070 Sara Everett-Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry, Inc. (WARM)

Warm Hearts, WARM Shelters—Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry

When the hurricane blew out, the men from a local church rushed in to begin rebuilding, focusing on the storm-damaged homes of the community's low-income neighbors. But what they discovered changed their mission. The need for repairs had existed well before the storm, but the occupants did not have the resources to be able to make their homes safer for their day-to-day lives.

And so began the Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry. For more than 20 years now WARM has been uniting compassionate people to rebuild homes and restore hope by making people safer in their own homes. Very often those who benefit are elderly or disabled who need wheelchair ramps, grab-bar installation, plumbing improvements, roof or floor repairs, installation of essential appliances and heating and cooling, and whatever else that can lower the risk of falls, fires, and other home accidents. All WARM repairs are related to safety or health issues.

With the assistance of a dedicated core of local volunteers, several of whom bring their professional construction and repair backgrounds to the job, WARM is able to prepare the sites and supervise additional volunteers, many of whom have no previous experience. Last year alone 2300 volunteers repaired nearly 150 homes. Volunteers come from across the country. Some are "voluntourists," making volunteering a significant part of their vacation. Others come from church mission teams. Some church groups come back every summer or every other year. Also, local business and churches designate Service Days and send volunteers regularly. Some people find WARM through VolunteerMatch.com or WARM's Facebook site.

Why do volunteers come back? Sara Everett, who has been the volunteer coordinator, hears them say that they get more out of the experience than they feel they give, that they are happy to be connected to others who are passionate about volunteering and giving back, and that they discover that no matter the level of their own skills they can make a significant impact for good. And yes, people love being a part of a team, and they also like developing their own home-repair skills.

Sara speaks with a mix of humility and pride of the fact that the recipients of the repairs do not need to pay. The organization also seeks grants and does fundraising for supplies. And then every WARM dollar is stretched by the warm hearts of the volunteers as they pick up their tools and make it possible for those who were so vulnerable to live safely and independently in their own homes.

To find out more about WARM in Wilmington, North Carolina, visit warmnc.org or their Facebook page. If you are interested in the potential of sending a mission team, contact elizabethguy@warmnc.org.

To locate similar programs in your area, check the national directory of member organizations in the ReFrame Association (reframeassociation.org).

069 Jeff Hoffman Project Transformation

Catching the Enthusiasm—Project Transformation

After three summers of listening to his wife's and his children's enthusiasm for their experiences in Project Transformation (PT), Jeff Hoffman took the plunge. He'd been reluctant because he knew his work schedule at the time would not allow him to make a regular or extensive time commitment, but with PT he found no pressure—just a welcoming of whatever he was able to share with the program.

Project Transformations mission is summed up in three C's: To engage college-age young adults in purposeful ministry and leadership, to support underserved children and families, and to connect churches to communities in need.

Initially, PT was a summer-only program with a focus on helping children, K–4, gain and retain the reading skills that are so essential to doing well in school and life. Building upon the early success of that goal, the program has expanded to be year-round and to include middle school youth, as well as elementary school children. The growth also incorporates all areas of schoolwork and social-emotional learning, as well as increased connections with the families through special events such as the Family Fun Nights and home visits.

The college-age young adults are hired for summer or for the school year to provide authentic, hands-on, high-quality programs for the children and youth. PT, however, offers these interns much more than "a summer job." Living together in intentional Christian community, they have opportunities to explore their faith and discern their path forward into leadership, service, and other areas of ministry.

The churches chosen to host the PT programs had been struggling as the communities around them changed. But PT has opened new channels for reconnecting with their neighbors, and the churches begin to thrive once again.

How do volunteers fit in this endeavor? In the summer, volunteers—including youth and school-age children with their parents or grandparents—come on their church's designated week especially to read with the children in the program, providing role models as well as improved literacy. During the school year, many individual volunteers make regular commitment to be homework helpers, encouragers, or mentors. These volunteers also build those special relationships with the children that create opportunities for social-emotional learning, specifically through being listened to and cared about. Other volunteers bring food to the college-age interns and sit down with them to share the meal—and conversation that is often deeply meaningful for both interns and volunteers. Like Jeff Hoffman and his family, volunteers can easily find a welcoming and rewarding niche for however they choose to commit.

So who experiences transformation? Children, families, young adult leaders, congregations, neighborhoods, and volunteers! Begun through The United Methodist Church in the Dallas area, the program is open to people of all faiths and is active not only in Texas but also in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Tennessee (Nashville, Memphis, and Clarksville). As volunteers and former interns move to different areas of the country, PT pops up and transformation begins anew.

For more about Project Transformation, visit projecttransformation.org or view their Facebook page.

068 Ted Dreier Childrens Kindness Network

A Little Kindness Makes a Big Difference

Want to make the world a better place? Start little. But with a big idea. Start with little children. Help them learn the big value of kindness. Start with a little cowor a big one! Moozie, to be exact.

