Thomas Yushchok
Tom Yuschok serves as his community’s local board chairman for the Boy Scouts of America. He was instrumental in the merging of two scouting service areas and developing programs for youth. Tom works with youth to prepare them to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Because of Tom's dedication and leadership to the local scouting program, more than 700 youth had the opportunity to become scouts in 2010. It is a fact that youth who are scouts are more likely to be good students, strong leaders, active members of their community and grow up to be productive citizens.
Leading a team of volunteers is a tough job. Tom has led his team to success. Scouting has become a strong priority in his day-to-day life. In scouting, one may come across several "well intentioned" individuals, but Tom is more than intention. He is action. His colleagues appreciate his strong sense of commitment and dedication to developing the youth in our community. That is what makes Tom a Daily Point of Light.
Tiffany Smith
Tiffany Smith is a psychotherapist with her own practice and a great deal of experience working with veterans, not only members of the military who served in Iraq and Afghanistan wars but also World War II veterans.
Tiffany says that the WWII veterans described symptoms exactly like what she sees today in soldiers who are young enough to be their grandchildren. “They were emotionally withdrawn, volatile, unable to bond with their kids, unable to sleep. These are the same symptoms soldiers who have seen combat have today.”
Currently it is the wives and mothers of soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan who she helps as a Give an Hour provider. “One young woman’s husband was finishing up basic training and they were both afraid he would be deployed to Afghanistan because he was in the Infantry,” she says. “Another of my Give an Hour patients was a mom whose son had committed suicide after returning from war with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury. She had a younger son who I was able to refer to another Give an Hour provider since it was inconvenient for him to come see me.”
Tiffany sees the mental health problems stemming from the current conflicts as only getting worse. “You know the military gives these kids months of training before they deploy, but only a week of training when they return to civilian life. It’s just not enough when, after several deployments the soldiers are facing failing marriages and financial problems with full blown PTSD. Then it takes forever for the VA benefits to kick in. The system makes transitioning back pretty tough which is one reason I feel so good about being able to help as many as I can as a Give an Hour provider.” Tiffany’s willingness to volunteer her time to help soldiers and their family adjust is what makes her a Daily Point of Light.
Rite of Passage Colorado Qualifying House
For several years the students at the Colorado Rite of Passage Qualifying house (Q-House) have gone above and beyond in providing volunteer services to the community. These are youth that have made mistakes in the past and have proven they have so much to offer as part of the community.
When the Georgetown, Colorado’s official website, displayed a notice advising residents of an alert related to the water main break due to the excessive snowmelt and high water, the town contacted the Q-House requesting emergency assistance. The Q-House students responded and set-up water filling stations throughout the community and handed out flyers to every household. The students delivered 3,600 gallons of water to residents.
Residents had clean water, community members participated in a well-staffed event, rescued animals received care, disabled veterans were able to compete in sporting activities, the community observed compassion exhibited by youth, the youth had the opportunity to honor those who fought for our country's freedom and played a part in historical awareness and documentation. The youth seem to also be impacted by the services they provide.
Although the students were formerly adjudicated youth, their community service activities are not ordered by the courts. This is why the students at the Q-House are Daily Points of Light.