1. Community Heroes Nominated From Village Volunteer Corps
2. Those Who Serve Our 10,000 Volunteers
3. Volunteerism of 300 Celebrated at 2003 Appreciation Dinner

Community Heroes Nominated From Village Volunteer Corps
By Emilie Bromet-Bauer – St. Vincent de Paul Village

Volunteer Barbara Richards

  At 6:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month, 20 to 40 individuals gather in the community room of the Joan Kroc Center (JKC) at St. Vincent de Paul Village. There they learn about the organization and how they can be a part of its important mission to help people in need help themselves. For most, this is the first step to becoming involved at the Village.

  Within a month, they will be volunteering in the kitchens or the thrift stores, Children’s Services or on a residential floor, the Career & Education Center or the Medical Clinic. Wherever they volunteer and whatever they do, they know they are
making a difference in the lives of people in need. For them, this knowledge is a reward in and of itself.

  Each year, however, staff, clients and other volunteers choose to bestow extra recognition on certain volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the Village by nominating them for the annual Community Heroes Award, which is co-sponsored by the San Diego Padres and Volunteer San Diego. We have nominated nine volunteers for the 2003 award and their activities and commitment are representative of all St. Vincent’s volunteers.

  Terry Knox has been with us for three years on the JKC residential floors, distributing mail and hygiene items, answering phones, and supporting the men, women and children living on the floors. Terry goes out of his way to assist staff in their regular and emergency duties in order to ensure a peaceful living environment for the residents.

  Navy personnel Chief Jorge C. Lee and Chaplain Robert Slaughter have coordinated the efforts of hundreds of military personnel at the Village over the past three years. Their crews have refreshed the facilities with hundreds of gallons of paint, and moved and set up furniture and temporary facilities for special situations such as the de-bugging of the Village and the seasonal "tents." In addition, these leaders recruit and organize scores of men and women to serve special meals at Christmas, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Both can always be counted on to bring enthusiastic and energetic volunteers to these busy events.

  Dr. Robert Stocklin has volunteered over 1,000 hours since 1987 as an ophthalmologist in our Health Services program. He not only examines and treats clients for eye disease and injury, but also recruits other medical personnel to volunteer in St. Vincent’s clinic or to treat off campus patients needing specialized care. In addition, he serves on the Village’s Medical Advisory Board. His dedication to providing qualityhealth services to all people is evident in his care for the clients and his leadership at the clinic.

  Volunteers often contribute in ways that save St. Vincent’s both money and staff time. Such is the case with our fifth nominee, Norman Barken, who is an adult education tutor in the Career & Education Center. His professionalism and expertise benefit the clients and the staff as he provides both with service of the highest caliber.

  Barbara Richards, like Norman, is more than willing to step up to help support staff in whatever way possible. Volunteering at the JKC front desk since 1996, her job is more behind-the-scenes, sorting and distributing mail for the clients. But it is essential to the residents, because, as Program Manager Tony Sterzinger says, "Mail is the lifeblood of the residents." Barbara’s enthusiastic dedication to her job and the staff is what makes her such a valuable volunteer.

  Chuck Hamilton, like Terry, works on a residential floor, giving residents hygiene items and their belongings from storage. However, he mainly listens to them, offering support and recommendations. For four years, Chuck has worked with the men in the short-term program every evening and says he feels a part of the St. Vincent’s "family." The staff feels the same about him.

   The children and staff of Children’s Services also think of volunteer Dan Lawton as a member of the family. Despite a busy legal practice, Dan not only manages to come once a week to work with the children and their parents in the Family Literacy
Program, but he also arranges special activities for the children, such as attending the women’s basketball games at San Diego State University.

   Our ninth nominee for the Community Heroes Award is Jane Ryan. A member of St. Vincent de Paul Village Ladies Guild, Jane has been with us for over 20 years. She is one of the coordinators of our docents, 26 Ladies Guild volunteers who give tours of the Village to visitors. Jane and the docents conduct such enthusiastic and informative tours that they convince many to become donors and volunteers, providing essential financial resources and volunteer time and talent that help the Village do its good work.

   These nine volunteers are at once exemplary volunteers and at the same time exemplify all St. Vincent volunteers. They are committed to the mission and vision of St. Vincent de Paul Village and are willing to go the extra mile to serve every client, resident and staff member.