unte e r Network

l
f Bl o omington Vo
o
The City presents

Buskirk-Chumley Theater
March 26, 2019

Volunteer Network
 A Celebration of Volunteerism
Welcome Master and Mistress of Ceremonies:
Joe Hren, Anchor of WTIU’s “Indiana Newsdesk” and
Lucy Schaich, Interim Director of the City of Bloomington
Volunteer Network

Community Portrait 2019 Honoree Photo Show

Presentation of the 2019 Be More Awards

Be More Energized Award
(Youth)
Presenter: Amanda Figolah, Teacher,
Bloomington High School South
Be More Knowledgeable Award
(Education/Literacy)
Presenter: Brian Yeley, Board
Member Community Foundation
of Bloomington and Monroe
County
Be More Compassionate Award
(Animal Welfare)
Presenter: Bryan Price, President and
CEO, IU Credit Union
Be More Healthy Award
(Health, Wellness)
Presenter: Efrat Feferman, Executive
Director, United Way of Monroe
County
Be More Sustainable Award
(Environmental Sustainability)
Presenter: Brent Molnar, Station
Operations and Content Director,
WTIU
Be More Involved Award
(College Student)
Presenter: Beverly Calender-
Anderson, Director, City of
Bloomington Community and
Family Resources Department
Be More Influential Award
(Arts/Culture)
Presenter: Dr. Carlos Bakota, Hoosier
Action member and La Escuelita
para Todos volunteer
Be More Collaborative
(Group)
Presenter: Kira Richardson,
community volunteer and 2019
Black History Month Outstanding
Leader of Tomorrow Recipient
Be More Phenomenal Award
(Board Member/Administrative)
Presenter: Rachel Guglielmo,
community volunteer and activist
Be More Dedicated Award
(Lifetime of Service)
Presenter: John Hamilton, Mayor,
City of Bloomington

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INTRODUCING the

Nominees
Mary Blizzard
Unitarian Universalist Church - Hunger, Habitat &
Homelessness Task Force & HOHN (Help Our Hungry
Neighbors)
Mary Blizzard is committed to providing relief to those
experiencing hunger and homelessness, in every capacity
she can. Mary participates primarily through the Unitarian
Universalist Church, Habitat for Humanity, Monroe County
United Ministries, and at the food pantry at Walnut Grove Apartments. But she doesn’t stop there.
Mary also knits hats for those in need and has used her graphics skills to create brochures for First
Books and KAP (Kids with Absent Parents). Mary goes beyond simply filling a volunteer shift; she gets
actively involved in organizations, sometimes providing assistance to individuals on her own. Her
tireless efforts impact the lives of people with the most need.

Julie Booze
Middle Way House
Julie passionately raises awareness about domestic violence
and childhood domestic violence within the Bloomington
Board of Realtors community by coordinating a toy drive to help
supplement gifts for all residential youth AND parents residing
at the transitional housing facility. This is a mission of her heart
that has brought a sense of normalcy to the families of Middle
Way House. Since 2010, Julie’s inspiring efforts have positively impacted and supported approximately
90 youth per year from Middle Way House by raising $31,123.50 and parlaying that into thousands
of gifts through shrewd negotiation and strategic shopping. The ripple effect of Julie’s efforts will be
long felt by these families.
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Sierra Bowman
Bloomington Animal Care and Control
Sierra has served as a Dog Walker, Canine Steward, Animal
Photographer, and Volunteer Program Assistant Intern. She also
participates in the Borrow A Dog Program, provides enrichment
toys and treats to the animals, and is currently training to be an
Adoption Counselor. She has served an estimated 2,600 people
who were looking for an adoptable pet, searching for a lost pet,
or simply had questions that needed to be answered urgently. The Shelter staff has never seen anyone
with her work ethic. She began volunteering when she was just 16 years old, and yet her maturity,
dedication, compassion, empathy, and altruism have made her a peer of the adult volunteers and
staff.

Gail Bridges-Rea
Bloomington Creative Glass Center
Gail stands out as one of the best volunteers at the
Bloomington Creative Glass Center since its inception in
2012. She is willing to take on any task regardless of previous
experience and is happy to learn new skills. As she learns
she mentors those around her who may be less skilled. She
is equally excited to wield a sledgehammer as scrub tables.
Gail’s superpower is her ability to go beyond the standard duties of a volunteer by seeing needs,
pointing them out to the person in charge, and then proactively tackling the problem. Through all of
her service, Gail is unfailingly cheerful and helpful. Gail is an absolute delight to be around and truly
valued as part of the BCGC team.

