(BUSINESS WIRE)--Two Georgia students, Andrew Mirolli, 18, of Acworth and Tiffani Alexander, 13, of Covington, were honored in the nation’s capital last night for their outstanding volunteer work during the presentation of The 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The two young people – along with 100 other top youth volunteers from across the country – received $1,000 awards as well as personal congratulations from Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon at the 16th annual award ceremony and gala dinner reception, held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Drew and Tiffani were named the top high school and middle level youth volunteers in Georgia last February. In addition to their cash awards, they received engraved silver medallions and an all-expense-paid trip with their parents to Washington, D.C., for this week’s recognition events.
“The Prudential Spirit of Community honorees have seen problems in their communities and around the world and have taken action,” said Ms. Sarandon. “Their compassion to help others should give us all a lot of hope for the future.”
Drew, a senior at North Paulding High School, launched an educational and fund-raising campaign to fight poverty both locally and internationally, built around an annual “challenge week” during which teens in his community voluntarily experience poverty by living on $2 a day. Three years ago, while listening to a presentation about displaced students in Uganda, “I was personally asked, “How far would you go to help children with no voice?” said Drew. He took the question very seriously. Drew and two friends put away their cell phones and car keys, gathered firewood, and lived in the woods for five nights to see what it’s like to survive on $2 a day – the amount that 60 percent of the world lives on. “I experienced five days of headaches, an empty stomach growling, my mind not being able to concentrate, and a sore body from sleeping on the ground,” he said. Nevertheless, Drew and his friends still attended school every day, while collecting donations for a charity serving children in Uganda.
After the experience, Drew researched poverty in Georgia and, disturbed by what he found, was determined to raise money and awareness to fight poverty both at home and abroad. He formed a leadership team to help plan a second week of self-imposed poverty and fund-raising, and challenged all of the students in his school to take part. Drew and his team found homes to host “ChallengeWeek” participants, created registration and permission forms, shopped for food, and set up a nonprofit organization, Operation Poverty, and a website at www.operationpoverty.com. Forty-seven students signed up, and during the week, Drew coordinated an all-school assembly focusing on poverty in Uganda, and held class competitions for donations. Last year, 97 students from area high schools participated in the challenge and all schools throughout Paulding County collected 32,000 canned food items for a food pantry along with 750 articles of teen clothing. In addition, Drew and his team have raised $12,480, with half going to a local food pantry, and the other half helping to rebuild a girls’ dormitory in Uganda.
Tiffani, a member of the Rockdale County 4-H and a homeschooled eighth-grader, created and presided over a “bug club” for children through Prevent Child Abuse Rockdale (PCAR), a family strengthening and abuse prevention program offered at a local church. Tiffani has been volunteering with PCAR in the church’s nursery since sixth grade. “There were 197 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in Rockdale County in 2008,” Tiffani said. “I am appalled at the thought of children being abused. I volunteer with PCAR to help combat this vicious abuse.” While she enjoyed being a nursery helper, she wanted to do more. As a teen leader in her local 4-H club, Tiffani has always been interested in entomology. So she decided to share her knowledge and appreciation of bugs with the children at the center in a club she calls “Butterflies, Beetles, and Bees, Oh My!”
After receiving permission for her club, Tiffani had to spend about three hours a week planning and organizing lessons that were age appropriate for children from 6 to 12 years old. She also caught insects in her backyard to share with the children and brought her pet beetles, Jersey and Huron. Some of the club’s activities included designing butterflies to reflect the children’s personalities, creating pictures of insects out of seeds, and learning the process of insect metamorphosis. In addition to learning how bugs affect the world and how to stay safe around them, Tiffani also attempted to teach the children to be more sensitive to one another through their gentle handling of the insects. “It is very rewarding to give back to your community,” said Tiffani. “There is no pay or accolades, just the joy of knowing that you made a difference in someone else’s life.”
“Drew and Tiffani represent young Americans who have a strong sense of community and who are dedicated to improving our neighborhoods, our nation and our world,” said John R. Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. “With great anticipation, we look forward to their future achievements as they continue to spread the spirit of community.”
More than 29,000 young people participated in the 2011 awards program last fall through schools, Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of the Points of Light Institute’s HandsOn Network. The top middle level and high school applicants in each state were selected in February, and were flown to Washington this week with their parents for four days of special recognition events.
Conducted in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards were created 16 years ago by Prudential Financial to encourage youth volunteerism and to identify and reward young role models.
“The young women and men in America’s schools are nothing short of amazing, and nowhere is this more evident than amongst this year’s award recipients,” said NASSP President Jana Frieler. “They possess a keen intellect, servant hearts, capable leadership skills, and are filled with energy and ambition. NASSP and Prudential are honored to recognize them.”
More information about The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and this year’s honorees can be found at http://spirit.prudential.com or www.nassp.org/spirit.
