[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E676-E678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SALUTING THE 2001 JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS, YOUTH VOLUNTEER AWARD 
                               RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2001

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute twenty-eight 
outstanding young Kansans from Johnson County, Kansas, who will

[[Page E677]]

be recognized on Friday, May 4th, at an informal reception honoring 
their volunteer service. Youth Excelling in Service [YES], a program of 
the Volunteer Center of Johnson County, has invited Johnson County 
leaders and educators to this reception honoring the twenty-eight 
Outstanding Youth Volunteers who will be featured in the upcoming 
``Movers and Shakers'' publication. I will present the young people 
with a Congressional Award for their contributions to the community, 
and YES will spotlight the role these committed young people play in 
addressing community needs.
  Johnson County's young people are becoming increasingly involved in 
service to their community and the stories of their accomplishments are 
powerful. The twenty-eight ``Movers and Shakers'' to be honored at the 
reception testify to the fact that my congressional district's young 
people see needs in their communities and are ready, willing and able 
to meet those needs by investing their time and skills. These young 
people are passionate about challenging, motivating and recruiting 
other young people to likewise take the plunge into volunteer service. 
I am pleased to have this opportunity to place in the Congressional 
Record profiles of these twenty-eight ``Movers and Shakers.''

                Movers and Shakers 2001--Youth Profiles

       Natalie M. Binkholder, 17, Olathe East High School--Over 
     700 hours--Olathe Youth Court, Olathe Youth Congress, 
     Mother's Hands.
       Natalie's volunteerism is fueled by her optimism and 
     energy. ``Anyone can change the world,'' Natalie says, ``the 
     best way to start is with a smile.'' Natalie first began her 
     volunteer leadership in 9th grade when she presided over the 
     school's community service organization. Natalie is active in 
     a variety of causes, including homeless assistance, crime 
     prevention, and drug and alcohol prevention. Her proudest 
     accomplishment is the success of the Olathe Youth Court, 
     where she and other members of the court positively intervene 
     in the lives of juvenile offenders in order to decrease 
     repeat crimes. During her volunteer experiences, she has 
     developed a love for serving youth, and one day plans to use 
     her skills as a professional attorney to assist youth courts. 
     ``No matter where life takes me, I want to continue to be 
     involved with youth. Youth are the leaders of tomorrow and I 
     want to help them achieve their dreams.'' Natalie was 
     nominated by Cheryl Oakley.
       Adrienne Cichelli, 17, Shawnee Mission West--100 hours--
     JAWS [Join Active West Students], Young Life, Teen Advisory 
     Council.
       To Adrienne, it really is the thought that counts when it 
     comes to volunteering. Adrienne says, ``Building a house 
     isn't any better than picking up trash on the streets. The 
     impact comes from the volunteer's attitude and motivation, 
     not the deed.'' Adrienne has done everything from building a 
     house to organizing a special event to advocating healthy 
     lifestyle choices for elementary students. During a mission 
     trip to Mexico, Adrienne's eyes were truly opened to the 
     level of need and the effect her help had on the families 
     with whom she worked. She plans to spend much more time 
     volunteering, and this summer she will be with Children's 
     Mercy Hospital and serving as a companion at an assisted 
     living facility. For potential youth volunteers, Adrienne 
     gives these words of wisdom: ``Participating in a single act 
     of volunteerism can change your life in a way you never 
     thought possible. Give your time to help your community, it's 
     more valuable than any paycheck you'll ever receive.'' 
     Adrienne was nominated by Mary Lea Kieffer.
       Leah Cogswell, 17, Olathe South High School--Over 100 
     hours--SOAR, 4-H, Promise Youth, Youth Volunteer Corps.
       Food, Fun and Friends! Volunteering on Leah's projects will 
     never be boring! Leah's volunteer experience began when she 
     noticed all her friends were involved in community service. 
     She has since taken the lead by serving as the chairman of 
     the community service committee in her 4-H club. She has 
     organized bake-a-thons to raise money for an Olathe youth 
     with leukemia and to provide flood relief to eight families 
     devastated by Hurricane Floyd. She has served as a counselor 
     for several youth camps, leading games and crafts, campfire 
     activities, and helping with meals. ``There is nothing quite 
     as rewarding as seeing the smiling face of someone you have 
     helped,'' beams Leah. ``We live in a area where so many 
     people have been blessed with so much; it is time to give a 
     portion back to those who are less fortunate.'' In the
       Jonathan Eckman, 12, Prairie Star Middle School--75 hours--
     Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Children's 
     Center for the Visually Impaired.
       Jonathan began volunteering in order to become eligible for 
     the President's Student Service Award. He has volunteered 
     more than enough hours to earn the award, but Jonathan 
     continues to volunteer because he has found his community 
     service rewarding on its own. He has also been impressed and 