Jim Burton
Monroe County United Ministries
Jim, or as the staff at Monroe County United Ministries calls him,
“Jim of all trades,” is always there to answer the call. Jim is truly
selfless and generous with his time to some not so glamorous
tasks at MCUM. Jim is the go-to volunteer car mechanic,
volunteer repairman, volunteer builder, and weekly recycling
guy. The kind of work that Jim does is not something that
everyone is aware of, nor is it highly visible like some of the other volunteer positions that interact
directly with clients or children. Yet even though his work is behind the scenes, Jim is always willing to
do what needs to be done, he is always reliable. Jim has made a huge impact at MCUM over the last 4
years – and always with a smile!

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Kenneth Buzzard
Bloomington Symphony Orchestra
Ken Buzzard serves as President of the Bloomington Symphony
Orchestra’s Board of Directors. Ken also chairs the orchestra’s
Operations and Development Committee and supports all other
standing and ad hoc committees as needed. Ken’s leadership
provides inspiration and motivation to the members of the
orchestra (85 individuals), members of the board (8), other
committee members (6), staff (5), and other volunteers (20). Additionally, his influence on the
orchestra and support for its programs has a positive impact the children who participate in our
educational outreach programs (300+) and the people who choose to come to our concerts each
season (3,000+). Ken’s enthusiasm and love for the orchestra are boundless. Involved and passionate,
he is what every Board President should be.

Lillian Casillas
CUBAmistad
Lillian Casillas has given 18 years of her life in service to the
Latino community of Bloomington through El Centro Comunal
Latino and as the director of IU’s La Casa Latino Cultural Center
since 2000. As a volunteer for CUBAmistad, Lillian has been
instrumental in furthering the organization’s work to make
Bloomington a welcoming community for those affiliated with
our sister city of Santiago, Cuba. She is also integrally involved in the Educacion ES Poder (Education
is Power) conference that reaches participants statewide. Lillian enhances the community practicing
social justice literacy with her kind presence and her warmth and compassion.

Deisy De Santiago
Amigos Club Bloomington North
Deisy really cares for those in need. Her time in the Amigos Club
at Bloomington High School North has taught her to be more
aware of the social needs in her school and in Bloomington. As a
result, Deisy, a senior at North, has used her multilingual talents
in Spanish and English to serve as a translator for exchange
students and peers, and as a mentor for younger students
in elementary school. She has helped many international and exchange students to adapt to the
American high school system. Many students of all ages have benefited from her mentoring and
guidance. Deisy’s empathy for people experiencing a new culture and country has made the transition
into American life much smoother for these students.

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Thais Vieira Dos Santos Hauskrecht
Bloomington South SAGE (Students Advocating for Greener
Environment) and Spanish Club
Thais Hauskrecht has already mastered five languages at the
age of 17. But she isn’t stopping there. Her future plans include
learning a sixth! Why? Because then she could be a service
to even more people. Thais has a passion for protecting the
environment and has become a multilingual advocate for that
cause through her affiliation with the SAGE Club (Students Advocating for a Greener Environment) at
Bloomington High School South. She has spent many hours as an advocate for environmental issues,
seeking improvement of local services for the Latino and Brazilian population, and as a mentor for
students using her language skills.

Gillian Field
MC-IRIS (Monroe County - Identify and Reduce Invasive
Species)
Gillian is an unstoppable force filled with creative energy
and persistence. She has championed and pursued
organizing neighborhoods around invasive plant control
and native plantings and in the process has created a model
for neighborhoods to follow that is still rippling through
Bloomington. MC-IRIS has worked to spread the message about the problem with invasive plant
species for 10 years. Gillian has shown MC-IRIS how to reach many more people in Bloomington
quickly and easily by working through neighborhoods. This has helped organized invasive control and
native planting efforts in nearly a dozen neighborhoods so far.

Pablo Garcia
La Escuelita para Todos
Pablo is an essential volunteer at La Escuelita para Todos in
the roles of general coordinator of Latino children’s activities,
volunteer assignments, weekly and Saturday activities, and
outreach. Pablo came from Spain to study education and jumped
into his involvement with La Escuelita right away. He shows a
strong passion for what he is doing. Participants in La Escuelita
are preparing to be more global and multilingual citizens and represent Bloomington in the nation
and around the world. Pablo has been a big part of making the school and activities a success through
the full devotion of his time and talents to the programs and families of La Escuelita.

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Tammie Gibson
Wheeler Mission
Tammie has faithfully stepped up to serve at the front desk of
the Center for Women & Children. She does so much more than
simply opening the door. She interacts with the ladies and does
whatever is needed. She is reliable and shows up without fail.
Tammie has a presence that allows the Wheeler Mission guests
to feel at home and safe and that is a gift that has made a
lasting impact on every woman and child who has entered Wheeler’s doors. Being the first face they
see, she has offered them support, love, and trust. She offers a face of compassion to the ladies at the
mission and is reliable to staff for any need that arises. Tammie has built many relationships with the
guests of Wheeler in the past year impacting well over 100 women.

