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2010
Spirit of Giving Award Winners
Honoring
the Mid-South's outstanding volunteers
Volunteer
Program of the Year
Adult Volunteer of the Year
Lenore
S. Creson
Board Volunteer of the Year
Senior
Volunteer of the Year
Youth Volunteer of the Year
Small
Group Volunteers of the Year
Large
Group Volunteers of the Year
Sponsors
Volunteer
Program of the Year
St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The Volunteer Services Department of St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital recruits, trains, and provides a
foundation that recognizes community members and groups by
effectively engaging their efforts institutionally;
resulting in an improved quality of life for their patients,
families, staff, and visitors. The impact of their
volunteers is quite substantial. Over the years, volunteers
have touched the lives of countless children and families
with catastrophic illnesses. Since the beginning of fiscal
year 2009, 836 volunteers gave close to 49,500 hours of
their time and energy to St. Jude, which averages out to
more than 59 hours for each volunteer!
The Volunteer Program oversees many volunteers in a variety
of groups each with a different focus. Volunteers provide a
myriad of support through the following programs: High
School and College Student programs, Shift programs, Support
Clubs, Special Events Episodic programs, Interpreters,
Grizzlies House, and more.
Volunteer Services strives to create a highly professional
atmosphere that appropriately communicates and expresses the
value of their volunteers. By effectively engaging them, our
winner respects their time and honors volunteers'
commitment. Being such a visible organization, word of
mouth is their best recruitment tool, although they
participate in a number of events and use their website
effectively.
All positions have clearly written job descriptions that
outline duties, skills needed, and competencies required.
Volunteers attend an initial orientation consists of a
four-hour orientation all program aspects. An informative
tour of the hospital, complete with orientation to the
mission is provided. Additional and on-going training are
provided to volunteers on a regular basis.
Volunteer Services e-mails a weekly alert and a quarterly
newsletter. Annually, each volunteer re-reads our
orientation manual and completes an on-line submitted
questionnaire.
Volunteers are formally evaluated in a collaborative process
between volunteer and supervisor in odd years. Ongoing
evaluation is provided continuously.
The
Volunteer Department works hard to make certain every
volunteer feels comfortable in their placement, they are
trained, provided with educational materials and evaluated
to make certain that everything is going smoothly.
Birthdays are remembered, a volunteer newsletter publicizes
projects, service awards are presented and events held
throughout the year to make certain their volunteers feel
appreciated for the unselfish, dedicated and vital services
they provide.
2nd place:
Hope House
3rd
place: Plough
Towers
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Adult Volunteer of the Year
Tonia Howell,
supporting
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Tonia has been volunteering with the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for over six years. She is the key
project planner and "go to" person for planning for and
execution of the annual Out of the Darkness Community Walks
to raise funds for suicide prevention and survivor support.
She has worked diligently to foster relationships with other
mental health and suicide prevention organizations in the
area to collaborate and make a difference in the communities
in and around Memphis.
Without a doubt, her dedication, going the extra mile, and
always keeping the welfare of others at the forefront of her
mind, have made a significant difference to clients. She is
often the first point of contact after someone has suffered
a suicide loss.
Other accomplishments that can be directly credited to her
work:
*Raising over $100,000 through community walks for suicide
prevention, research, and survivor support
*Planning and organizing national training for individuals
to become facilitators of suicide grief support groups.
Twenty-four people from around the country attended the
training in Memphis. Many went back into their communities
and founded much-needed support groups for suicide survivors
where they live. In 2005 there were no suicide grief support
groups in the Memphis area; today there are four that meet
monthly, reaching more than 200 people.
She
became involved with AFSP as a result of the loss of the son
of friends. She wanted to do whatever she could to keep
their son's memory alive, to help them through their pain,
and to work to ensure other families do not have to go
through the same tragic circumstances.
Spending time, providing a shoulder to cry on, listening,
doing what needs to be done and then taking on projects and
events to increase community awareness and financial support
to insure that this agency continues to be a resource to
those who are in need.
2nd place: Ruby
Dandridge
supporting
Dress for Success
3rd
place:
Randy
Smith
supporting Youth Villages
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Lenore
S. Creson
Board Member Volunteer of the Year
Steve Nelson for The Salvation Army – Greater
Memphis Area
“Although there is a smiling face behind the eyeglasses,
don’t let it fool you…you are in the presence of a tenacious
lion and he means business.” With a background in city and
urban planning, project management, program and warehouse
development as well as commercial real estate, “this lion”
was the mastermind who conceived the idea for The Salvation
Army, Greater Memphis Area to bring the future home of the
Kroc Center to our community. Steve was an integral part of
the strategic planning team, served on numerous committees,
gathered research, scouted locations, interviewed
architects, played a major role in fundraising and the list
goes on and on. The Kroc Center will be a tremendous asset
to our community with a focus on arts, education, recreation
and worship. Residents of all ages, races, educational, and
economic levels will come together to grow, learn and
explore their potential. It is slated for completion in the
fall of 2011.
