Everyday heroes

Rebecca Anderson-McDonough, 30
Where do you volunteer? Chicago Cares in Humboldt Park; Amigos de las Americas, Chicago Urban Chapter board member
Time commitment? One to three hours per week
So what do you do? I do service projects through the group Chicago Cares (tutoring, teaching ESL, serving meals at the Salvation Army cafeteria, etc.). CC also has projects like Homework Helpers, which I coordinated for three years, tutoring kids in grades 1–8 once a week for an hour. I do Web work and fund-raising for Amigos, a summer youth volunteer program that sends kids to Latin America for health and community development projects.
Best/worst volunteering moment: The best moments are the small ones—when a student gets her "9" times-table or figures out how to sound-out a word; when you make a friend at an organization you would have never met otherwise. The worst is encountering the forces that make people's lives so difficult — poverty, crime, illness.
Why bother? No matter how tired or stressed I think I am, when I leave a service project I am energized. Almost all service organizations depend on volunteers to make things happen, and it feels good to help in a small way.
For more information, visit www.chicagocares.org and www.amigosurbanchicago.org.

Paul Weil, 34
Where do you volunteer? Broadway Youth Center, a satellite program of Howard Brown Health Center
Time commitment? Three hours a week
So what do you do? Provide free HIV testing and STD screening for youth aged 17 to 24. Also, I'm a trained HIV/STD pre- and post-test counselor.
Funniest volunteering moment: I was doing HIV/STD testing one night and a young guy came in; I think he was 17 or 18 years old. He was new to this country, so his English was a little sketchy. He asked to get tested for HIV, gonorrhea and chlamydia. When we went through our questionnaire/discussion before the test, I asked him the usual questions, like, "What brings you in tonight to get tested?" His answer was, "I've been dating this girl for a few months and her mom says that we can't have sex until I get these tests." I said, "Really? Okay, well, we can get you a sheet saying what your results are as of today." And he said, "Good, because she's waiting downstairs in the car."
Why bother? I started volunteering when I was a senior in high school as a peer educator—I was trained to talk about HIV/AIDS with people my own age. I knew that I was gay in high school and that HIV was a bad thing, and when the volunteer opportunity came up, I thought, This is what I should be doing. Unfortunately, [HIV/AIDS is] still an issue in my community, so it would be difficult to do nothing when I have the knowledge to help others.
For information, visit www.howardbrown.org.

Daniel Bodde, 29
Where do you volunteer? Best Boys Around, a program targeted at boys from a domestic violence shelter aged 6–14
Time commitment? About four hours every two weeks
So what do you do? We do a lot of science projects, actually. Basically, we just try to have the kids interact with older mentors with the goal of building self-esteem and self-confidence. They have all kinds of issues due to (1) coming from a domestic violence situation, and (2) coming from a shelter. I don't think the younger children realize that much is different about their lives, but as they grow older, the kids sort of realize, and I think it's important to interact with them just as you would with other kids. Everyone's really great and it's a good time.
Best/worst volunteering moment: Everything's a best moment when you're interacting with kids, having fun and working with other volunteers. Once I mistook a little boy for a little girl at Best Boys Around; I thought he should go to [the girls' equivalent] Girls on the Go. I asked him, "What kind of snack would you like, hon?" [laughs] That was the worst.
Why bother? To give back to the community. I think volunteers get as much out of it as the kids do, because you're put in a situation you're not necessarily accustomed to. Most volunteers are not coming from a domestic violence background; you can kind of reach back and help the kids. They need role models in their lives.
For more information, visit www.chicagocares.org.

Karla Rindal, 50
Where do you volunteer? Open Studio Project, Evanston
Time commitment? I facilitate on Fridays for a two-hour class, plus time before and after. Sometimes in the summer, I also work a Tuesday night class. I'm also on the board for long-range planning and help hang shows sometimes.
So what do you do? As a facilitator, I teach a specific art process: It's not based on producing artwork; it's based on using art as a way to access creativity and internal wisdom, and as a way of expressing yourself. It's not a skills-based program at all. I've brought a lot of people into the studio and worked with people who have disabilities, ongoing health issues or [have been through] really rough transitions.
Best volunteering moment: The best is seeing the artwork and how it brings out the authenticity in people. Often you look at something that on the surface may not seem well executed, but has something you can't put your finger on that's so powerful and true. Seeing people's lives transformed is amazing. Seeing somebody do something pleasurable, interesting and low-stress, and seeing something positive and life-changing come out of it, is a lot of fun.
Why bother? It's really transformed my life. When I started this, I literally was nonfunctional, physically. I had migraines more than 50 percent of the time; I was literally couch-ridden. I feel that [volunteering] saved my life—got me in better touch with myself beyond my loud, screaming head. I guess "giving back" is a cliché, but I've really seen that this has made a huge difference in a way that nothing else I tried did.
For more information, visit www.openstudioproject.org.