Molly Gleeson
Volunteer in Tutoring Adult Learners
VITAL volunteer Molly Gleeson has been an adult literacy tutor
with Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners at the Monroe County
Public Library since August of 2012. With 1 of every 10 adults
in Monroe County in need of help with literacy and language
skills, her service is of great value. Molly’s commitment to VITAL
goes above and beyond the scope of a volunteer tutor. She freely
offers her passion, intellect, time, and energy to this program and plans imaginative and inspiring
real-life activities. Molly‘s generous nature and giving personality have impacted more than just those
individuals who received tutoring, her diligent thoughtful efforts have also inspired fellow volunteers.

Sara Goodwin
Monroe County Public Library
Sara was one of the very first volunteers to join the mentor
program in the library’s teen space and has been a weekly
volunteer mentor for teens in The Ground Floor at the Monroe
County Public Library for the past four years. Her volunteer
position is to teach different crafts to the teens who hang
out there. Her ACTUAL role has turned out to be providing a
welcoming, fun, and safe environment for teens, while using her strong craft skills on the side. Sara
has been a mentor in the truest sense of the word, always being kind and providing a sounding board
for teens and their day-to-day concerns. She has proven to be reliable, consistent, caring, thought-
provoking, challenging, supportive, creative, kind, and intelligent.

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Mike Grubb
Monroe County
Since the early 80’s Mike has been a part of the Monroe County
Youth Soccer (Cutters Soccer Club) and has devoted all of his
spare time to the kids in the community. He led the Club as a
board president and, after his retirement in 2017, as the Club’s
executive director. Retirement didn’t slow him down a bit.
Now he coordinates all of the Club’s community outreach as
a volunteer. He continues to innovate for the success of the Club. He created the partnership with
Hoosier to Hoosier to benefit not only the Cutters and community but countless other non-profits. His
understated dedication to the youth in this community makes him a true hero to the Club and kids.

Karina Gutierrez
Middle Way House
Karina works with the Middle Way House legal advocacy
program, helping clients involved with the legal system
navigate it effectively and safely. Karina’s hard work and
dedication to clients typifies Middle Way’s commitment to the
empowerment model. Her work gives survivors of domestic
violence and sexual violence the resources, support, and
information they need to exercise their own judgment and rights in seeking legal recourse to the
harm they’ve experienced. In the end, Karina’s contribution goes beyond just the specific support she
has offered to clients; she has been able to help restore their agency and ability to make decisions
about how to live their lives free of violence.

Jack Harlow
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana
In 1972 Jack was an original founder of BBBSSCI. Jack has been
an active mentor in impacting children’s lives ever since. Jack
has lived his whole adult life in service to others. He has a true
life-long compassion for children and wants to help set them up
for a successful future. Jack’s impact is just not in the immediate,
his impact has spanned over 46 years and has been able to help
impact thousands of children over that time. Jack still appears weekly in the BBBS office working
on projects that reach out to make a lasting impact on the community. He is an inspiration to all of
us in reaching to Be More in our own lives. The impact he has had on children in this community is
immeasurable.

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Israel Herrera
Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs
Israel is one of the most hard-working, committed, and serious
representatives of our community. He has been Board Member
of the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino
Affairs for 8 years. He dedicates hours committed to his volunteer
work, which he takes as seriously as a job and a calling. His
promotion of the Latino-Hispanic community has helped to
strengthen the sense of pride, identity, and social commitment of the Latino-Hispanic community,
and in this way, to make Bloomington a more integrated and just place to live for all. He is a strong
advocate for the needs of the Latino community works hard to lift its members up through all of his
activities.

Cyndi Johnson
Down Syndrome Family Connection
Since co-founding the Down Syndrome Family Connection in
2006, Cyndi has been a tireless advocate for individuals and
families living, learning, and growing with Down syndrome.
Cyndi’s impact on the community can be hard to quantify but
it is easy to describe! She has more than a decade’s worth of
impact with the public at large, those with Down syndrome,
their family and friends, the Bloomington business community, political leaders, educators, and
caregivers. It also includes those she has motivated to follow in her footsteps who try and make an
impact to improve the lives of not only those with Down syndrome, but all people with disabilities.

Ricardo Martins
Clear Creek Elementary School
Ricardo teaches Spanish to children at Clear Creek Elementary
school as part of its Global Language program. He mentors
other volunteers providing the best teaching methods and
learning experiences. In addition to his service in the schools,
Ricardo, who is a graduate student at IU, also acts as MINSPI
(Mentor Inspirador) for many undergraduate students who also
volunteer as language instructors through MCCSC schools. He has gone above and beyond to organize
workshops on teaching methodologies to help mentor and develop skills for these young (and future
Spanish) instructors. Ricardo is a friendly, dedicated, and hardworking volunteer, and, above all, an
excellent member of the IU and Bloomington Latino community.

