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____________________________________________________________________ Volume 6; Issue 2 February/March 2003 |
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** Administrator Visit **
First and Second Decades |
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_____________________________________________________________________ Volunteerism - Giving Back By Ginger Cairnes _____________________________________________________________________ |
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Volunteerism is often
defined as “the act or practice of willingly undertaking a service
usually within the community.” However,
the act of volunteering is far beyond this simple definition. It has heart and substance – tangible qualities only from
within. It is about giving of
one’s self without qualifications or reservations. There is hardly a better month to recognize a sampling of employees at the William J. Hughes Tech Center who do “volunteer work” than in February - also known as “heart month.” Although many employees donate time outside work to help others, there are three we would like to recognize in this issue for their work with children and youth. Beth Burkett
Volunteerism is nothing
new to Ms. Burkett who for the past 16 years has been giving unselfishly
of her time by working with the Camden/Gloucester County Big Brothers and
Big Sisters Program – an organization that is designed to match a child
with an adult mentor who will be responsible for spending 3-5 hours a week
with the child to build his/her self-esteem.
Ms. Burkett’s activities with the “mentees” have included
outings such as going to the movies, bowling, staying home playing board
games or doing puzzles. Previously, Ms. Burkett
coordinated an “adopt-a-family” program at the Technical Center that
“adopts” a disadvantaged family at Christmas by providing food and
gifts to a family that might otherwise not have them. The Hammonton
Presbyterian Church now has a Children’s Church program with 15-25
children in attendance every week – all through the efforts of Ms.
Burkett. This includes coordinating all activities, distributing
curriculum and scheduling teachers. Responsibilities
within the church do not stop there. She also chairs the Mission and
Evangelism Committee, makes financial decisions to benefit the
congregation, and schedules all youth group activities. Ms. Burkett’s abilities to help children have gone even what she foresaw. What started as a volunteer effort, has blossomed into a possible nurturing and loving future for a baby girl – Areana. Cathy and Ed Jaggard
The New Jersey Shore
Science Fair is a project in which they support each other. The fair is an activity that Mrs. Jaggard has directed for
the past four years. Together, they created
“Misfit Toys,” an organization that collects used toys to be repaired
and cleaned. They then distribute the “new toys” to children whose
families have no means to purchase such items.
Not only do the Jaggards give of their time in this endeavor, they
also purchase food and other needed items for the less fortunate. As the Northeast Region
One Director of Education for the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, Mrs. Jaggard leads and assists a group of colleges from New
Jersey to Canada in participating at student conferences.
Her other contributions to AIAA include membership in the Student
Activities Committee and the pre-college committees that guide students
who are interested in the engineering fields. In addition to their efforts in the educational field, both recognize that in order for a child to succeed, he/she must develop good study habits. To assist students in accomplishing this goal, the Jaggards tutor students and assist them in developing good study habits. Jamaal Lipscomb
Mr. Lipscomb also
participated in "Meet the Engineer," a program setup by a NSBE
member which allows elementary school children to email members with
questions about careers, classes needed in preparing for a career,
stumbling stones, etc. As a member of Project
Excellence UMP (Unity, Motivation, Peace), Mr. Lipscomb has not only helped setup and develop an enrichment
program for youth in the Woodland Terrace Community, an under privileged
area in Pleasantville, but has also volunteered time meeting with the
youth, talking to them about their lives and their concerns.
He also participates in the National Night Out program, a program
that goes into the inner city one night a year to establish relationships
between law enforcement officers and members of the community. Another community
activity in which Mr. Lipscomb volunteers is the Weed and Seed program, an
effort designed to weed out the bad elements in a community and seed in
positive. He is also working to create NSBE Jr. and formal mentoring
programs in several of the local high schools, as well as creating NSBE
undergraduate chapters at both Stockton and Rowan colleges. The road for the youth of
our area is being paved with a sense of direction and their minds are
being filled with positive, self-fulfilling challenges toward a future
beyond what they once envisioned – all through the efforts of Mr.
Lipscomb. Robert Fleming said, “You’re happiest while you’re making the greatest contribution.” Just look at the faces of Ms. Burkett, Mr. and Mrs. Jaggard, and Mr. Lipscomb and you will see the physical manifestation of Mr. Fleming’s words. _____________________________________________________________________
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Use
of their technological skills and education is being recycled back into
the communities where Cathy and Ed Jaggard spend time they could otherwise
use enjoying some of their hobbies such as “hopping in a car to explore
the country”
Jamaal
Lipscomb, president of the South Jersey Alumni Chapter of the National
Society of Black Engineers, mentors and tutors students ranging in ages
from 12 to 21 years.