Felix Palacio, 30
Where do you volunteer? Primarily at Garfield Park
Conservatory; also the sheriff's department at Cook County Jail; Whittier Elementary; University of Illinois' Extension office at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
Time commitment? At GPC, during the winter, about two to five hours a week; during summertime at CCJ, maybe three hours a week. Depending on the weather, I'll be at Whittier and U of I every couple weeks for two hours.
So what do you do? At GPC, with the other master gardeners and myself, we do whatever needs to be done: during the winter time, everything from installing poinsettias and transplanting tropical plants to fertilizing and watering. If the horticulturists need help, we're their helping hands. I learn a lot there, at the conservatory. At CCJ, we're helping inmates who want to enroll in the Master Gardeners' program, so that they can learn a trade. It's kind of like a rehabilitation program.
Best volunteering moment: Working with the children in the gardens. When I do my volunteer work at Whittier, I like teaching the kids what to do. It's fun to see them learn and be excited about gardening. It's my passion, so it's really fun to see kids get excited about it as well, and they pass it on to other students.
Why bother? Some people ask me: Did you do something bad in your past life? You must be trying to get on God's good side. But the truth is, I just enjoy gardening.
For more information, visit www.garfield-conservatory.org and web.extension.uiuc.edu/chicago/.

Gary Dolinko, 41
Where do you volunteer? The District 73.5 Katrina Family Relief Committee. We organized it with friends while sitting around our block party, talking about how we'd like to benefit somebody specific [who was affected by Hurricane Katrina].
Time commitment? Originally, the time commitment was about three to five hours a week, and when we had a special fund-raiser, that time commitment went up.We made an original commitment of covering four months' rent.
So what do you do? There was a group of four of us who decided to find a family who met the criteria of not only needing help, but one that was self-sufficient to begin with—and had elementary-school–aged children, because we wanted to involve our kids. Through Katrinahousing.org and its executive director, Paul Wilson, we were introduced to Antoinette Kelly and her five kids; we talked to them almost daily. We decided that we would sponsor this family, to help get them back on their feet as quickly as they could. With Paul's help, we found an apartment and relocated them by airline. We've paid for November, December, January and February rent, and we have another woman here who paid for furniture to be moved. We set up a wish-list at Wal-Mart and set up a gift registry for things that [the Kelly family] needed. We are getting a computer donated so Antoinette can work out of her home, and we have had numerous fund-raisers so far in order to raise money and awareness.
Best volunteering moment: The best moment was having [Antoinette] arrive in Dallas to find an apartment that was located right by her mother, and knowing that they have a nice, clean home—a safe home—and that we're helping to settle them in their new life.
Why bother? We couldn't help everybody, but we wanted to help as best we could—and wanted to see who we were helping. We've all sent money, food and clothing, but it's such a devastating thing.
For more information, visit www.sullivancom.com/katrina/.

Eileen Krause, 53
Where do you volunteer? Ravenswood Community Services' Tuesday night program, "Just Neighbors"
Time commitment? Every Tuesday from 4–8pm; I've been doing it almost five years now. And then there's of course other hours of running around organizing, cleaning up, etc.
So what do you do? I'm the CHO—Chief Hug Officer. I hug people. We have a ragtag group of people who show up and do stuff, so I will help if needed. But my main focus is getting to know the folks—listening to them, finding out what's going on with them, just touching base.
Best/worst volunteering moment: Best Moment: each Tuesday night when we open the door. The diverse community that shows up is never boring, and there is always a joy or a challenge. I am humbled and blessed to be part of it. Worst moment: when it's 10 degrees out and I know that some of our regulars who are homeless may not find a warm place to spend the night.
Why bother? Maybe I am a Pollyanna. I believe in the power of love and caring for one another. I see no other option for healing our world but to take the risk, to get involved and to show up. I'm not curing cancer; I'm giving hugs. I'm listening to people's stories. I am making myself available and offering hope and encouragement. It is what I can do.
For more information, visit www.allsaintschicago.org/foodpantry.php.

Lisa Ward, 37
Where do you volunteer? PAWS Chicago Cat Adoption Center in Lincoln Park
Time commitment? Depending on what's happening, between four to six hours a week
So what do you do? I help to feed, medicate and clean up after the kitties, serve as a subject-matter expert on various cat-care and behavior questions, assist in coordinating communications with fosters, help out with paperwork and record-keeping, pitch in with adoption follow-up and home visits.... I'm really a jack of all trades!
Best/worst volunteering moment: The best moment? Making home visits and seeing the cats happy, healthy and loved by their families is always rewarding, especially with some of the special-needs kitties who were harder to place. The worst moment? Probably when someone smashed in the window at the adoption center to steal our donation box. It was a few years ago in December, and bitterly cold. Miraculously, none of the cats escaped or were injured; we were very lucky in that respect.
Why bother? I love animals and want to help make their lives better.
For more information, visit www.pawschicago.org/adoption/cats/CatAdopt1.htm