is devoted to dispelling myths about sexual abuse and sharing recovery options such as counseling, hotlines and support groups.

LaQuisha is a member of Turn Around’s Speaker Bureau and Women Against Violence Everywhere (W.A.V.E). Turn Around, Inc., a private non-profit organization, assists victims child and adult victims of sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence. This organization reaches more than 10,000 people in the Baltimore City and County areas. She is also a member of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Speaker’s Bureau, allowing her to be available to speak all over the United States. She is also an Online Hotline Volunteer. RAINN is the largest sexual assault advocacy and awareness organization in the country.

LaQuisha’s additional and recent community involvement includes volunteering for Maryland Public Television, organizing care packages and letters for Give 2 the Troops, Inc., conducting an Adopt-A-Classroom fundraiser for Baltimore City Public Schools’ classrooms, mentoring through the United Sisters Organization, being a Domestic Violence and Breast/Ovarian Cancer Walk participant, donating toys to various organizations during the holiday season, decorating domestic violence shelters for the holidays, raising monies for Baltimore Child Abuse Inc., Sexual Assault and Spouse Abuse Center, Inc., RAINN and Turn Around, Inc., adopting local families for Christmas and participating in an Angel Tree Christmas Celebration. She has also met with celebrity, Krishnar Lewis, in order to help promote his song, “Sad Girl”, which advocates for sexual abuse victims. Also, LaQuisha has given many food and toiletry donations to her local fire department.

As a result of LaQuisha’s service to our community, many families have received support, mentoring and detailed information on how prevent sexual abuse. Troops in Iraq are still sending thank you cards and certificates to her because she has donated so many necessary items to them. In addition, many teenage girls admire and look up to her not only because of her ability to speak out against such a heinous crime, but also because she is a survivor helping and encouraging others.

Many call themselves a survivor simply because they lived through a catastrophe. However, living through a catastrophe does not indicate that the person lived after the catastrophe. A person can physically breathe in air, soak in sunlight and release a dozen smiles, but be deceased on the inside. LaQuisha considered herself a survivor of sexual abuse the day that she ran away from the environment, her mother’s house. While residing with her dad, she was frequently depressed and only pretending to be a happy teenager. LaQuisha was dying on the inside for family love, recovery, revenge and deliverance for desiring the revenge against the pedophile. By the time she went to college, her depression evolved into contemplating suicide. Late in her freshman year of college, she swallowed 119 Motrin IBs. She was not only dying on the inside, but she wanted to die on the outside.

A survivor not only lives through catastrophe, but moves forward with their goal. A survivor’s purpose is to not only heal themselves, but also to help others survive. Once a survivor has overcome a catastrophe, they then want to ensure that the same issue does not occur in someone else’s life. LaQuisha is unique and special because she lived through three years of sexual abuse. After coming to terms with what happened and realizing that her sisters were still in the home, she decided that she was going to make sure they would not be affected in the same way. She began calling home frequently and making sure they understood that she would always be available to them and that they could talk to her about anything. LaQuisha’s desire was to form a relationship with her sisters that she could not form with her mother.

In addition, her passion to help sexual abuse victims evolved her marriage in 2005. As a teacher, she encountered many students who confessed to being sexually abused. LaQuisha is seen as a person who can be confided in and who can help. She took on pageantry as a means to not only share her survival story, but also to further promote sexual abuse awareness.

LaQuisha Hall

LaQuisha Hall is currently a Professor of Literacy at Knowledge Achievement Success Academy: College Prep. She especially likes being a teacher because has the opportunity to mentor and maintain relationships with her students. LaQuisha’s proudest accomplishment is completing the first draft of a novel based on her experience as a teenage sexual abuse victim.

After being violated by a well-trusted pastor and family member starting at the age of 14, LaQuisha battled suicidal thoughts and attempts, low self-esteem and depression. Facing a seemingly lifetime of emotional scars, she left home at the age of 16; ending the abuse. While residing with her father, she finally broke her silence at the age of 18, only to find sorrow again when her mother disbelieved her story. LaQuisha desires to be an example, encouraging others that God will still allow a person to be successful as an adult after a tumultuous past.

Dallas Jessup

Dallas Jessup is a 16 year old senior at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, OR. As an amazing 13 year old, Dallas started a community service project which she has grown over the past 3 years into a non-profit, Just Yell Fire, which has affected a million girls across 41 countries.

According to the YWCA, statistically 1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted before they graduate college and there are 114,000 attempted abductions in the U.S. each year, a majority of which are of teenage girls.

