March 27, 2008

Volunteers making an impact

San Jose Junior League honors outstanding volunteers

By Carol Rosen
Editor

“Making An Impact” means different things to different people. It’s the values you model, the people you help and the programs you champion. Every day, each one of us makes an impact.

At the 39th annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon, to be held on Apr. 25 at the Santa Clara Marriott, the Junior League of San Jose (JLSJ) will honor community volunteers who made an outstanding impact in their communities. This annual event recognizes volunteers from local community agencies who went far beyond the already high expectations for volunteers and took it upon themselves to change the way things are.

Created in 1969 by the Volunteer Center, the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon (VRL) recognizes local volunteers, who donate their time, talent and energy to help others and improve the community. Since its inception, VRL has honored more than 6,000 amazing volunteers. JLSJ joined in sponsoring the event in 1972, and became its sole sponsor in 1986.

The following 15 volunteers, selected by a panel of community leaders, will be recognized with the prestigious Crystal Bowl Award, generously sponsored by Tiffany & Co.

One of the Crystal Bowl Award winners will be chosen for the Volunteerism At Its Best Award. This nominee will be presented with a beautiful silver bowl from Tiffany & Co., and their nominating agency will receive a $1,000 stipend, generously underwritten by Fertility Physicians of Northern California. Additionally, the United Way of Silicon Valley will present a Corporate Leadership Award to a Santa Clara County corporation for their commitment to the community.

For more information about the Junior League of San Jose, the 39th annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon or to purchase tickets, please call (408) 264-3402 or visit www.jlsj.org.

Sandy Carboni-Wardwell – Noddin Elementary School
Students at Noddin Elementary School have benefited from the wide-ranging efforts of Sandy, a volunteer who’s been involved in everything from producing the school variety show to acting as a Safety Patrol parent coordinator, a room parent, a Walkathon chair and a volunteer at both the Spring Faire and the Holiday Faire. During her 13-year volunteer tenure, Sandy has also raised funds for the Union Middle School arts programs and revamped the Noddin School Olympic Day. School administrators commend Sandy for her high level of dedication and outstanding results, calling her a “jewel volunteer.”

Cathy Crockett - Hospice of the Valley
For those close to leaving this world behind, Cathy, a volunteer at Hospice of the Valley, is there to make their remaining time as peaceful as possible. Cathy is a volunteer with clients in need, providing Reiki treatments and patient support. She once devised a creative armchair tour of the United States of America for a client who enjoyed travel. Cathy acts as a mentor to new volunteers, supports colleagues who work on emotionally difficult cases and participates in fundraising efforts. Cathy’s positive results can be seen in the lives of patients, family members and other volunteers. Her efforts on behalf of Hospice of the Valley have truly made an impact.

Julie Fowlkes-Bring Me a Book Foundation
Childhood literacy is something so important to future success, and Julie is helping to move this mission forward through her activities with the Bring Me a Book Foundation. Julie serves as a First Teacher Trainer through an innovative partnership with Planned Parenthood that helps teach pregnant and parenting teens the importance of daily reading aloud to their children. She’s also worked with extending the program to Alum Rock Unified School District through the First Teacher Program, led a Train the Trainer initiative and moved the program overseas through the First Teacher Program in Hong Kong. Julie’s incredible efforts help improve both children’s literacy and parents’ knowledge—all in all, a winning combination.

Alana Hawkins – Fresh Lifelines for Youth
At-risk juvenile youths have someone to turn to in Alana Hawkins, a dedicated volunteer in the Fresh Lifelines for Youth program. Alana is a volunteer facilitator and educator for the Middle School Prevention Program and Legal Eagle Program. She teaches participating youths about juvenile law and the consequences of crime while building their skills in problem-solving and anger management. Alana regularly goes above and beyond her regular volunteer duties, recently providing winter break coverage. Alana’s positive role-modeling has really made a difference to a most vulnerable population—at-risk youth and juvenile offenders.

Felecia Mulvany – Project Cornerstone
Personal experience was the inspiration for Felecia to create Project Cornerstone’s Asset Building Champions program (ABC), a parent-run initiative in which volunteers lead classroom activities focusing on conflict resolution and tolerance. Felecia had been looking for a way to decrease bullying at her son’s school. The program is now in place at 39 schools nationwide, touching over 32,000 students each month. ABC has been rolled out in a multitude of languages and has received national recognition. Felecia continues to be a champion for the ABC program at Willow Glen Elementary School, as well as remaining deeply involved in other school activities.

Shanette Naylor – Mercy Housing
As a resident of Mercy Housing, Inc., Shanette didn’t have to volunteer to make the complex better, but she did. She currently helps out in the Resident Services Office in the Community Room at Mercy Housing. She works with youths in the Afterschool Program, organizes special events and provides new ideas for special programs. She spearheaded the effort to make the complex’s Thanksgiving celebration a success by cooking a turkey and desserts herself, and brainstorming ways to have a nice event with a budget of only $100. She’s organized several Cooking Club events for children as well. Shanette took the initiative to make an improvement in her own community, and so many staff and residents are glad she did.