     inspired by the dedication of other volunteers with whom he 
     has worked, particularly those at the Overland Park Arboretum 
     and Botanical Garden. Working with such enthusiastic 
     volunteers made Jonathan realize that ``we all can make a 
     difference some way in the community''. Jonathan plans to 
     continue volunteering at the Arboretum as well as coaching 
     children's gymnastics. Last year, his gymnastics group raised 
     $5,000 for the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired. 
     He's not stopping there! He also plans to volunteer with his 
     church's nursery and be involved with the soup kitchen. What 
     does such a busy guy have to say to other potential youth 
     volunteers? ``I would say to other youths to try it because 
     when you see the results it is phenomenal!'' Jonathan was 
     nominated by Gretchen Steffen.
       Chelsea Fogelman, 17, Olathe East High School--Over 180 
     volunteer hours--Uplift Organization, Inc., Christmas in 
     October, Mother's Hand, Sherwood Center.
       With the Fogelmans, volunteering is definitely a family 
     affair. Chelsea's extensive work with the homeless has been 
     inspired by her ``unendingly supportive'' parents, Candi and 
     Dave. Since the age of 10, Chelsea has been raising awareness 
     of homeless issues in the area. She has collected and 
     prepared food for thousands of individual through Uplift 
     Organization, Inc. and enjoys knowing that her efforts will 
     provide a meal to someone in need. Chelsea's family has made 
     Christmas in October a tradition, and spend the day repairing 
     family homes in poverty stricken areas. Chelsea feels that 
     volunteering should come from the heart. ``When you're 
     contributing to a cause that's important to you and that you 
     enjoy, you'll learn more about yourself and the world around 
     you,'' Chelsea states. ``Volunteering can be both fun and 
     meaningful if you can find a cause that you care about.'' 
     Chelsea plans to expand her volunteering efforts to include 
     other issues. She will continue her work with the homeless 
     and hopes to recruit other youth to do the same. Chelsea was 
     nominated by Barbera Ferrell.
       Joe Klinkenborg, 17, Shawnee Mission NorthWest High 
     School--Over 200 hours--LakeView Village.
       Joe quotes his class motto when asked about his service: 
     The doer of good becomes good. Joe has transformed his school 
     spirit into volunteer spirit with his work through Shawnee 
     Mission NorthWest's community service club whose teacher 
     inspired him to become passionate about community service. 
     Joe believes in the importance of performing ``random acts of 
     kindness'' and says that wherever he goes, ``volunteerism 
     will always be a component of my life.'' He teaches the 
     elderly to become computer savvy, including how to use the 
     internet. Working with the residents of LakeView Village, Joe 
     formed LKVW, an in-house tv station
       Paul Lampe, 15, St. Thomas Aquinas High School--Over 400 
     hours--4-H, LakeView Retirement Community (Lazarus Project), 
     Kauffman Foundation.
       ``As a culture of youth we have so much . . . we need to 
     learn to share.'' Paul doesn't just say these words, he puts 
     them into action. Through his volunteering efforts, Paul has 
     learned to share his time, his skills, his leadership, and 
     even his home to help others. He learned this when he was 
     very young as a member of 4-H. The more Paul learns, the more 
     he gives. When Paul was taught to rebuild a computer, he 
     shared that skill with residents of LakeView Village for the 
     Lazarus Project. He rebuilds discarded computers for 
     nonprofit organizations. When he's not working with the 
     retirement community, Paul's busy with the Kauffman Youth 
     Advisory Board, providing hundreds of thousands of dollars to 
     youth projects in the city. Currently, he's setting up 
     websites for 4-H clubs throughout the county and sharing his 
     home with a foreign exchange student which Paul says ``takes 
     some effort, but you'll learn a great deal about yourself as 
     well as another culture!'' He enjoys the diversity of his 
     volunteer experience and plans to keep encouraging other 
     youth to get involved. Paul was nominated by Al Davis.
       Macklen Mayse, 17, Shawnee Mission West High School--280 
     hours--Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Girl Scouts, Down's 
     Syndrome Guild of Kansas City, AIDS Walk of Kansas City.
       While a junior volunteer at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, 
     Macklen was working the telephones when a woman called who 
     spoke no english. Macklen, who has studied spanish for five 
     years, took a crack at helping the woman and it worked! She 
     is proud to be able to use her talents to find new ways to 
     help others and has been very busy with numerous 
     organizations and projects. She focuses on the impact of her 
     volunteer work and finds her motivation to keep volunteering 
     by remembering the big picture. ``Feeling like I could have 
     an impact on someone or help someone has always felt 
     awesome.'' Her volunteer experiences are diverse. Through 
     Girl Scouts, Macklen has collected can goods and planned and 
     participated in special events. Twice she has volunteered for 
     the AIDS Walk of Kansas City. In the future, Macklen hopes to 
     be able to use her Spanish skills to impact her community and 
     plans to go global with her volunteering by traveling to 
     Central and South America. Macklen was nominated by Marty Lea 
     Kieffer.

