Lisa Hughey

Lisa Hughey is a longtime volunteer with Special Olympics Georgia. In 2011, Lisa brought the State Fall Games, and the Special Olympics message, to Dalton, Ga.

Lisa is unique in her passion for the Special Olympics Georgia mission. Her entire family is heavily involved with Special Olympics. Her son, Tyler, is an athlete and her daughter, Raven, is a volunteer and the chairman of the youth Special Olympics Georgia program. Lisa has traveled around the state for many Special Olympics Games and wanted desperately to bring the games to her city of Dalton. Doing this brought Special Olympics to the attention of several people who had never heard about the program or may have never had the chance to get involved. This brought more people to the Special Olympics Georgia program and brought the mission to more people who will hopefully spread the word to even more people. The games were a huge success because of Lisa's dedication and passion.

She serves as the local coordinator for the local management team in Dalton, which means that she coordinates the games, schedules events, locates facilities, recruits volunteers, fundraises for the event, and helps to run the games.

Lisa helps to address the mission of Special Olympics Georgia, which is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. This is what makes Lisa a Daily Point of Light.

No Kill Advocacy Center

The No Kill Advocacy Center (NKAC) is an inspirational, one-of-a-kind shelter that is unique for its unwavering commitment to ending the killing of healthy and treatable shelter pets.

In 2005, Nathan Winograd was hired as the new executive director and brought an immediate halt to the killing that had been rampant. The fearlessness of this organization and its director in the face of entrenchment and adversity is an inspiration. They do the right thing, even when it is difficult and when others would avoid it.

As a result of the NKAC's work, there are now more than 25 No Kill communities in the nation, where 11 years ago, there were none. Because of the tireless efforts of the NKAC and its director, the No Kill movement is gaining attention in the mainstream media and there are many No Kill shelter reform efforts making progress. Many thousands of animals have already been saved and many human lives made better, either through pet adoption, the return of a lost pet or a positive work or inspiring volunteer experience, where once there would have been death and misery.

The NKAC has inspired many ordinary people to become extraordinary by fostering their leadership and empowering them to fight for positive changes in their communities. The No Kill movement has spread beyond the US to Australia and New Zealand and elsewhere because of the NKAC. That is what makes the No Kill Advocacy Center a Daily Point of Light.

Joan Baird

Joan Baird recently became one of the original members of the Special Olympics Georgia Educational Resource Network, designed to provide information and guidance to parents of children with special needs as well as special education teachers across the state.

For many years, Joan Baird, the director of student services for Madison County Schools in Georgia, has enriched the lives of students with developmental disabilities in an area where this population has traditionally been underserved. As an advocate for the Special Olympics, she has provided training opportunities to students within her school system to better themselves physically and emotionally.

Not only does Joan serve as an advocate for many participants in the Special Olympics and as a role model for many students, she is also a strong role model in the life of her daughter Hannah, who has Down ’s Syndrome. With the help of Joan’s encouragement and love, Hannah has prevailed as a community leader in Girl Scouts, Special Olympics, and was even the prom queen at her high school in 2010. Joan’s support for both her daughter and many other children with special needs in her community is what makes her a Daily Point of Light.

Sue B. McIlrath

Sue B. McIlrath believes the volunteer work she does is her calling in life and it shows through the impact she has made and the lives she has touched through her caring commitment.

Sue participates in many different activities through a variety of organizations. She volunteers at the Halifax-Health Hospice center in Orange City, Fla. as the director of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and offers invaluable support, comfort and hope to those who have lost a loved one.

In an effort to support children who have lost someone dear to them, Sue played an integral role in setting up the Flagler County Begin Again Children’s Grief center 11 years ago. Sue understands the importance of offering support to these children as she lost her father at a young age and was not offered any support. As a result of this personal experience, Sue is committed to her volunteer service and will do whatever it takes to help. She is also a vital member of the team that organizes the hospitals annual “Rubber Duck Race” that raises money for the grief center.

Sue is always the first to lend a helping hand and is always willing to comfort those in mourning through her compassion and care. This is what makes Sue a Daily Point of Light.

Vishal Venkitachalam

Vishal has been volunteering for the past four years with Giving Children Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides food, medical supplies, clothes and monetary donations to the poor and hungry children and people of Orange County, Calif. and the world.

Vishal started as a volunteer and was recommended to become a volunteer leader because of his sincerity and dedication to the organization. As a volunteer, Vishal works at Giving Children Hope's warehouse, where he fills backpacks with food items, sorts and stacks medical supplies, packs boxes, and keeps track of the amount of supplies sent out to different parts of the world. His additional responsibilities as a volunteer leader include interacting with other staff members and managing and leading other volunteers in the best interests of the organization. Vishal has also donated his birthday money which was matched dollar to dollar by another foundation for the poor and hungry children of Orange County- 'We've Got Your Back' program.

When the powerful earthquake in Haiti displaced thousands of people, Vishal initiated a Disaster Relief Supplies Drive at Whitney High School and, with the help of students, teachers and faculty, collected disaster relief items that were later sent to Haiti.