2nd
place:
Jim
Sdoia
supporting Memphis Urban Debate League
3rd
place: Gene
Holcomb
supporting The Regional Medical Center at Memphis –
The MED
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Senior
Volunteer of the Year
Amerah
Shabazz-Bridges
supporting Memphis Child Advocacy Center
Amerah is an active volunteer at the Memphis Child Advocacy
Center. A survivor of child sexual abuse, she shares her
story to help others raise awareness about child sexual
abuse. She began volunteering at the CAC in January 2006
after she relocated to Memphis, and quickly moved from
helping with special projects and providing administrative
support, to being an active Ambassador and speaker for the
CAC.
She speaks from her heart. People listen and their spirits
are touched. She paints a picture with her words – the
listener is able to see and understand both the reality of
child abuse, and the recovery. She is a living testament to
the power of healing.
Her story of healing has brought countless rewards to the
CAC. She has moved donors to contribute to the CAC and the
United Way. She has helped police recruits and officers
understand family violence in a personal and powerful way.
She inspires us everyday.
At the CAC, they know how important it is to care for a
staff who spend their days listening to children tell of
their abuse, and helping them overcome this trauma. They
know that child abuse professionals are engaged in a high
stress, high burnout calling. Our winner is a one woman
morale booster, cheerleader and provider of wisdom.
While her volunteerism
ranges from serving up pizza at the 5K 4Kids to seemingly
mundane administrative support, it is her ability to share
her story of abuse and recovery with such grace and power
that is unique about this inspiring individual.
2nd
place:
Jean
M. Ramsay
supporting
Jacob’s Ladder
3rd
place: Martha
Bowers
supporting
Friends For Life
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Youth Volunteer of the Year
Clifton Jordan, II
for United Way of the Mid-South
Clifton has been an active member of the Youth United Way
Leadership Program for over 2 1/2 years. In May of 2009, he
was elected Executive Board Chairman of Youth United Way. In
this position, he leads a 15-member Youth Board of Directors
and over 100 youth volunteers and is a voting member on the
United Way of the Mid-South Board of Directors. He also
serves in the NAACP Youth Council, and Bridge Builders. He
will represent Youth United Way Leadership Program at the
2010 National Community Service Conference in June. He was
recently elected the YMCA Youth State Legislature Governor
by his peers in Nashville. He also exercised his leadership
abilities with the NAACP by implementing a voters
registration drive within the Orange Mound and Hickory Hill
communities. Clifton worked with several youth organizations
to help organize volunteers for the St. Jude/MeHarry Medical
College Sickle Cell Awareness Drive.
He has become a role model for many of his peers in Youth
United Way, at MUS and within First Tee of Memphis.
Clifton's efforts have increased service projects with
students and his participation and leadership have increased
service hours from members of First Tee. Several members of
First Tee volunteer at Memphis Grizzlies Home Games along
side YUW students. Now, First Tee of Memphis will
incorporate a volunteer component within its training,
modeled from YUW. He has been asked to help with this
training.
2nd place:
Mary Aubrey Landrum
supporting Down Syndrome Association of
Memphis & the Mid-South
3rd
place:
Madison Snipes, Evangelical Christian School
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Small
Group Volunteers of the Year
The
Giraldo Family supporting Shelby Farms Park
Conservancy
The
Giraldo Family pitches in with all of their energy. They
are ready and willing at a moment’s notice to help out when
others fail. There is no job too big or too small. They are
problem solvers – take on problems and issues and make
changes when needed. Their first experience with the Park
was on a trail crew…after four hours of pretty hard work
most of the crew packed up to leave, not this family -- they
wanted to keep on working. They told us “it was good
exercise” and the staff at the Park has loved them since.
From trimming trees, spreading mulch, running the Volunteer
tent for “Starry Nights”, passing out water and parking
cars, this family has “done it”. Another real plus, is they
live close to the park and actually walk from their home to
volunteer, no matter the weather. They enjoy the park as
well --playing soccer and having family gatherings.
Currently they are translating all of SFP's Rules and
Regulations to Spanish to ensure that Hispanic visitors can
be engaged and enjoy the wonderful park.
2nd place: American
Red Cross – Shelter Development Team
3rd
place: Shelby
Residential and Vocational Services (SRVS) Ambassador Club
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Large
Group Volunteers of the Year
Students of
St. Mary’s Episcopal School supporting Hope
House
Imagine being a teenage girl attending a private school and
after school going to clean out an attic in an old house
complete with dead rats, live squirrels and full of dust you
literally have to wade through. Well, this group of St.
Mary’s students not only takes on tasks such as this, but
actually consider it fun! Anywhere from three to four of
these students volunteer and perform odd jobs at Hope House
for three to four hours at time every week. “Not only do
they do the dirty work, but they do it with smiles on their
faces”. Cleaning is not the only tasks they attack. These
young ladies have sorted, tagged and sized clothing for the
clothes closet, organized and bagged over 2000 pounds of
canned goods to provide food for over 150 people during the
holidays, assisted with fundraising efforts and much more.
Each one feels “they have a voice and play a part” in
directly impacting the children served by Hope House and the
betterment of their community.
2nd Place:
Youth United Committee
supporting
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
3rd Place:
Memphis
Bar Association Access to Justice Committee
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SPONSORS:
Benefactor
Sponsor
Helping Hands
 
Our Founding Organizations:
Junior League of
Memphis
National Council of Jewish Women - Memphis Section
United Way of the Mid-South |