Dallas, a black belt martial artist and Filipino street fighting instructor, decided to do a home movie to teach the girls at her school some age appropriate get away strategies. That decision quickly blossomed into to raising $600,000 in cash and donated services plus 130 volunteers (including a professional film crew) to create a 46 minute film (from her script) showing girls how to bite, gouge an eye, tear an ear and other quick learn techniques where a 100 pound girl can get away from a 250 pound attacker every time. She included also a Dating Bill of Rights.

Dallas put the film online for free download by girls anywhere in the world using an unlimited bandwidth donation she negotiated from a telephone company and made 10,000 copies to mail to girls without Internet access.

To date there have been more than 650,000 downloads and DVDs given away in 41 countries. Emails come in daily from law enforcement, parents, teachers, shelters and teens praising the effort and sharing stories of violence prevention. The film was one of 10 most downloaded production-length films worldwide in 2007 and won Most Notable from the American Library Association for its category in 2008.

Recently a 13 year old wrote of getting away from an abduction using Dallas’ Just Yell Fire techniques. An AIDS orphan’s shelter in Africa wrote that they are using the Just Yell Fire movie to protect their girls from an urban legend that claims raping a virgin is a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Dallas travels 10,000 miles per month to speak at schools, women’s conferences, shelters, law enforcement events and elsewhere getting the word out to girls that they have rights and the ability to stand up for themselves. This summer she toured rural India speaking to thousands at a dozen high schools and universities in response to the crisis of abductions there by slave traders for the international sex trafficking industry.

She was recently the first teen keynote ever at a national MENSA conference, a keynote at the FBI National Academy, and a few days ago at a conference of 350 extremely at-risk girls in New Mexico. These are just a recent sampling of her continuing engagements. Somehow she maintains a 3.5 average at school with her teachers letting her turn in assignments by email and her friends sharing notes while she pursues this important initiative.

She’s been recognized as a CNN Hero, a Huggable Hero, a Brick Award Winner, inducted into the National Caring Hall of Fame in Washington DC, Caring Award Winner, Teen Choice Award Nominee ’08, Washington State Volunteer of the Year, One of 25 Most Beautiful People in the Northwest and Elle Girl Teen Hero

Dallas also spreads the Just Yell Fire message in the media with features on Good Morning America, CNN, Montel, Today, Fox News Live, Hallmark Channel and local spots around the country. People Magazine, Justine, Teen, Tae Kwon Do Times, Girls Life, Teen and others have done features on Just Yell Fire. USA Today featured her as did other papers from the U.S. to the UK, India and elsewhere. Monday she’s doing her first video teleconference to get the word to girls in Pakistan.

She recently launched a Train the Trainer program to get Just Yell Fire to more girls. The concept is to teach teachers and coaches around the country so Just Yell Fire can get into the schools and thus save a generation of girls from the horrors of assault or worse.

Dallas now includes in her presentations on how to stay safe, a call to action for youth activism where teens can start their own community service project. She’s a great role model in this capacity. She recently completed her book Young Revolutionaries Who Rock, saving the world one revolution at a time which comes out early 2009 from Continental Shelf Publishing.

Girls have to stand up for themselves and Dallas is empowering girls worldwide to fight back against physical abuse and abduction. She lets them know they have rights and exactly how to stand up for them.

Brea Thomas

Brea Thomas started working on a Habitat for Humanity home site in April 2007, the first month she was eligible under Habitat rules. In a very short length of time, she realized that the organization would greatly benefit from additional participation from the community’s high school youth. After much planning and many meetings with executive directors, school administrators, faculty and students, The Covenant School Habitat for Humanity Club was officially approved in May 2007. Under the strong and steady guidance of Brea, this high school club, begun by the passion of a single student, has provided over 1,200 volunteer hours to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville organization. Since arriving on that Habitat job site in April of 2007, Brea has personally invested well over 250 volunteer hours.

Brea has become a leader, planner, fundraiser and public relations specialist! Her school’s Habitat for Humanity Club works together to raise money, awareness and manpower for the house it has chosen to sponsor. Her creative fundraising ideas, all themed around construction, have included Nickels for Nails—collecting coins to match the 150 lb. weight in nails used in a single Habitat House, Tix4Bricks—a website where a silent auction will be held for tickets to various concerts at the local arena, the design and sale of T-shirts to acknowledge World Habitat Day, and the ever-popular “Build a Sundae” offered during the lunch hour at school.