[[Page E678]]

       Madison Meloy, 13, Leawood Middle School--Over 120 hours.
       From childcare to coaching to working with the homeless, 
     Madison is on a roll with her community service. According to 
     Madison, ``After doing community service once you don't want 
     to stop.'' She certainly has remained busy! When she's not 
     busy helping the teachers at school, Madison is sacking 
     lunches for a shelter, sorting clothing donations,
       Maranatha Deanna Wall, 16, Shawnee Mission North--Over 30 
     hours--Good Samaritan Project.
       Few individuals could muster the tact and maturity that 
     Deanna does in order to answer here peers' questions on the 
     topic of teen sexuality. Deanna volunteers eight hours a week 
     for the Good Samaritan Project, an organization devoted to 
     HIV/AIDS prevention and education. She has worked with teens 
     to help them understand the importance of self-respect when 
     it pertains to safe sex and spends time on hotline calls 
     answering panicked questions from her peers. Deanna says that 
     she enjoys being able to clear up confusions on what may be 
     very difficult issues for teens. She is convinced that youth 
     volunteers are the catalysts for community change. ``It's 
     beautiful to see what other youth are doing to set off some 
     new ideas,'' Deanna says. ``It's important to be recognized 
     for good especially when teens sometimes receive negative 
     recognition.'' Deanna plans to assume many different roles as 
     a volunteer, and with ``a kazillion things to do'' she 
     promises to never be boring. Deanna was nominated by 
     Elizabeth Spaur.
       Bethany Meola, 14, Shawnee Mission West--Over 100 hours.
       Bethany's volunteer experiences began at church, where she 
     was inspired by the woman running a program there. Working 
     with the children there has been challenging, but 
     volunteering has allowed Bethany to learn the skills of 
     patience and leadership. She enjoys being a role model for 
     the younger kids she teaches and knows that they enjoy being 
     able to look to her for encouragement. Her volunteering has 
     taught her to recognize the potential in herself and in the 
     children with whom she works and Bethany encourages other 
     youth to take the volunteer plunge. ``I know I have a better 
     understanding about different things that I never would 
     without community service. It really does change your 
     perspective.'' The kids in church will be glad to know that 
     Bethany plans to help out more, but that won't be enough for 
     her! In Bethany's words: ``Whatever looks interesting to me I 
     will probably do; If I find any way to help the community, I 
     will.''
       Christine M. Murray, 18, blue Valley North High School--
     Over 165 hours--Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Phi Theta 
     Kappa.
       Christine believes that individual gifts mean everyone has 
     something to offer as a volunteer. ``While we might not be 
     great in every area,'' Christine says, ``we all have that one 
     special talent and can use it to help others.'' This 
     ambitious young lady takes her inspiration from her family 
     members who have ``always considered community service to be 
     part of the normal course of their lives.'' Growing up in a 
     family with such high standards to emulate motivated 
     Christine into action at an early age. Through middle school, 
     she volunteered
       Amy Turek, 13, Leawood Middle School--50 hours.
       Even when Amy was on vacation, she was still volunteering! 
     For two years, Amy collected the samples of soaps, lotions, 
     and shampoos hotels offer to guests and later donated them 
     all to a local homeless shelter. ``Just try it once and 
