This week’s column on volunteerism will run a bit differently than usual. It’s similar to one of the previous personal reflections, yet different as it’s asking something of you, the readers. For the past six years or so, my mother has been running the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive out of the Addison, IL office. For years I remember helping put up posters around Addison, sitting in the car while she made stops throughout the weeks leading up to it to request donations, either for the drive or for the volunteers, and helping her write up …

On Saturday, May 7, between 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., residents are invited to attend the buttermilk pancake breakfast at the First United Methodist Church. Kiwanis’ Vice President Penny Linneweh explained, “The community has just been very supportive [of our endeavors],” she said, “We wanted to do something to say thank you and thought this was a nice gesture.” On Saturday, May 7 the Kiwanis will be hosting a free pancake breakfast to help raise money for scholarships, grants and youth programs. Linneweh has been a member of the volunteer group for close to 20 years and currently serves as …

Come rain come shine, it’s trail cleaning time! With this year’s Earth Day having just passed, there’s no better time to think about our environment. By environment I don’t just mean pollution, greenhouse gases, and ozone layer-holes. I’m talking about the world directly around us, the things we see (and possibly use) every day. The sidewalks in front of our homes, the parks down the street, the baseball fields around the corner and even the trail we hike or bike on Saturday mornings. 'But I don’t know how to help the grass grow, or spread the trail dirt evenly and properly,' you may be …

Being an ambassador means representing a group well to others in this case students, with integrity, honesty and trustworthiness. The students in the Young Ambassadors program at Forest Glen Elementary School are doing just that. The Forest Glen Ambassador program has been active for only one year but has shown exceptional promise, according to founder Therese Crawford.“It was modeled after Ben Franklin Elementary School’s program of the same name, which has been successful for three to four years,” Crawford said.According to Crawford, a similar program is also run at Abraham Lincoln …

In 1974, former President Richard Nixon released an executive order to establish National Volunteer Week. Since then every sitting president and even local mayors and governors have requested Americans put their efforts toward improving their communities through various outreach organizations. Each year during one week in April, our fellow Americans band together to illustrate the week’s theme and “Celebrate [and become] people in action”. Sponsored by the Points of Light Institute in combination with the Hands On Network, this year’s Week is coming to an end. It’s not, however, too late to …

Most teens struggle to successfully juggle their schoolwork, social time and extra-curricular activities. Junior Anna Soane and sophomore Caitlin Soane, sisters, have found time in between soccer games and basketball practices to keep their grades up, spend time with family, maintain their friendships and start a fundraising organization. Yes, you read that correctly. The two Glenbard West students started their own fundraising organization, called Teens4Uganda. Teens4Uganda spawned from the sisters’ deep-rooted desires to help others. The entire Soane family does various community service/…

Remember the column a few weeks ago about the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry? In it we explored the volunteer process: what it takes to be a part of it and of what it takes to maintain it. As many of you know, food donations play a large part in keeping groups like this around to assist those in need. Glenn Scott and the Kiwanis of Glen Ellyn (KGE) have decided to champion this cause and claim some ownership in making it happen. Scott, president of the Kiwanis of Glen Ellyn, explained, “This began as a part of Kiwanis One Day. That’s a program where Kiwanis groups, and the clubs they sponsor, all …

We’ve all seen those commercials spouting Sarah McLaughlin’s song, Angel, as a myriad of photos of abandoned and abused former pets scrolls across the screen. Some of us even change the channel or turn the television off to avoid the emotions it brings to light. Some even think, “that doesn’t happen here! People here don’t just abandon their pets. Other places, sure… but not here in Glen Ellyn!” The sad truth of the matter is that it does. It happens everywhere, even in our beloved village. This is the type of thing that Renee Cantalupo and her fellow employees/volunteers at the West Suburban…

The lyrics of the old Steve Miller Band song have never held so much meaning as they will on Sat., March 19. Four local scouts will celebrate their inauguration into the Eagle Scout program. Frank Modruson, 17, Braeden Stanley, 17, Andrew Radon, 18, and Philip Woods, 17, all reached into their hearts and their minds to accomplish each task, including a major community service project, in order to reach their new heights. The young men actually bridged the gap between Boy Scout and Eagle Scout this past November, but are celebrating their accomplishments in a ceremony this Saturday. Eagle …

For those unfamiliar with the sports setup at Glenbard West, the school boasts three levels of teams. Among these are the freshman team, the sophomore team, and the varsity team. On Tuesday, March 8 these three teams banded together in an effort to help fight hunger. “We function on the PRIDE acronym. That stands for preparation, respect, intensity, dedication, and excellence,” explained coach Brian Wojtun. In an effort to focus on the preparation aspect of that, he decided to bring the teams to Schaumburg on Tuesday to participate in the event. People from all over joined the teams to pack …