NASSP is the leading organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and all school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. NASSP provides research-based professional development and resources, networking, and advocacy to build the capacity of middle level and high school leaders to continually improve student performance. Reflecting its longstanding commitment to student leadership development as well, NASSP administers the National Honor Society™, National Junior Honor Society®, National Elementary Honor Society®, and National Association of Student Councils®. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.nassp.org.
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/
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Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Georgia Natural Gas Honored by Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta for Dedication to Community Service
/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Natural Gas (GNG), the state's leading natural gas provider and a nationally recognized leader in corporate volunteerism, is the 2010 recipient of the IMPACT Award for Excellence in Corporate Community Engagement presented by the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta (CVC). The award is in the medium to small category of companies, which includes companies with up to 500 employees. The IMPACT Award is the highest award given by the CVC.
"We are thrilled to honor Georgia Natural Gas as the winner of this year's IMPACT Award for medium to small business. Their exemplary volunteer program is truly part of their business culture and demonstrates their deep dedication to the Atlanta community, their customers and employees," said Lea Rolfes, CVC executive director.
In the eight years since GNG implemented its community service program, the company's employees have made a tremendous difference in the lives of Georgia citizens through volunteerism and philanthropy. In 2009 and 2010 the company's employees volunteered at numerous nonprofits throughout the metro Atlanta area. For the past six years, GNG volunteers have tutored at Centennial Place Elementary School.
In addition to their volunteer efforts, GNG employees have supported nonprofit organizations that offer services and programs to deserving Georgians, particularly children and seniors. For example, the company's employee volunteers, whose motto is "Working Together ... Serving Together," raised funds this summer for local charities such as Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Senior Connections, and the Centennial Place School Foundation.
"We are so honored to be recognized by the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta for our employees' dedication to giving back to the communities we serve," said Mike Braswell, GNG president and CEO. "All of the credit for this honor goes to our generous volunteers who prove day after day that a relatively small group of people can make a big difference in the community."
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"We are thrilled to honor Georgia Natural Gas as the winner of this year's IMPACT Award for medium to small business. Their exemplary volunteer program is truly part of their business culture and demonstrates their deep dedication to the Atlanta community, their customers and employees," said Lea Rolfes, CVC executive director.
In the eight years since GNG implemented its community service program, the company's employees have made a tremendous difference in the lives of Georgia citizens through volunteerism and philanthropy. In 2009 and 2010 the company's employees volunteered at numerous nonprofits throughout the metro Atlanta area. For the past six years, GNG volunteers have tutored at Centennial Place Elementary School.
In addition to their volunteer efforts, GNG employees have supported nonprofit organizations that offer services and programs to deserving Georgians, particularly children and seniors. For example, the company's employee volunteers, whose motto is "Working Together ... Serving Together," raised funds this summer for local charities such as Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Senior Connections, and the Centennial Place School Foundation.
"We are so honored to be recognized by the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta for our employees' dedication to giving back to the communities we serve," said Mike Braswell, GNG president and CEO. "All of the credit for this honor goes to our generous volunteers who prove day after day that a relatively small group of people can make a big difference in the community."
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Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Let's Go Play!: Non-Profit Organization KaBOOM! Announces List of 118 'Playful City USA' Communities
Editor's Note: Kudos to the following Georgia communities for being a great place to play!
Albany
Atlanta
College Park
East Point
Richmond Hill
Savannah
A super kudos to Atlanta for being a four-time honoree!
/PRNewswire/ -- To ensure children in their communities are active and healthy, 118 cities and towns across the country earned recognition as 2010 Playful City USA communities despite difficult budgetary decisions and Park and Recreation department funding at its lowest levels in decades.
A recent National Recreation and Parks Association survey found that 55% of its members suffered budget cuts in 2010 and 60% expect more in 2011. These funding cutbacks persist despite findings from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that only 20% of homes across the country have parks within a half mile.
Counteracting these issues, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the Let's Move campaign in 2010, which is geared toward solving the childhood obesity issue within a generation through a variety of ways, including unstructured play.
This massive undertaking coincides with objectives of Playful City USA - a national recognition program honoring cities and towns determined to prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play. KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to saving play, recognized 118 cities across the country as Playful City USA communities.
Hailing from 36 states and ranging in size from San Francisco and Atlanta, to Ottawa, Kan. and Shirley, Mass., these Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community. In doing so, some of the most innovative ideas and cost-effective programs are being developed in Playful City USA communities - proving that parks and play are more important than ever.
Each of the 2010 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children.
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Albany
Atlanta
College Park
East Point
Richmond Hill
Savannah
A super kudos to Atlanta for being a four-time honoree!
/PRNewswire/ -- To ensure children in their communities are active and healthy, 118 cities and towns across the country earned recognition as 2010 Playful City USA communities despite difficult budgetary decisions and Park and Recreation department funding at its lowest levels in decades.
A recent National Recreation and Parks Association survey found that 55% of its members suffered budget cuts in 2010 and 60% expect more in 2011. These funding cutbacks persist despite findings from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that only 20% of homes across the country have parks within a half mile.