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Marty McDonald
Global Gifts
There is no one quite like Marty, and the community is blessed
to have someone who radiates positivity as she does. Marty
has volunteered with Global Gifts, a non-profit fair trade store,
since April 2017. She serves as a sales associate and educates
the public on fair trade principles such as gender equity and fair
wages. For Marty, these conversations on human rights don’t
stop after volunteering, they are essential values for her that she exhibits in daily life by how she
treats others. She transforms a room with her joy and hospitality, which is the greatest example of not
only choosing to serve, but to also serve happily! Marty is an outstanding example of truly living out
a mission.

Liz Mitchell
Monroe County History Center
Liz has combined her passion for researching the history
of African Americans in our community with her skills of
production and performance. She has served on the board of
the Monroe County History Center and is a contributor to WFHB’s
Bring It On! Radio program. She also produced and directed
“Resilience: Indiana’s Untold Story”, a multi-media production
inspired by actual events that tells the stories of extraordinary Indiana African American men and
women who made significant contributions to Indiana’s 200-year history. With her generous spirit,
determination, and good cheer, Liz brings to light the hidden history of African Americans in our
community.

Sheryl Mitchell
Scaly Tailz Reptile and Amphibian Education and Rescue Inc.
Sheryl is the head of Scaly Tailz Reptile and Amphibian Education
and Rescue, that she founded in 1997 and runs as a volunteer.
She has been doing live demonstrations of reptiles and
amphibians in the Bloomington area for 22 years. She arranges
to do them with Monroe County schools, local businesses and
nonprofits, event organizers and anyone else interested. Wildlife
education is important as a global issue. Dozens of animals go extinct every day, and 30-50% of
animals worldwide are projected to go extinct by mid-century at the current trajectory. That’s why
Sheryl’s work with Scaly Tailz is so important. Sheryl’s work has reached thousands, if not tens of
thousands, of people over two decades.

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Dana Nissan
Lincoln Street Boys & Girls Club
Dana has shown passion and professionalism in her work with
Boys and Girls Club members since her first week volunteering
at the Club. She has volunteered in multiple program areas, from
volunteer-run activities like martial arts and dance, to general
programs like gym and art. Her flexibility and adaptability with
how she serves the kids is incredible. Dana knows all of the ins
and outs of the club because of her broad experience in many of the program areas. Dana volunteers
twice a week, enough to interact with and impact all 170-190 kids who come through the Club door
daily. She is a model volunteer and an example to youth, volunteers, and staff alike.

Robert Ping-Slater
Quarryland Men’s Chorus
To say that Robert would do whatever it takes to keep the 169
members of the Quarryland Men’s Chorus on track, on time, and
on a budget, would be accurate. He has served 2 back-to-back
terms as President of the Board and is now serving as Treasurer.
Robert is knowledgeable about every aspect of the organization
and shares his skills in outreach and education, marketing,
finance, and planning. He is also caring and nurturing to the members, posting happy birthday
messages and welcoming new members into the group. And on top of all that, he’s a talented singer!
The members of Quarryland Men’s Chorus are brought together through his dedication and service to
the group.

Laura Plummer
Lotus Education & Arts Foundation
It takes a special kind of person to extend themselves so
regularly beyond their work commitments, and Laura does
it so wonderfully! She believes in cultivating donors to
serve the mission of non-profit organizations, to help those
organizations serve the community. Laura has done so much
for Lotus Education & Arts Foundation. The same qualities she
brings to her professional life are shared with the organization, assisting the development director,
the outreach director, and the rest of the staff with making connections to others who are passionate
about diverse the arts. Laura is tireless in her advocacy for children’s programming at Lotus, always
going the extra mile.

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Barb Sholtis
Bloomington Animal Shelter
Barb fosters unwanted animals from the Animal Shelter at her
home. Barb’s willingness to give full-time care to dogs goes
above and beyond. By taking them into her home not only does
she give them a compassionate place to live but her service
also alleviates that work from the shelter staff so they can use
their efforts on other dogs. Due to her constant possession of
an animal in need, her number of volunteer hours are numerous. Barb serves as an example in our
neighborhood of showing compassion even to the least wanted creatures in our community. The
commitment she shows by giving full-time care to these dogs serves as a model of what it means to
serve the community.