When Moozie speaks, children listen—and learn. The big talking cow (robotic or a costumed human) may visit a daycare, preschool, kindergarten, or first or second grade class to give a special Moozie introduction to kindness (with the help of a volunteer storyteller). But what happens afterwards, on a daily basis, confirms the impact. With the assistance of the little Moozie puppet that comes to live in the classroom, teachers help class members through difficulties by simply posing the question, "What would Moozie say (or do)?" Teachers report–and research confirms–reduced disruptions and bullying with Moozie on the job.

Soon the children pick up the kindness value as their own. Playground tiffs change when a child intervenes, asking if Moozie would like that. When classmates are distressed, children have been known to bring them the little Moozie to hug. Empathy and kindness grow.

The Children's Kindness Network began 20 years ago and has reached nearly 400,000 children with the message, emphasis, and skills of kindness to one another, to animals, to the earth, and to self. Moozie-creator, Ted Dreier, working with volunteers, has extended Moozie's reach across the U.S. through not only the classroom visits, but also through the Moozie books, songs, and kits.

Teachers have benefitted, as have parents, grandparents, and even the 118 wing of the Tennessee Air National guard.

Tasks for volunteers are both big and little, ranging from assembling kits to making storytelling presentations in classrooms, to creating Moozie songs, to serving on the board of directors. All are welcome. Whatever "size" of the volunteers' contributions, they make a big impactone that goes from early brain-wiring of the very little children and from their experiences of kindness to how those influence their subsequent relationships, actions, and leadership as they grow bigger and move into adulthood.

And the world becomes a better place.

To see Moozie (and Ted) in action, visit either childrenskindnessnetwork.org or moozie.org and view the NPT video. For more information about volunteering, email ted@moozie.com.

067 Gail Atkinson—Special Olympics Lead Volunteer

Taking the Lead So Others Succeed—Special Olympics

With more than 27,000 volunteers in Florida's Special Olympics program, someone has to take the lead! Gail Atkinson began like so many other volunteers—helping out a day here and a day there through the service opportunities sponsored by her place of employment. That was 15 years ago. She got hooked!

Now retired, Gail has stepped up her involvement to include making sure other volunteers experience not only the joy of seeing the athletes beam with pride but also feeling that they too have done their "job" well. Gail's team of volunteers regularly includes high school students working one time to get their service credit, police officers chosen for the day to present the ribbons and medals, and retirees dipping a toe in as they try out various volunteer opportunities, looking for something that fits their interests and sparks their passion. As lead volunteer, Gail communicates, facilitates, encourages, and supports her team of volunteers so that they too have a gold-medal experience!

Special Olympics Florida states that their goal is to "help people with intellectual disabilities participate as productive and respected members of society at large, by offering them a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills and talents through sports training and competition, and by increasing the public’s awareness of their capabilities and needs." All that is done through the effective use of volunteers. Those who have a good experience return again and again, making the games possible for the special athletes—thanks to lead volunteers like Gail.

To find out more about Special Olympics in your state, visit specialolympics.org. There is a place for you and people, like Gail, to make your gift of time award-winning!

Website: https://specialolympicsflorida.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specialolympicsflorida/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2168730/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soflinfo

066 Linda Stalters – American Red Cross

The Red Cross—On the Job Every Eight Minutes!

I was bringing my stepmother home from the baptism of her great grandson. We rounded the corner to see 12 fire trucks and three ambulances blocking traffic. Her high-rise senior apartment building was billowing smoke from the fourth floor–her floor, her apartment! First responders gently led her to another truckthe Red Cross truck. There wonderful volunteers comforted her in her confusion and provided her aid for her immediate needs from having her life so completely disrupted. As her family member, I too was comforted because I did not have any idea of what to do. The Red Cross was there to help us both get through the disaster and to know how to move forward.

For most people the American Red Cross is associated with presence at the news-making disasters of floods, fires, hurricanes, mass shootings, and such. But every single day—in fact, every eight minutes—crises that never make the breaking-news happen, and Red Cross volunteers are there too. Volunteers step in and step up to handle the wide range of needs such catastrophes precipitate. When a calamity such as a hurricane can be anticipated, volunteers are busy preparing shelters, food, and teams to take action. When tragedy strikes without warning, the volunteers themselves are already prepared and can react immediately.

Some volunteers work on site; others facilitate and support. Some have a regular pattern to their volunteering, perhaps doing recurring work in the office or being on call for a week, a month, or a couple of months at a time. Others commit to going anytime to a site and staying as long as needed. Those volunteer teams can be there for 72 hours without sleep in the same grueling conditions as the victims and first responders. Some volunteers are "just in case," handing out water at major events, such as big Fourth of July celebrations, and being available if any emergency happens. Some retired couples serve as a team, driving a Red Cross truck and giving out food, water, and cleaning supplies to victims. The requirements for these volunteers are to be healthy, strong, willing, flexible, and resilient.

Linda Stalters represents another type of volunteer. As a retired Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Psychotherapist, she and others licensed in the mental health field, focus on the psychological trauma that victims experience. She assesses their emotional needs, gives support, and connects them to resources for long-term healing. Sometimes, that role is to recognize exhaustion in first responders or volunteers and get the ones who are so committed to others some rest and food for their own renewal.

Whatever task Red Cross volunteers choose, they are trained and supported, prepared and ready, and very willing to help! For more about volunteering, visit the website redcross.org.