Counteracting these issues, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the Let's Move campaign in 2010, which is geared toward solving the childhood obesity issue within a generation through a variety of ways, including unstructured play.
This massive undertaking coincides with objectives of Playful City USA - a national recognition program honoring cities and towns determined to prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play. KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to saving play, recognized 118 cities across the country as Playful City USA communities.
Hailing from 36 states and ranging in size from San Francisco and Atlanta, to Ottawa, Kan. and Shirley, Mass., these Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community. In doing so, some of the most innovative ideas and cost-effective programs are being developed in Playful City USA communities - proving that parks and play are more important than ever.
Each of the 2010 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share creative ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
FBI 2009 Director’s Community Leadership Award for Atlanta
Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, presented today the Director’s Award for Community Leadership for 2009 to WAGA Fox 5 News for its “Georgia’s Most Wanted” program. Awards were also presented to that production’s reporter, Doug Evans, its photographer Gustavo Valdes, and it’s Executive Producer Leslie Duffield.
WAGA FOX 5 News initiated its “Georgia’s Most Wanted” program in 1997. WAGA Reporter/Anchor Doug Evans took over the project in early 2005. The program was designed to give a more in depth look at some of Georgia’s more heinous crimes, to include the victim’s perspective on the crime, in order to not only report the crime, but to elicit tips for law enforcement in an effort to further the justice process and, in the process, make the community in which they serve a better, safer place. “Georgia’s Most Wanted” has featured hundreds of unsolved crimes over the years, including many cold cases. Many of the victims and their families have expressed gratitude for having their stories told.
Some highlights:
* At least 14 fugitives featured on “Georgia’s Most Wanted” have been arrested since '05. These fugitives include murderers, bank robbers and child molesters.
* Reports on high profile cases including double murder suspect Derrick Yancey and Atlanta's Standard Bar robbery and the murder of bartender John Henderson. As part of his coverage on this story, WAGA’s Doug Evans traveled to Baltimore to interview John's father.
* Georgia’s Most Wanted was the first to report that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was taking a fresh look at evidence in the 1997 Levi Frady murder case, a tragic but unsolved child abduction case. For the story, Doug Evans interviewed for the first time, Levi's boyhood friend and the last person to see him alive.
WAGA’s approach to the production of “Georgia’s Most Wanted” is one of partnership with the many law enforcement agencies throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area and throughout the State of Georgia. WAGA willingly provides the much needed platform to disseminate to the public the case information, the law enforcement officer’s perspective on the crime, as well as the victim’s perspective, all of which are critical in eliciting information and tips on behalf of law enforcement. WAGA, being the local Fox affiliate, works closely with Fox TV’s “America’s Most Wanted” and has often been an advocate for getting Atlanta area cases presented to a national audience.
With the production of “Georgia’s Most Wanted”, WAGA Fox 5 News has certainly demonstrated that it is a community leader by not only reporting the crime but by being an advocate for the victim and a conduit for law enforcement.
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Fayette Front Page
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Georgia Front Page
WAGA FOX 5 News initiated its “Georgia’s Most Wanted” program in 1997. WAGA Reporter/Anchor Doug Evans took over the project in early 2005. The program was designed to give a more in depth look at some of Georgia’s more heinous crimes, to include the victim’s perspective on the crime, in order to not only report the crime, but to elicit tips for law enforcement in an effort to further the justice process and, in the process, make the community in which they serve a better, safer place. “Georgia’s Most Wanted” has featured hundreds of unsolved crimes over the years, including many cold cases. Many of the victims and their families have expressed gratitude for having their stories told.
Some highlights:
* At least 14 fugitives featured on “Georgia’s Most Wanted” have been arrested since '05. These fugitives include murderers, bank robbers and child molesters.
* Reports on high profile cases including double murder suspect Derrick Yancey and Atlanta's Standard Bar robbery and the murder of bartender John Henderson. As part of his coverage on this story, WAGA’s Doug Evans traveled to Baltimore to interview John's father.
* Georgia’s Most Wanted was the first to report that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was taking a fresh look at evidence in the 1997 Levi Frady murder case, a tragic but unsolved child abduction case. For the story, Doug Evans interviewed for the first time, Levi's boyhood friend and the last person to see him alive.
WAGA’s approach to the production of “Georgia’s Most Wanted” is one of partnership with the many law enforcement agencies throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area and throughout the State of Georgia. WAGA willingly provides the much needed platform to disseminate to the public the case information, the law enforcement officer’s perspective on the crime, as well as the victim’s perspective, all of which are critical in eliciting information and tips on behalf of law enforcement. WAGA, being the local Fox affiliate, works closely with Fox TV’s “America’s Most Wanted” and has often been an advocate for getting Atlanta area cases presented to a national audience.
With the production of “Georgia’s Most Wanted”, WAGA Fox 5 News has certainly demonstrated that it is a community leader by not only reporting the crime but by being an advocate for the victim and a conduit for law enforcement.
-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
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