Peg Smith
Middle Way House
In 2016, Peg began volunteering with the Middle Way House
(MWH) “Building Health Relationships” sexual violence
prevention program as an On-Scene Advocate (OSA). Peg has
taken the initiative to develop research-backed lessons for 3rd-
5th graders to start Middle Way House’s prevention efforts for
early learners. Peg possesses a commitment to empowering
youth in Monroe County with knowledge and skill sets to prevent sexual violence and domestic
violence. As a facilitator, an educator, a curriculum developer, an events planner, a board member, and
an On-Scene Advocate, Peg Smith goes beyond serving within a singular role at MWH and is eager to
help where needed.

Kit Somers
SouthernCare Hospice
Katherine, commonly known as Kit, is such a compassionate
and caring student volunteer. Kit not only gives of herself, but
she truly cares for her patient and the other organizations she
volunteers for. She spends time each week with a hospice patient
providing care in a local facility. She has made a real connection
with this patient and goes out of her way to look out for his well-
being. Kit is willing to develop a relationship with her patient knowing his time is limited, this is truly
giving selflessly. Kit’s impact on the life of a Bloomington resident is truly inspiring and a model of
servitude for all people of all ages within the Bloomington community.

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Ted Unwin
WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology
Since 2006, Ted Unwin has volunteered at WonderLab caring for
the animals in the living exhibits. Ted is one of the most effective
floor volunteers and engages one-on-one with young visitors
by introducing them to the various animals in our collection,
allowing the children pet and interact with the animals. Due
to his consistency as a volunteer, he also acts as a mentor and
trainer for IU interns in the Animal Exhibits Department. Ted has spent a huge number of hours
working to keep the WonderLab menagerie alive and well, coming in on holidays and after hours to
feed and care for the critters who need care 365 days a year regardless of the weather or holidays.

Lee Van Buskirk

Monroe County United Ministries
Lee has had a tremendous impact on Monroe County United
Ministries (MCUM) in the last 5 years. Aside from the dollars
he helps the organization to save annually, he is responsible
for keeping buildings and facilities in working condition so
that MCUM is able to operate to their best ability. Lee has done
incredible work in all of the organization’s buildings including
drywall, installing floors, construction, and etc. The money that Lee saves MCUM on maintenance
allows for more food for families in need and helps buy toys or supplies for children at the childcare
center. The impact that he has is a ripple effect starting at MCUM and expanding into our entire
community.

David White
South Central Community Action Program
In partnership with SCCAP, David currently is editor, publisher and
financial supporter of the Safety-Net free community newspaper.
David started Safety-Net in 2005 and continues to be the main
organizer. He has called for community action on issues of the
environment, civil rights, homelessness, and education. For
those who lack resources, David provides what the overburdened
system cannot. By his direct service, he has filled many unmet needs of social service agencies and
more importantly given non-judgmental support to folks experiencing hard times. David White
is a tremendous asset to people in need, to nonprofit organizations, and government agencies in
Bloomington.

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Black Graduate Student Association
Bethel A.M.E Church
The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) prides itself
in cultivating an environment that fosters positive social
interactions within the Indiana University-Bloomington
community. Although BGSA volunteers in several capacities, the
group’s main community service work is after-school homework
help with students at Bethel A.M.E Church each Wednesday
evening during the school year. BGSA aims to level the playing field by reinforcing lessons learned
in the classroom by helping the students to understand the material. Their ultimate goal is to assist
these students to graduate and to pursue higher education because they’re bright and talented
students with great potential.

Festival Volunteers
Bloomington Boogies: The Bloomington Blues & Boogie
Woogie Piano Festival
Bloomington Boogies volunteers have sustained the festival
from 2015 until today, doing every activity imaginable.
Bloomington Boogies volunteers are the reason dozens of
acclaimed artists have rendered free and ticketed concerts in
downtown Bloomington each year since 2015. These guest
artists have gone into public schools, where they perform for and interact with students during
the school day, then lead-free piano workshops at the end of the school day, helping students and
community members learn about the piano and various styles of music all due to volunteers. Because
of their involvement, styles and music knowledge are presented to the Bloomington community.

Bloomington Community Orchard

Volunteers
Bloomington Community Orchard
As one of the only projects of its kind, the Bloomington
Community Orchard (BCO) is on the forefront of sustainable living
and community building due to its volunteers. Volunteers have
allowed the BCO to be a resource nurtured by the community,
for the community. Each year volunteers help individuals and
organizations around the world, looking to grow their own collaborative commons around their
all-volunteer model. The Orchard’s volunteers contribute to Bloomington’s food security, community
engagement, and educates citizens while making sustainability delicious. The goodwill and passion of
BCO volunteers helps to create change in the community and local food system.

