More Ways to Make a Difference

Real-Life Examples of How COMMUNITIES Make a Difference
Indiana.
1,000 residents -- nearly half West Terre Haute's population - pitched in to beautify schools and the Main Street business district, including holding a pancake breakfast that raised $2,000 toward a family's unpaid medical bills after the father died from cancer.
Maryland.
Queen Anne residents here came to the aid of flood victims outside the town limits along Cannery Row, a trailer park of low-income minority residents whose property was heavily damaged by flooding. They made repairs and donated new furniture and other items.
Massachusetts.
Neighbors in Prospect Hill and Back Bay in Lawrence rid their neighborhood of an eyesore and a dangerous spot by cleaning up an abandoned weed-choked property across the street from an elementary school.

Real-Life Examples of How CO-WORKERS Make a Difference
Kentucky. Nurses in Louisville granted wishes of five low-income women with breast cancer, from cleaning their homes to serving them a home-cooked supper.
Delaware. Astra-Zeneca pharmaceutical co-workers in Wilmington made $50,000 in renovations to the Clarence Fraim Boys and Girls Club.

Real-Life Examples of How HIGH SCHOOLS Make a Difference
Pennsylvania.
Kennett High School students in West Chester rallied their community to revive the business district by painting murals along Main Street, repairing flood-damage park trails and pitching in to clean local businesses inside and out.
West Virginia.
Siblings Tasha, 16, and Adam Draft, 18, of Farmington rallied others in a river sweep to clean up two illegal dump sites on Buffalo Creek and two miles of litter.
Texas.
Students, teachers and families of John B. Alexander High School in Laredo amassed 2,500 gallons of water and delivered it to the homes of 400 needy residents of recent immigrant Mexican-American families, many of whom lack indoor plumbing or running water.
Oregon.
Students at South Albany High organized a community-wide fund-raising program to help raise money for the nearby Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Maine.
In Farmington, which has one of the state's highest unemployment rates, students at Mouth Blue High School and its Vo-Tech program, the Kenneth Foster Applied Technology Center, collected 4,000 pounds for the community's food pantry.

Real-Life Examples of How CHURCHES & RELIGIOUS GROUPS Make a Difference
North Carolina.
The 2,800 member Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, passed the plate and collected $50,000 and the promise to help flood victims in their home state. On Make a Difference Day, members cleaned out nine water damaged homes in Princeville, where a broken dike from floodwaters left thousands homeless.
Wisconsin.
Forty youth members from St. Paul and Zion Lutheran churches, ages 10-18, handed out bags to village residents and collected more than 1,440 items, from books to CD-ROM games, for a local library.

Real-Life Examples of How ATHLETES Make a Difference
Arizona.
Soccer mom Carol Yetman inspired 150 coaches, players and families involved in the Prescott American Youth Soccer Organization to donate 250 cans of food and $87.23 during games on Make A Difference Day to help 30 people at Project Aware men's shelter. Her slogans: "Kick Hunger - That's Our Goal!" and "We CAN Make A Difference."
California.
A bowling benefit raised more than $31,000 for WomenCARE, a local organization that assists women with cancer.

Real-Life Examples of How FAMILIES & INDIVIDUALS Make a Difference
Indiana.
Amy Yargus - whose 4-year-old was seriously hurt after being thrown onto the highway without a helmet while riding his bike - coordinated a day of safety for 135 children and parents. Sixty-six names were drawn from the list of attendees and those people were awarded safety equipment: bike helmets, headlights, taillights, flashlights, water bottles and first aid kits.
Maine.
Hot-air balloon pilot Ron Poulin of Lisbon, wife Patricia and a ground crew of 20 volunteers offered an early-morning balloon ride to two women suffering through cancer treatments. The "hour escape from their worries" was followed by a champagne toast to the first-time fliers, who were then taken out to breakfast and joined by family and friends.

Real-Life Examples of How GOVENMENT Makes a Difference
California.
More than 22,000 people volunteered during the six-week "Make A Difference L.A." Organizers for the City of Los Angeles, the LAPD, the Bureau of Sanitation, the City Council and more than 100 other organizations teamed up with the citizens on 170 projects. Numbers tell the story: 89,976 hours volunteered, 94,948 square feet of graffiti painted out, 400,334 pounds of trash picked up, and 182,158 pounds of weeds and brush cleared.
Delaware.
A state-government sponsored effort led to 72 volunteers fixing up 50 homes, building wheelchair ramps, fixing leaky roofs and windows, replacing doors and other needed repairs.

Real-Life Examples of How THE MILITARY Makes a Difference
Hawaii.
More than 2,500 soldiers and civilian employees of the Army at Fort Shafter volunteered Ñ with their families - at 52 projects. One effort: 24 soldiers used their skills to rappel down Diamond Head volcano to pick up a ton of "unreachable" litter.
North Carolina.
For two years, teachers rallied the civilian and Marine communities in a drive to fulfill the needs of 23 charities around Camp Lejeune.
Colorado.
Volunteers from Peterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Academy, the Army's Fort Carson, Hewlett-Packard and the city of Colorado Springs gave an estimated $250,000 worth of free labor in one day. A major project: the Youth Outreach Center - a former now a gathering place for kids. They painted, picked up trash, pulled weeds and stripped the floor of a 16,000-square-foot music room.

Real-Life Examples of How GROUPS & CLUBS Make a Difference
Hawaii.
Once again, the National Association of Women in Construction in Hawaii (1997 National Award honoree), along with other volunteer groups, helped the local Salvation Army. Sixty volunteers painted the exterior of a four-unit apartment building used in its transitional program and installed tile floors.
New York.
Recent water-related tragedies motivated the American Red Cross and the YMCA of Yonkers to offer free swimming safety instructions to underprivileged children.