     you'll know how great it is!'' she exclaims. Amy's greatest 
     inspiration to participate in community service came from the 
     people at her temple. There, she has been able to participate 
     in many service events with her family that have been 
     organized by the temple. She frequently goes to homeless 
     shelters to serve and cook meals for the needy, and enjoys 
     playing games and teaching arts and crafts to the children at 
     the shelters. Amy relays this story about her volunteer 
     experiences at the shelter: ``After giving a man his food, he 
     came up to my sister and I with tears in his eyes, thanking 
     us and telling us `God bless you'. I could tell he really 
     meant it from the bottom of his heart.'' Amy will continue 
     serving the community thought her Jewish youth community 
     service program. Amy was nominated by Michelle Myers.
       Eddie Mitchell, 16, Blue Valley North--100 hours--Villa St. 
     Joseph.
       Eddie is getting seniors on the move. For months now, Eddie 
     and other volunteers he has helped to recruit have been 
     transporting the wheelchair-bound residents of Villa St. 
     Joseph Nursing Home to Sunday Mass every week and tending to 
     the resident's needs with attentive compassion. He helps the 
     facility transform a livingroom into a temporary Chapel and 
     back again and also transports all the residents to lunch. 
     Every Sunday, services with Villa St. Joseph go off without a 
     hitch, thanks to Eddie and his friends' commitment. But Eddie 
     will be quick to point out that he's benefitting from his 
     service more than the residents because he is able to connect 
     to the people for whom he volunteers. ``Not only do I get to 
     feel the joy of helping out my community, but I also learn a 
     lot every time I go,'' remarks Eddie. ``I feel truly honored 
     to be able to offer my hand to such inspiring and caring 
     people.'' Eddie's proof that he's making a difference? The 
     smiles he receives from the residents week after week. Eddie 
     was nominated by Debbie Mitchell.
       Allison Steinbrueck 16, Blue Valley High School--Over 1,000 
     hours--Heart of America Humane Society, The Bea Martin Peck 
     Animal Shelter.
       Allison has taken her love for animals further than caring 
     for a family pet. When she discovered a volunteer opportunity 
     at the Humane Society, she jumped at the chance to put her 
     compassion to work. At the animal shelters, Allison helps 
     animals to find a home and families to find a loving
       Nathan Oliver, 18, Shawnee Mission East High School--1,500 
     hours--Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Youth Advisory Board, 
     Youth Volunteer Corps, SHARE Program.
       Nathan is not a young man to mix words and certainly not 
     one to shirk way from a challenge. ``This world is full of 
     followers and I challenge each and every individual to stand 
     up and be a leader.'' Nathan has proven his leadership 
     abilities through his experiences volunteering. His diverse 
     talents range from support and counseling to fundraising and 
     program development, but Nathan is ready for more. He points 
     to his experience as a member of the Youth Advisory Board for 
     the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as an illustration of 
     the impact of his service. He is part of a group of youth 
     that help fund projects for up to $10,000, for a total of 
     $200,000 every year. In the future, Nathan will continue to 
     volunteer and develop his photography skills. Eventually, 
     Nathan hopes to establish his own community foundation and 
     put in place programs that give back to the community. Nathan 
     was nominated by Bev Timmons.

     

                          ____________________