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Bloomington High School North
Habitat Chapter
Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County
Founded in 2000, Bloomington High School North Habitat
Chapter has grown into one of the most active chapters in
the nation. In the last 18 years, the students have annually
fundraised enough money to sponsor the building of 18 homes in Monroe County. The Bloomington
High School North Habitat Chapter also volunteers their time on the build site making them extremely
active and connected to the community. Despite their dedication to academics, athletics, and other
organizations, the members of this chapter work hard to provide their neighbors with the opportunity
of safe and affordable housing by contributing their efforts towards building up the Monroe County
community.

Bloomington High School North

Student Council
Bloomington High School North
The BHSN Student Council is a group of high school students
who personify the ideals of community service. They work
tirelessly to improve the lives of all people in our community and often toil behind the scenes in
obscurity, yet do not waver in their commitment to giving back. In addition to working on traditional
high school activities, the Council contributes financial and physical support to numerous local and
international causes. In addition to funding causes, the students work with groups throughout the
school and community to raise awareness of equity and inclusion for people experiencing mental
illness and disabilities, and victims of domestic violence.

Brenda and Harold Fiscus

Opportunity House
Brenda and Harold’s work is essential to the smooth running
of Opportunity house. Brenda is in her 33rd year of serving
Opportunity house. Through the years Brenda has filled in where
needed from managing the store, cashiering, pricing and sorting
to serving as a board member and more. Harold is a retired
CPA and always willing to figure out any problem involving the
daily income. Harold is also very friendly and always willing to help customers. Their long history of
volunteering brings knowledge that they can share with new volunteers. Brenda and Harold are very
reliable and caring individuals demonstrating the impact year of volunteering have in the community.

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The Chambers Family
Wheeler Mission
The Chambers family has set an outstanding standard for the
impact one family can make on its community. Serving is
ingrained in the culture of this family who has committed their
lives to serve their neighbors. The Chambers have served Wheeler
Mission in numerous capacities, exploring ways that they can
make the largest impact on this organization. The Chambers
family has identified needs that even staff have been unaware of and taken initiative to step up
and take on large projects to completion. Having an impact on all three of Wheeler’s locations in
Bloomington increasing their impact to over 300 people. The Chambers continuously inspire family
community involvement.

College Mentors for Kids at Indiana

University
College Mentors for Kids
College Mentors for Kids is a national non-profit organization
with a local chapter at Indiana University. This chapter works
to pair students from different elementary schools in the
community with IU students. Three times each week the
group of mentors and little buddies meets up on campus for an activity that aims to educate, connect,
and inspire. College Mentors at IU currently touches the lives of over one hundred college students
and over one hundred local elementary school students every week. Little buddies have been able to
experience different careers, learn about exciting interest areas, and form a connection with a great
college student mentor.

Gerhard & Angela Glomm

South Central Community Action Program
Angela and Gerhard are tireless volunteers and are dedicated
to supporting those in Monroe County living without enough
resources. In the six years that they have been with Thriving
Connections, Gerhard and Angela have been a vital part of the
larger Thriving Connections community going above and beyond
in their service to others in this community, even opening their
home to people who found themselves with nowhere else to live. Angela and Gerhard can always be
counted on to provide support to anyone in the community who needs it. They mentor new allies,
speak of TC’s behalf to other groups and help support the Bloomington community in countless ways.

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Hub Composting Crew
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard
It takes a lot of work to turn thousands of pounds of food scraps
into beautiful, nutrient-dense, soil for our community garden,
but that’s precisely what the Hub Composting Crew does! In
2018, the Hub Composting Crew diverted 36,015 pounds (18
tons) of food scraps from the landfill. They spent nearly 300
hours hauling, chopping, and turning scraps into soil. Without
the Hub Composting Crew, those scraps would end up sitting in the landfill instead of enriching the
soil and the harvest it provides the Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard community. Hub Composting Crew
chose what must be one of the dirtiest, smelliest, and most physically demanding opportunities in
Bloomington.

IU Grupo de Teatro VIDA Members

IU Grupo de Teatro VIDA
VIDA (Life) is a Spanish/Portuguese-language performance
group composed of more than 50 IU students and members of
the community. We aim to produce plays that foster cultural
understanding and promote the richness of Hispanic/Latino/
Brazilian culture and expression through live theater in
Bloomington. VIDA organizes plays for Bloomington schools,
the Latino, Hispanic and Lusophone community of our city. VIDA has presented more than 25 plays
in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. This is a unique group that is appreciated in the
Bloomington community for the opportunities it gives to volunteers without any experience in
theater and a passion for Spanish/Portuguese.

Landmark Missionary Baptist Church

Congregation
Johnson Christian Village
The congregation of Landmark Baptist Church is dedicated to
volunteering in the Bloomington community. Landmark Baptist
Church has worked closely with Johnson Christian Village
volunteering with seniors. Johnson Christian Village is a faith-
based non-profit senior housing community. The congregation
has volunteered in several ways at Johnson Christian Village. They have provided church services and
music to the residents who no longer wish to leave the community for services. They have also spent
time with residents doing crafts, purchasing craft supplies themselves. They genuinely enjoy coming
to the community and providing services to the residents.