Getting food from a pantry is not something that any parent wants to do. In the current economic climate, however, it’s something that many have had to do. It’s not just limited to parents, either. This is a primary driver behind the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. Susan Papierski, the executive director of the pantry, says that her volunteers are crucial to the program. “They are a huge piece of the puzzle,” she said. According to Ms. Papierski, the pantry operates on a schedule so all volunteers know well in advance when they will be working. “We have over 200 volunteers on the list,” Papierski …

A brightly shining sun, temperatures above zero on a regular basis, snow melting into streams in the gutters of the street. This type of environment is coming upon us again, and quickly. As the weather turns warmer, we tend to focus on improving our health and throw much else to the wayside. Gone soon will be the days of volunteering inside a warm and cozy food pantry, or indoor at schools. Oftentimes volunteering itself ends up on the back burner for many as they put away the comforters and instead pull out the Tai-Bo DVDs. Many of us forget the importance of year-round volunteerism. …

Super Mom. As mothers, whether we realize it or not, many of us strive for this title. Some even reach the required levels to obtain it, but Glen Ellynite Barb Ratkowski takes it to a new level. As a 17-year Glen Ellyn resident, Ratkowski is very familiar with the community and family values that define our town. “It’s not about me, or my husband. It’s about Maddie,” Ratkowski said of her pre-teen daughter. Maddie Ratkowski is involved in multiple extra-curricular activities including band and figure skating. Mother Barb can be found as a primary parental contact at all of these events. …

In honor of the recent fundraiser, The Garage Party, this week’s column is dedicated to one of Bridge Communities largest fundraising groups, The Bridge Builders. The group began as a small bunch of friends who wanted to do something to help the nonprofit. One of the founding Builders, Stephanie Pierce explained, “Initially, I wanted to be a mentor for Bridge Communities. I went in, talked to Joyce Hothan, and together we determined that this wasn’t the right time for me to take on another full-time responsibility, such as mentoring.” But Pierce wasn’t ready to give up on Bridge entirely, not…

When Kathryn Keller received the newsletter from one of her frequented stores years ago, she never dreamed it would turn into such an important part of her life: “I shopped [at Ten Thousand Villages] regularly, so I got a newsletter from them. One time it was asking for volunteer helpers to cover a Thursday night shift and I thought, ‘I could do that!’ So I did.” Now, many years later, Keller is acting as a volunteer coordinator for the nonprofit. Last Fall, the coordinator at the time announced her departure and Keller volunteered to step up to the plate. Volunteer Debbi Daniel-Wayman shared…

If you were not among the 115 people who attended the DuPage Forest Preserve Open House, you haven’t lost your chance. On Saturday, January 15 115 people walked in off the street to learn more about volunteer opportunities within the DuPage Forest Preserve District, including the Willowbrook Wildlife Center,525 S. Park Blvd. Other programs included were the Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton, Fullersburg Woods Nature Center in Oakbrook, Klein Creek Farm in Winfield, Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook, and St. James Farm in Warrenville.  The Open House event takes place once per year every …

Education is something that many take for granted. People tend to forget that there is a large population who haven’t been given the opportunity of a proper education—and this is not simply limited to higher education. To help those who missed the educational offerings is what drove College of DuPage (COD) to begin its People Educating People (PEP) program.   “We have two specialties: adult education and adult ESL [English as a second language],” said volunteer coordinator Ruta Jonusaitis. She recently took the program over from previous coordinator Sherry May, and works closely with Ashley …

While perusing the Glen Ellyn Bulletin Board (GEBB) last October, I was struck by a thread that really got my blood boiling. It was in direct reference to the homeless issue in Glen Ellyn and was titled Who Used the Bum-B-Gone. While reading the concept of the original post and some of the responses to it, I got more and more upset as it became apparently clear that a large population in our beloved village finds these people as more of a nuisance and (for seemingly no reason) a  potential threat. The term "bum" itself, I found offensive. In addition to their feelings on our local homeless …

"Professional speed skating is different than other career sports, it's not about the money," said head coach Carl Cepuran of the Glen Ellyn Speed Skating Team. The "small sport" of speed skating depends on volunteers as a whole. Similarly, volunteers are the glue that holds the Glen Ellyn speed skating team together. "The Glen Ellyn Speed Skating team is a 100 percent volunteer organization, that has a grassroots and community-centric culture of hospitality and service, while bringing a national-level, professional quality expertise to what we do in the community," Cepuran said via e-mail. …

Glen Ellynites (and, I’m sure, a few Lombardians) poured into Wal-Mart this past Saturday to finish up some last-minute shopping. “Super Saturday,” as the Saturday before Christmas is known in retail circles, is often the time to get closest-to-Black Friday deals. Deciding to take full advantage of the opportunity presented before them, members of the Salvation Army Band gathered at multiple locations, in place of the usual bell-ringers. The small ensembles brought the holiday spirit and Christmas joy to multiple shoppers by playing carols, such as Good King Wenceslas, that are commonly …