Charlottesville’s Habitat for Humanity recently purchased the 100-acre Southwood Mobile Home Park and it will be developed in partnership with local developers as a high-density, mixed-income community with hundreds of homes. To supplement this plan, Brea’s Habitat for Humanity club applied for and received a $7,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to begin a special project known as “The Garden at Southwood.”

Brea has fervently embraced her partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and appears poised to encourage other young people to do the same. Her commitment to Habitat for Humanity has been recognized by appointing Brea to a position on the board of Youth United, a committee that is constantly working to raise awareness and support for the Habitat cause among the youth of our community. As a campus chapter leader, Brea will be attending the upcoming Youth Leadership Conference in St. Louis that celebrates the important contributions youth have made to Habitat’s mission.

As a campus chapter leader, Brea attended the Habitat for Humanity Youth Leadership Conference in St. Louis that celebrated the important contributions youth have made to Habitat’s mission.

Brea’s desire to participate in the Habitat program positively influences her fellow students at The Covenant School. She brings a positive attitude to her tasks, whether lifting heavy boards up two flights of steps, assisting older volunteers, or devoting serious effort to fundraising. The personal determination she exhibits is well beyond the expectation of most 17-year-old girls. She is an inspiration to all who know her!

Floy Newman

Since November 2003, Floy Newman has volunteered as a literacy tutor with READ/Orange County’s Working for Inmate Literacy Now (WIN) program. WIN volunteers provide basic literacy services to incarcerated adults at one of five Orange County jail facilities. As a highly-trained tutor, Floy works with inmates who have expressed an interest in literacy training to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills. In addition, she encourages them to continue their education upon transfer or release from the jail system, which can lead to a reduction of the recidivism rate and an increase in employment options and community safety.

Each READ/OC tutor undergoes 23 hours of training and is asked to dedicate 50 hours to tutoring an adult learner. In addition, volunteers prepare monthly reports, attend regularly scheduled skills enhancement workshops and submit semi-annual goal achievement summaries.

Floy Newman has far surpassed the commitment level of most READ/OC volunteers. She has been actively involved as a WIN literacy tutor for five years, dedicating her time and expertise to inmate instruction. The 50 hours that she initially signed up to complete have dramatically increased to more than 500 volunteer hours.

READ/OC is the adult literacy service program of the OC Community Resources, OC Public Libraries. The program matches highly-trained volunteer tutors such as Floy Newman with Orange County residents seeking literacy services in order to improve English reading, writing and speaking skills. As a WIN volunteer, Floy demonstrates to inmates that they are capable of improving their literacy skills.

Literacy skills are so tightly woven into every facet of a person’s life – civic, professional, and personal – that it is impossible to separate the impact that the lack of these skills has from one aspect to another. In order to better serve the community in which they live, adults must be equipped for the future. READ/OC assists learners in becoming more effective citizens and workers who can adapt to change and actively participate in all aspects of community life.

The tutor/student relationship that Floy provides is the core of the literacy program. For many of her students, she is perceived as the last or only hope to free them from the restrictions and limitations of illiteracy. Her involvement brings the joy as well as the benefits of reading to incarcerated adults.

Over the past five years, Floy has tutored more than 15 incarcerated adults, providing them with an opportunity to develop reading skills that were not acquired as a child. Skills that many of us take for granted.

When asked about some of her most meaningful experiences as a literacy tutor within a jail setting, Floy mentions a developmentally delayed student who she has worked with from time to time for approximately two years. As a result of her intervention, he progressed from struggling through three sentences in a Dr. Seuss book to confidently reading about dolphins at a third-grade reading level.

Tangela Ashe the READ/OC WIN coordinator says, “Floy may not be able to teach the inmates to read fluently in the short time she tutors them in a jail setting, but by the time their sessions end, they are certainly inspired to achieve even higher reading levels.”

Floy’s dedication to the learners she works with is inspirational. On May 5, 2004 she underwent major surgery. By May 17, she was ready to return to her volunteer duties. Over the years, she has purchased resource materials for her learners to assist them in improving their literacy skills and has never requested a reimbursement. During stressful administrative changes, she remained consistent in providing literacy services for the inmates, encouraging them to achieve their personal goals and helping them acquire reading skills that would strengthen their self-confidence and contribute to their successful transition back into the community.

Floy exemplifies the spirit and value of volunteerism. She touches many lives through her compassion and patience in working with incarcerated adults. Her commitment to the mission and goals of READ/OC inspires others to get involved. Her volunteer endeavors are making a significant difference in Orange County that positively impacts current and future generations.