Eight Volunteers Honored For Having 'Hearts Of Gold'
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Fred McCarter (812) 539-4115
For Immediate Release
FOUNDATION HONORS EIGHT VOLS
FOR HAVING ‘HEARTS OF GOLD’
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind., November 15, 2009 – The Dearborn Community Foundation, Inc. (DCF) honored eight community volunteers as 2009 recipients of the “Heart of Gold Award.”
The Heart of Gold recipients were recognized for touching the hearts of others through their volunteerism and other acts of kindness. “These honorees deserve this recognition for making a difference in our community in their own unique ways,” said Fred McCarter, Executive Director of the Dearborn Community Foundation. “They are all role models for how all of us can make a difference in our community.”
During the Heart of Gold reception, each of the eight honorees, nominated by others in the community and then chosen as Heart of Gold recipients by a Foundation committee, received the coveted Heart of Gold medallion. The honorees also were given the privilege to serve on the “Heart of Gold Committee” to award $2,500 in proactive grants to charitable organizations that serve Dearborn County residents.
In recent years, Heart of Gold recipients have been recognized for helping senior citizens or disadvantaged persons, working to improve the quality of education, expanding recreational or cultural opportunities, working with children, protecting the environment, promoting public safety and other acts of kindness.
This year’s honorees are: Sally Bertram, Jason M. Boyd, Debbie Busching, Harley Robinson, Mark Hill, Marcia Rupel, Jo Sloan and Dan Toon.
Heart of Gold Honorees’ Stories
Sally Bertram of St. Leon: She has been a leader of Girl Scout troops in Southeastern Indiana since the early 1990s and is currently a leader for a high school troop and a Daisy troop of kindergarten girls. Bertram has become the “leader to aspire to be” in the Hoosier Hills Service Unit. Her troops are able to do the “fun things,” and also participate in community service in Dearborn County. Her accepting and nurturing personality welcomes young and old into scouting. Her genuine love for scouting was evident when she volunteered this year to co-lead a troop of 5-6 year old girls. Her children are long past that age group, but she still was willing to lead these youngsters. She instills courage, confidence and character that will last these girls for a lifetime, said her nominator Michelle Deddens. She is passionate about children and making their lives a better and safer place. She completes all of these volunteer hours while serving as program director and teaches at St. John Preschool and Pre-primary in Dover. She is a dedicated volunteer who unselfishly is committed to making a difference in the lives of children.
Jason M. Boyd of Bright: He is a big man with an even bigger heart, according to his nominator Sonia Kaffenberger, which happens to be his mother. He has always loved the outdoors and hunting. So it’s not surprising that he found a way to make a difference in others lives through his enjoyment of hunting. A few years ago while surfing the Internet, Boyd came across an organization called “Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.” He was inspired and decided to start a chapter of the organization in Southeastern Indiana. Since the Chapter was established in 2000, the group has grown steadily. Hunters donate to the organization deer that they are not going to use for their own families. The deer are taken to a local processor and then are distributed to several regional food banks. Last year 115 deer were donated, which served 23,000 meals in Southeastern Indiana. He is an active member in his community in many other ways and he and his wife also involve their children in community service.
Debbie Busching and Harley Robinson of South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars: This duo has volunteered countless hours and continues to work tirelessly to promote and grow the South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars (DFS) program. South Dearborn Dollars for Scholars, an all volunteer organization, was started in 1991 and since has awarded more than $340,000 in scholarships to South Dearborn graduates. In 2009, DFS awarded $37,000 in scholarships. Even though their children are grown, these two honorees continue to serve the South Dearborn community youth in this capacity. Both have served or continue to serve as officers of the organizations. Robinson has been with the organization since the beginning. Busching got involved in 2002. Through their volunteerism, they demonstrate to students and others the value of showing community support, said their nominator Tami Bovard. This duo also encourages students to get involved in the community by requiring community service for scholarship consideration. These honorees work hard to grow scholarship programs with support from individual donors, organizations, like the Dearborn Community Foundation, and companies, like AEP. In all, they do a lot of work: initiating new scholarships, raising money, investing the money, matching the money, recognizing recipients and donors and writing countless thank you notes.
Mark Hill of Greendale: “He is the most generous person I have ever seen,” said his nominator Carrie Land. He has been coaching youth sports for several years in our community. Hill has two boys of his own and he has a full-time job. He often goes to work, then leaves work, comes to coach, and then goes back to work. He gives any kid a ride to anything they need. He takes the time to work one-on-one with children to help them excel. He also teaches the kids how important it is to get good grades. He gives his own time and money to the kids and never asks for thanks! The kids all look up to him and think he is great, said Land!
Marcia Rupel of Greendale: She is an active volunteer in the community for the last 20 years, especially in Lawrenceburg schools. Rupel has served as a volunteer in the classrooms and has been most active in supporting the sports programs. She has raised thousands of dollars for the schools as a chairperson of the Central Elementary Fall Festival, the high school dance competition, and as the treasurer of Tiger Pride. When she sees a need she doesn’t hesitate to speak up and take the lead to secure funding, or research and shop for items needed for a team or the school. No need is too small, whether helping with reading in the elementary school, organizing an awards banquet, or planning a special event, said Charlie Blankenship, who nominated Rupel. She has provided hundreds of volunteer hours to make the community a better place to live.
Jo Sloan of Aurora: She enhances the quality of life for everyone she meets, says Sloan’s nominator Lisa Diane Snell. Sloan played a significant role in bringing the Habitat for Humanity chapter to Dearborn County. She is involved in the selection committee and oversees the “ladies night” fundraiser. She also assists home recipients in finding resources needed to help them qualify and to remain eligible for assistance. She has even donated a vehicle to a habitat recipient. As a member of St. Mary’s church, this honoree gives communion to shut-ins, provides bereavement meals for members in times of need, provides meals to members who are ill, and bakes for multiple events. She also has been an active participant in her husband’s church, First Baptist Church of Aurora. This recipient is always ready to tackle the task at hand and make a positive change. She always does it with a smile and a warm heart. She genuinely cares about helping others. Whether it is tutoring students, helping out a sick friend, helping her family, raising money for a good cause, or putting her quick wit to work, she is always there ready to pitch in.
Dan Toon of Guilford: He has significantly impacted many people through many organizations in our community. When Toon heard there was a need for local Advisory Board members for Big Brothers Big Sisters, he immediately stepped up and became one of the founding members. He has been instrumental in securing needed funding, helping with PR, recruiting volunteers, and generally supporting all aspects of the program. His belief in the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is so strong that his friends make donations to the organization on his birthday. He continues to meet weekly with this “Little,” named Charlie. Charlie now wants to improve his reading. He’s got the right big brother in that respect, as Toon is involved in reading to students at Lawrenceburg schools as well as being involved in adult reading programs at Lawrenceburg Public Library and at nursing homes. Toon’s work does not stop there. Rivertown Players theater group has long been his passion. This Heart of Gold recipient often can be seen in a play, being the director, helping with PR and whatever else is needed. Toon even recently became a board member for RSVP. He also is highly involved at Hamline Chapel United Methodist Church. He is always nurturing the spirit, building skills, bringing out the best in those he encounters and generally being a friend to all, said his nominator, Laura Rolf, director of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He truly has a heart of gold!
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