Patrick Ng – American Red Cross
As a member of the board of directors and Strategic Planning Committee for the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the American Red Cross, Patrick has taken the concept of making an impact in the community to another level. His dedication to the Red Cross mission has led him to hold offices such as co-chair of the Youth Executive Board, Lead Instructor for Basic First Aid Training and Advisor and Chapter Liaison with the Homestead High School Red Cross Club, all while attending high school himself. Patrick is described as having a superior ability in leading groups of students and peers, as well as an outstanding creative drive demonstrated by his revamping of the Red Cross youth curriculum.

Judy Nickle-Alex Anderson Elementary School
After seeing her own grandson lured into the gang environment, Judy took action. She founded the community group Grannys Against Gangs and recruited the SJPD, San Jose City Council and her local school district to support her efforts in educating kids and parents about the dangers of gangs. Judy publicized her event and was able to get an impressive 250 parents to attend a meeting on gang awareness. She has since held two more successful sessions at other schools. Judy also spearheaded a fundraiser to buy needed supplies for Alex Anderson Elementary School. As someone who sees a need in the community and takes action, Judy has made a positive impact for local schoolchildren.

Amna Qamar-Good Samaritan Hospital
The staff and patients at Good Samaritan Hospital have found a gem of a volunteer in Amna, who currently serves as the Junior Auxiliary President. Amna’s service encompasses many areas of the hospital, including chairing and running youth leader meetings, acting as a volunteer shift leader, providing support for the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit and organizing a “Movie Night” in the hospital’s auditorium. A senior at Presentation High School, Amna has showed leadership in training peers and helping patients, truly making an impact on those around her.

Sharon Roth – National Alliance on Mental Illness
Spurred by what she saw as a need in the community for improved law-enforcement training in the area of serious mental illness, Sharon led an effort to implement Crisis Intervention Techniques (CIT) training to San Jose law enforcement, making them the first California law enforcement agency to receive such training. Sharon also actively volunteers at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Santa Clara County. She’s served on numerous board positions with that organization and led family support groups, all in an effort to improve the lives of those with mental illness.

Susan Runsvold-Turning Wheels for Kids
Anyone who remembers the joy of receiving their first bicycle will understand Sue’s mission in championing Turning Wheels for Kids. The program provides new bicycles for underprivileged children. Sue led a massive effort in 2007 to corral 600 volunteers who gathered and assembled 2,400 bicycles. Sue started this effort on her own in 2003, when she bought 12 bikes and helmets to donate to needy children. Her passion has helped numerous children maintain physical fitness, have a means of transportation, and have fun with their own bicycles.

Edward Schrandt-Santa Clara Valley Blind Center
The Santa Clara Valley Blind Center has found someone they call their “Go-To Guy” in Eddie. In addition to fulfilling his regular volunteer commitments at the Center, Eddie goes above and beyond by working in the Senior Nutrition Program, setting up for Bingo Games and being available for unexpected tasks that arise. The Center’s clients outnumber staff by 200 to 1, so Eddie’s positive attitude and regular individual meetings with clients help immensely. For this population of needy clients, Eddie’s gift of time and energy is much appreciated.

Tom Shui – Oster Elementary School
Bringing magic into the classroom is something Tom does regularly. As a volunteer at Oster Elementary School, Tom demonstrates science and math magic tricks that help engage the first-grade students he works with. Tom’s generosity extends to providing the classroom with supplies, and giving each child their own CD to document the year’s activities. Tom is willing to assist in any area, and he has helped out by running the field with students for P.E., grading math packets, helping with art projects and even scrubbing tables. Tom is certainly making an impact—one classroom at a time.

Than Vo-Catholic Charities
“Grandpa Than” has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Foster Grandparents Program of Catholic Charities of San Jose, a program that pairs senior volunteers with children. In this capacity, Grandpa Than volunteers 25 hours per week at Fairwood Elementary School with a class of severely autistic children. His positive attitude has helped the children he works with immensely, developing their social and communication skills in a one-on-one setting that provides the individual attention that these children desperately need. Over the course of Grandpa Than’s 11-year history with the program, he has made a significant impact on the hundreds of children whose lives he has touched.

Patti Voshall – Second Harvest Food Bank
As a volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Patti gives new meaning to the phrase “a force of one.” Her efforts have led to rewarding partnerships between Second Harvest and multiple local organizations, including City Team Ministries, the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, Special Olympics and others. Patti’s success at recruiting resulted in developing her own network of 350 volunteers. She’s a Team Leader for food sorts and creator of the Lockheed Martin Annual Toys for Tots Cookbook, a project that has been active for 13 years and extends to Lockheed Martin locations throughout the USA.