Sue Kalensky
Luckily for the National Guard and Reservists in and around Brookfield Wisconsin as well as Active Duty posted at Fort McCoy, Give an Hour provider, Sue Kalensky, is only 25 minutes away. A licensed professional counselor Sue has worked with military service members and their families for six years both in private practice out of her office in Big Bend and as a consultant for the Department of Defense. She has given presentations, run group sessions and briefed post command on topics such as substance abuse and combat stress.
“I have a passion for the military,” she says. “My grandfather fought in World War II and I’m familiar with military culture.”
Sue first heard of Give an Hour through an email campaign over two years ago. “I followed up on it,” she says. “I’ve found that the National Guard folks, in particular, don’t get the support that Active Duty members get. Moreover many soldiers are in need of mental health counseling but may not want to use their military insurance or go to a military provider.”
Luckily for them, Sue is happy to offer her services.
One of Sue’s referrals was a veteran from Desert Storm. “A man came to me for counseling who was a former Marine involved in Desert Storm. He had never dealt with his PTSD, and then suddenly something triggered it. He needed to better understand what was happening to him.”
Sue has helped this Marine and many others like him. She is committed to her work with Give an Hour. “Volunteering for Give an Hour engenders a sense of giving back. I don’t have to be paid. These men and women have sacrificed so much for us.”
Krista Kasper
Mary Ward
Richard Ornelaz
During this busy tax season Richard Ornelaz is continuing a tradition he started more than a quarter-century ago. Every year during tax time the IRS accountant volunteers more than 80 hours helping predominately Spanish-speaking, middle- and lower-income families in his city of Houston prepare and file their federal tax returns.
Hear Richard Ornelaz talk about how he feels when he helps his community. (Click image to watch video.)
“It was clear to me that Spanish-speakers and other low-income taxpayers were at a serious disadvantage in simply trying to get a fair tax refund,” Ornelaz says.
In addition to helping taxpayers with their paperwork, Ornelaz volunteers each December teaching courses to help other volunteers become certified as tax preparers. In 2009, he was awarded the mayor’s Volunteer Houston award. It was estimated that by that year, Ornelaz had helped Houston’s underserved families receive more than $1 million in tax refunds and credits.
“I became interested in helping people with their taxes while I was teaching English courses to native Spanish-speakers at my church,” says Ornelaz. “I realized that many people were being audited because they simply didn’t understand the tax-filing process. Others had been deceived or overcharged by professional tax preparers.”
In the mid-1980s, Ornelaz began doing free tax preparation through an IRS-run program. That program later evolved into a partnership between the IRS and the private sector, which is today Neighborhood Tax Centers, a part of Neighborhood Centers Inc. The IRS continues to provide materials for the program, and oversees annual certification of tax preparers, while Neighborhood Centers is in charge of finding facilities and recruiting volunteers.
As agreements with facilities changed, Ornelaz initially had to move to several dspots around Houston, but for more than 10 years, he has spent every Saturday during tax season at volunteer space provided by Neighborhood Centers’ Ripley House. At that location, Ornelaz prepares 300 to 500 returns per year.
“A gratifying part of my volunteer work has been discovering that clients are following me from place to place as we have had to change locations,” says Ornelaz. “Many families keep coming to me, and they tell their friends and relatives, ‘Be sure to go to Richard.’”
Now, at least 50 percent of his clients are people he has helped before, and some of them have been receiving help from him for roughly 20 years.
“I can’t describe the heartwarming feeling when a family comes to me with fear in their eyes – either because they don’t know what to do or because some professional tax service has misled them – and I’m able to solve their problem,” Ornelaz says. “I’m proud of my work.”
Chris Fatzer
Will Lourcey
Will saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read: “Need A Meal.” He asked his parents what it meant and he became sad inside. Instead of feeling sorry for the man and driving on by, Will decided to make a difference; he told his parents “I want to start a charity group! I want to help that man and others like him. I want to see a world where there are no hungry people on street corners.” Will is special because he saw a need, designed a program, implemented it and continues to inspire others to fight hunger.
Will and his efforts have provided over 31,000 meals for the hungry and over 2,000 cans of food for his local food bank. He creates awareness of the hungry, collects canned foods and raises money for the Tarrant Area food bank. With his relationship with the local grocery store Will set up a donation box in the store where patrons could give food to the food bank.
Along with 10 of his friends, Will created a community service group called FROGS whose mission is: “Have Fun while Helping Others!” He met with the local food bank directors to learn more about the need in the community, toured the food bank and created/designed a program called “Hits & Kicks Against Hunger” for elementary school kids. Participants recruit sponsors to pledge $1 for every hit or kick they get in a baseball or soccer game.
He inspires thousands of community members to not only give canned food to the food bank but also give of their time. Hearing of Will’s activism, a local car wash held an awareness day of the hungry donating $1 for every car washed for an entire weekend while FROGS distributed information to the patrons about the food bank and answered questions regarding how to volunteer and donate.
American Mensa also held a canned food drive in Will’s name, raising 500 pounds of food for the Tarrant food bank. The food bank’s services and the need for volunteers and financial contributions are highlighted as a direct result of Will’s ideas and campaign.
Will loves to tell people: “I’m a little kid making a big, big difference!” And that he is. Will is unique because he is an 8 year old kid who ignites change in his community and inspires others to join the fight against hunger. He doesn’t view himself as just a child, but as a catalyst for change…no matter what his size. “It doesn’t matter how big or small you are…you can make a difference!”