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Monroe County Civic Theater
Volunteers
Monroe County Civic Theater
Monroe County Civic Theater is a not-for-profit community
theater group. The Monroe Co. Civic Theater group brings
pleasure and cultural, artistic enjoyment to others while
developing personal talent to give back to the community. Many
hours are spent in rehearsals without remuneration. Actor/
actresses, directors, stage managers, technical support and musicians give of their time and talent to
make this happen. The Monroe Co. Civic Theater gives back to the community monetarily donating
to the Middle Way House at their Variety Show benefit and auction. Participants who love drama,
comedy, and music are able to develop their talents while giving back to the community.

Opportunity House volunteers

Opportunity House
This community of hard working dedicated volunteers puts in
hundreds of hours every month and it is because of them that
Opportunity House has been able to fulfill their mission for 50
years. Proceeds from Opportunity House play an essential role in
supporting the programs of Monroe County United Ministries.
Volunteers at Opportunity House perform a wide variety of tasks,
from sorting donations, cleaning donations, cashiering, packing, pricing, labeling, stocking, quality
control, managing, inventorying, and removing old stock, testing, fixing, and customer service.
Opportunity House is almost entirely volunteer-run; the store could not run without them.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and

Kentucky Volunteer Clinic Escorts
Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky (PPINK)
Volunteer Client Escorts of Planned Parenthood of Indiana &
Kentucky (PPINK) ensure safe, unencumbered passage into the
health center for all patients. Without Escorts, patients would
find themselves approached by well-meaning, but determined
protesters seeking to share their beliefs and values. Volunteer
escorts judge neither the patients nor the protesters. They are there only for patient support.
Unfortunately, clinic escorts receive limited recognition in the community because they are associated
with the controversy of reproductive choice. Every year, volunteer Escorts welcome 600 or more
individuals at PPINK’s Bloomington Health Clinic.

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Bloomington Thrift Shop Team
Psi Iota Xi - Bloomington Thrift Shop
The women of Psi Iota Xi work tirelessly to keep the Bloomington
Thrift Shop running. The Bloomington Thrift Shop provides
good quality clothing and housewares at a very low price to the
community and donates sales back to non-profits supporting
children, education, the arts, shelters, food pantries and more.
Without the many hours these volunteers donate running this
store, the Bloomington Thrift Shop would not have money to donate and help worthy groups; totaling
over $27,000 this year. The ladies of Psi lota Xi do everything it takes to run a small non-profit business
from hiring and supervising to donating equipment to other non-profit organizations.

Punch List Crew

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County
The Punch List Crew goes above and beyond the normal
responsibilities of Habitat volunteers and crew leaders, and have
added to the organization’s success. Since the group has started,
they have helped 10 Habitat homeowners in Monroe County, in
addition to the many families they help as normal crew leaders.
In addition to the hundreds of hours the Punch List Crew put in
on job sites as crew leaders, they also complete repairs and punch list items on homes after normal
construction has ended. These three volunteers are dedicated to the mission of Habitat and are willing
to think outside of the box in order to help Habitat and all of the Habitat homeowners.

QueerTalk Facilitators
Middle Way House
QueerTalk facilitators work together to identify and plan
workshops, in which they facilitate once a month, to fill gaps
in community knowledge and skill that maximize protective
factors against sexual violence and domestic violence. The
QueerTalk facilitation team provides a social space that provides
an opportunity to practice skills that encourage meaningful
interpersonal connection for all LGBTQ+ people, without reliance on alcohol or a strict curriculum
of material. The QueerTalk facilitators provide an inspirational project that truly understands how
violence works and looks like to try and build a community that doesn’t let its constituents be
harmed.

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Team Marco
Broadview Learning Center
Team Marco demonstrates the possibilities that can arise from
dedication. Patricia Marvin, who is a bilingual assessor with
MCCSC, took a passionate interest in a Hispanic teenager’s
plight. Patricia arranged volunteer tutors to help teach Marco
in Spanish so he could attend MCCSC Adult Education classes.
Patricia enlisted Dr. Sara Antonia, Henry Dohnert, and Vanessa
Elias, all having prior volunteer experience teaching language learners. These individuals agreed to
try to cover hours of his class to interpret and to tutor him, so he could eventually take his High School
Equivalency Test before his 18th birthday. Ron Mobley, Marco’s foster Dad, provided the much-needed
guidance and love promoting Marco’s success.

