Christina Aiken and Katie Doyle
Katie Doyle and Christina Aiken, help assist Joshua's Heart Foundation with fundraising, the junior advisory board, food distributions, and community outreach initiatives. Aiken and Doyle started with Joshua's Heart Foundation by spear heading the Junior Advisory Board. The ladies recruited 12 youth and held four meetings per year. At each meeting the youth would brainstorm four fundraising or community service activities. The Junior Advisory Board built and nourished a garden and all of the vegetables were distributed to families in need. In addition to the garden the girls led the Junior Advisory Board youth on missions of canned food drives, toy drives for a local orphanage and a talent show for seniors residing in a home.
In addition to being co-chairs of the Junior Advisory Board, both have held numerous fundraising events including happy hours (cocktails for a cause) and reached out to local businesses for raffle items. All proceeds from each event go to Joshua's Heart Foundation.
This year the girls also made a huge connection for Joshua's Heart Foundation. While at a local farmers market in Hollywood, Fla. they spoke to a few vegetable and fruit farmers and secured donations on a weekly basis of leftover produce. Each Sunday they go to the farmers market and pick up the produce and deliver the food to local families in need.
Jean Wilson
Jean Wilson reduces the pain and suffering of many through hand massage as a dedicated volunteer at a local comfort care team. She has a quality of serenity that can soothe others and brings a high touch service to many that are experiencing the high tech world of medicine.
She provides a simple service that means so much to people who are having the stress of a hospitalization. The hand massage has been shown to be a very effective, non-invasive way to help people heal. For more than 7 years she has dedicated herself to providing hand massage to patients at Newport Hospital and contributed more than 6,555 hours to the program.
Darlene Bearl
Darlene Bearl tirelessly fulfills community needs through research, networking and knowledge of the history of Anoka County. The Anoka County Historical Society was founded by a group of dedicated community volunteers in Anoka County in 1934. The mission of the Anoka County Historical Society is the discovery, preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the history of Anoka County and the State of Minnesota. Today, the Anoka County Historical Society has been nationally and locally recognized for its excellent work in all aspects of its mission and is an important and enriching part of the lives of Anoka County residents.
Bearl has been involved in a variety of activities at the history center for more than five years. Her insatiable interest in history and desire to educate the community about local history qualifies her as one of the more outstanding volunteers who deliver the mission.
In 2011, thousands of people were served by Anoka County Historical Society volunteers, whose contributions totaled 5,164 hours, and their dedication to preserve the history of Anoka County will benefit people from the county for years to come.
Margaret Edinburgh
Margaret Edinburg has found her joy in making others happy. In 2008 she created Yellow Rose Society to specifically reach out to those 85 and older. She honors these older citizens by sending them a card and showing them their lives have been worthwhile and they have made a positive impact on our world.
In the words of one of Edinburg’s associates, “she posses a quiet, gentle strength.” She has built a reputation for creating ways to selflessly make others happy. It has been said that, “When Margaret says she is going to do something, the next thing you know she is doing it. She is quite an inspiration. So many times, she has established the fact that she is our quarterback.”
Lisa Stordahl
Lisa Stordahl volunteers to address many needs in her community from youth homelessness and hunger, to at-risk teens who are suicidal, cutters, depressed, violent and come from unhealthy family situations. She has been a leader in Girl Scouts for 11 years, addressing the needs of girls.
Stordahl not only devotes many hours a week to volunteering but her chosen career is also with a nonprofit that provides no and low-cost healthcare to teens and young adults. She has an attitude of gratitude, always serving and giving to others. She also leads the community foundation of the sixth largest city in the State of Minnesota, a foundation that was established to assist nonprofits in the community that are doing great things for others and need resources to continue.
She has worked tirelessly on a new youth homelessness initiative to raise awareness and money for the issue.
Daniel Belgrad
The graduation rate last year in the Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD) was 56 percent. The previous year, the dropout rate was more than 25 percent. Daniel Belgrad and S.H.O.W. (Students Helping Our World) are combating those alarming numbers
S.H.O.W. is unique because of its peer-to-peer mission. It was started by students and is run by students to help other students. Belgrad formed committees of 50 students at each of the four schools the program has a presence as well as a leadership committee. They meet regularly to discuss how to raise awareness of S.H.O.W. and of the upcoming rewards. The student leaders have become empowered students at their own schools encouraging their peers to keep SHOWing up. By positive and supportive measures, the students are responding and improving. S.H.O.W. is utilizing the power of the Mayor and the city, the partnership and the support of generous individuals in Los Angeles to raise awareness of the problems in education. S.H.O.W. was never meant to be a solution to the education crisis. It is a tool to bring the community together and show that people care and want to help.
In the four schools that S.H.O.W. is working in, the students who achieved a 96 percent attendance rate last year ranged from 29-71 percent. Even more staggering is that Jordan High School, one of the schools Belgrad is working with, had a mere 29 percent of their students reach a 96 percent attendance rate last year. Low attendance rates lead to higher drop out rates and result in lower job prospects, and lower prospects for a better life. The problems are real. S.H.O.W. would like to increase attendance rates and improve grades while building a community of support and inspiring kids to believe in themselves.
Sherry Szczuka
The Court of Chancery appoints guardians for people who are disabled due to infirmity and age.
These people are vulnerable adults who rely on their guardians to take care of them properly. The court utilizes volunteers like Sherry Szczuka to make visits to each person and ensure their wellbeing.
Szczuka makes field visits to persons subject to guardianship in the state of Delaware residing in the community, nursing facilities and group homes. She serves as the "eyes and ears" of the court and reports on the well-being and living environment of each ward. She reports to the court any issues the guardian or ward may have and follows up accordingly and goes above and beyond her duties.
Szczuka is both unique and special because she took it upon herself to take on more than 100 cases on her own.
Verneda White
Verneda White is a young fashion designer that uses her talents to create awareness and raise much needed funding for charitable causes. Living in New York, this young lady started her brand, Human Intonation, because of life changing experiences. In 2006, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, White was a student studying fashion design. Her volunteer experience with HandsOn New Orleans that year inspired her to design custom t-shirts entitled “KATRINA IS STILL HERE.” Proceeds from the t-shirts sales went to HandsOn New Orleans. Six years later, White and her team continue to support HandsOn New Orleans through their t-shirt sales, and they have adopted three more charities that benefit HIV/ AIDS, Darfur Peace & Development Org and Yele Haiti.
As a result of her service, White has raised thousands of dollars for these causes. Her efforts have been recognized in magazines and on runways. The Levi's Corporation recognized her as one of 16 inspirational women. Visit her website to learn more: www.humanintonation.com
Fern Johns
Fern Johns is a hospital and hospice volunteer for the Grand Lake Health Systems in St. Marys, Ohio. At 82-years-old, she is a retired first grade teacher who keeps herself young by helping others.
Johns helps in the office so that staff can tend to the needs and wishes of families and patients that are going through the hospice program. Her help allows nurses to spend more time with patients rather than waste time with everyday tasks like paperwork. She also volunteers with the community outreach program by helping with health fairs and other actitivies.
Johns is a favorite in the community and adored for her positivity and devotion to others. When most would be relaxing and enjoying their retirement, she is dedicating her time and energy to improving the lives of others.
Johnna Switzer