He collected monetary donations for the Japan earthquake disaster relief by approaching family and friends and also by going door to door in his local community. It gives him great pleasure and satisfaction in his heart to help people in need and he will continue to do so throughout his life.

Vishal's actions have amazed and inspired many students as well as adults. He continues his efforts to make a difference in people's lives and this is why Vishal is a Daily Point of Light.

Brenda Williams

Dr. Brenda Williams founded the Family Unit Inc. and the Do Right Project approximately four years ago to help individuals that had previously been incarcerated rebuild their lives in Sumter, S.C.

With the help of her church family, Brenda spearheaded the total renovation and refurnishing of abandoned homes in Sumter. Since its establishment in 2008, the Family Unit has given away three homes, free and clear to family's that meet the organization's requirements. These homes include furnishings and the residents have also been provided job assistance.

Since the establishment of the home giveaway program, the Family Unit has also educated residents of Sumter County with the voting process. Brenda is helping individuals obtain their picture IDs and register to vote despite the new voting process in the state of South Carolina.

The Family Unit also works with children of the Do Right Program. The Do Right Kids make gifts for children living in orphanages and hospitals to lift their spirits. Brenda is working to uplift the youth and adults in her community by creating opportunities for homeownership, voting and becoming engaged youth that give to other young people facing various challenges.

Brenda is addressing homelessness, voting rights and youth empowerment through the Family Unit and Do Right Project. This is why Brenda is a Daily Point of Light.

Michael Feduccia

Michael Feduccia’s son has Down syndrome and as a result Michael has become a tireless supporter of the organization, Manasota BUDS (Bringing Up Down Syndrome).

Mike has volunteered countless hours educating his community about Down syndrome and organizing programs and services which directly benefit children and adults with Down syndrome, and their families.

In addition to attending every monthly meeting and rallying support at numerous other community events from cocktail parties to post-hole digging for our annual fundraising walk held on a farm, Mike gives his personal, emotional support to other men in raising their children/grandchildren with Down syndrome. He is a true source of support, encouragement, and inspiration.

Mike addresses many needs in his community for families of individuals with Down syndrome. First, he helps organize monthly meetings from ordering food to scheduling guest speakers. Second, he talks the talk and walks the walk taking his young son into the community and talking to citizens about his experience as the father of a boy with Down syndrome in a positive way. Third, he helped to raise funds which are a necessary activity for a nonprofit organization. He seeks and applies for grants and is always networking on behalf of Manasota BUDS.

Mike is a kind-hearted man who is concerned about the well-being of entire families of children with Down syndrome. He understands needs and works to find solutions. He is a special person who works hard for an important cause but would never expect any attention or reward for his efforts. This is why Mike is a Daily Point of Light.

Lewis Bigler

Mental health and addiction counselor, Lewis “Lew” Bigler, has been practicing in the Buffalo, N.Y. communities of Amherst and Snyder for more than fifty years.

Lew has provided mental health care to service members and their families of the local Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, home of the 914 Air Wing and the Niagara Coast Guard and Army Guard for decades. In addition to marital counseling he has helped the local military community address mental illnesses including anxiety, eating disorders, depression, bi-polar disease and schizophrenia. Lew says that many of his cases begin with marital discord as a result of a service member being deployed multiple times and then returning home with no mental health support.

Lew works with military service and family members as well as pro bono for Give an Hour. About 92 percent of his Give an Hour clients are able to make great progress over a period of ten or so sessions. Along with volunteering for Give an Hour, Lew volunteers for Mental Health Services for Erie County and a hotline for police officers.

Lew is devoted to his volunteer work and says, “We have these skills sets and must apply them to help those who have served us. They often return to tumultuous lives. They need our help.” This is why Lew is a Daily Point of Light.

Shoreh Elhami

Shoreh Elhami is a volunteer with the GISCorps, a volunteer program under the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA), an International professional organization for GIS professionals.

Volunteers within the GISCorps are geospatial professionals who provide technical services in the areas of geographic information systems, remote sensing and global positioning systems. Among many other projects, Shoreh and other GISCorps volunteers have been instrumental in providing vital service location for refugees in Cairo; GIS capacity building in Afghanistan, medical care referrals for the poor in Central America, development of a national web map portal of volcanoes in Armenia; and mapping genocide events in Darfur and Chad. The volunteers create a connection with their clients who need assistance or want to create a better way of life by providing their services either on-site or remotely.

Moreover, the volunteers strengthen local capacity by helping them adopt and use information technology. GISCorps volunteers' services help to improve the quality of life by supporting humanitarian relief, enhancing environmental analysis, fostering economic development, supporting community planning, and supporting health and education related activities.

Volunteers with the GISCorps provide much needed technical services across an enormous set of environmental, disaster relief, human rights, historic preservation, economic development, election monitoring and educational applications. That is what makes Shoreh a Daily Point of Light.

Sandra Testo-Michaud