Unitarian Universalist Church of

Bloomington VALE group - Vigiling at
Life’s End
SouthernCare Hospice
With the mission is to serve those at risk of dying alone, Vigiling
at Life’s End volunteers sit with patients who have little or no
family connections as they begin the processes of passing away.
Vigil volunteers have all qualities that play a key role while aiding
individuals during one of the most difficult times one will ever
suffer. They provide a calming and comforting presence, companionship, and support to patients
who may have otherwise died alone. Volunteers willingly give of their time to serve an under-served
portion of society. Vigiling at Life’s Ends’ volunteers consider it an honor to vigil with a person as they
pass and are eager to serve this community.

V.I.Paws
Monroe County Humane Association
V.I.Paws is an amazing volunteer program of the Monroe County
Humane Association. V.I.Paws volunteers provide a unique
opportunity, often to those that cannot have pets of their own,
and share the sense of healing, security and unconditional love
from their furry companions. V.I.Paws Volunteers are dedicated
to providing outstanding animal-assisted activities and therapies
in our community to improve the quality of others’ lives and help the community. V.I.Paws teams are
active in nursing homes, health care facilities, libraries, schools, camps, clubs, community events, and
many other situations to share the physical and emotional benefits of the human-animal bond.

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WonderLab Volunteer Team
WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology
WonderLab’s volunteer team demonstrates the profound power
of volunteering. Volunteers encourage an atmosphere of play
and discovery. Volunteers are WonderLab ambassadors and the
best recruiters of new outstanding volunteers. WonderLab could
not offer experiences, programs, and exhibits without the combined efforts of their volunteering
team working alongside paid staff. Volunteers have nurtured and grown WonderLab from a traveling
outreach program into a vital place for hands-on discovery in science. The volunteer team works to
make sure each and every visitor gains a remarkable experience at WonderLab and wants to come
back for more discovery and exploration.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc - Upsilon

Kappa Zeta Chapter
Banneker Community Center
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Upsilon Kappa Zeta chapter focuses
on giving back to and raising awareness in the community.
Scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood are the
core principles of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Members
volunteer individually and collectively at least once a month.
Since chartering the Upsilon Kappa Zeta chapter in 2005, these women have supported high school
students with college scholarships, recognized current and future community leaders, raised money
for prematurity research, supported community centers, and much more. They have filled a need by
being citizens that not only care but actively seek to make a difference.

Happy National
Volunteer
Month! (April 2019)

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 Congratulations to WTIU!
Thank you for serving the Bloomington
community and all of South Central Indiana
for the past 50 years!

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VOLUNTEER - IT'S WORTH IT!

ONE YEAR IN BLOOMINGTON

The information provided was collected for the
period of July 1st, 2017 to June 30th, 2018 for
the Bloomington community.

123 NONPROFITS
123 Bloomington nonprofits reported
numbers for the year.

30,562 VOLUNTEERS
The nonprofits reported having 30,562 volunteers.

4.9 MILLION VOLUNTEER HOURS

Those 30,562 volunteers completed 4,921,820
hours of volunteer work in one year.

116.7 MILLION DOLLARS

What is a volunteer hour worth?
In Indiana*, volunteer hours are calculated to
be worth $23.73 per hour. Those 4.9 million
volunteer hours are worth $116,794,788.
*https://independentsector.org/resource/vovt_details/

THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO HELP!

BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org
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 Thank You!
to all of the volunteers, staff, community organizations and businesses
who make the Be More Awards possible.

2019 Award Selection Committee

Becky Jessmer, Corporate Development, WTIU Public Television
Jennifer Hottell, Community Engagement Director, United Way of Monroe County
Kevin Osborne, Business Development Officer, IU Credit Union
Marcus Whited, Program Director, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County

Community Portrait Project

A special thank you to all of the individuals and organizations
who submitted photos for the project
co-sponsors
City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department
Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County
IU Credit Union
United Way of Monroe County
WTIU Public Television

Be More Awards Celebration

Volunteers & Staff
Monroe County Youth Council Volunteers:
Lena Lin, Emma Dawson, Gwen Jarrold
Community and Family Resources Department Staff:
Stefanie Green (Office Manager), Lucy Schaich (Interim Director, City of Bloomington Volunteer
Network), Michael Shermis (Special Projects Coordinator), Toyia Moss (Safe and Civil City Director),
Lizz Horace (Cox Civic Scholar)
Thank you to WonderLab, for donating free admission tickets to each Be More Award honoree
A very special thank you to photographer Richard “Mac” McLaughlin, and Community
Access Television Services and WTIU for documenting tonight’s event. Another very special
thank you to tonight’s Be More Awards celebration volunteers!

Please complete this short survey to share

your impressions about tonight’s event.
Use the QR code or link:
http://bit.ly/BeMoreAwardsFeedback2019