Here are the Boston-Area Service Heroes!

Laura

Medrano Hernandez

Boston

MA

Name: Laura
Last name: Medrano Hernandez
City: Boston
State: MA
About this hero: Laura Medrano Hernandez has been a dedicated social worker for many years in the Boston area; she is responsible for creating the organization, "Dive Kulture," which combined her passions for scuba diving & her career as a social worker. About the Organization (from DiveKulture.org): Scuba diving requires a great deal of equipment and access to water. For youth who live in violent, poverty stricken neighborhoods it can be an alternate, safe world to explore. Like highly successful programs in golf, tennis and equestrian therapy, it can break down color barriers and generate powerful and prestigious role models. Scuba diving itself can be therapeutic. Divers must regulate their breathing, which causes the body to relax. An underwater environment is soothing to all of us, including those with emotional or behavioral disorders. A sense of accomplishment and self-esteem is part and parcel with getting certified. After additional, often cross-cultural training in environmental education, the program offers career launching opportunities in fields ranging from marine conservation to the preservation of coast lands and the rapidly growing area of energy substitution. The 'green jobs' sector is exploding, and with it more opportunity for the youth who are participating in this health promoting and fun endeavor. Results: Dive Kulture began with a pilot group of twelve teens at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chelsea and Dorchester in April 2008. From the 12 teenagers who started, 9 finished and are now certified scuba divers, and 100% were placed during the summer to work in the environmental and aquatics fields. Two of the teens who worked as Assistant Marine Educators at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay were selected for an article in the Dorchester Argus-Citizen on August 28, 2008. One of the participants is going with the Marines in September 2009, and he will be enrolled to study Nuclear Chemistry. He is currently attending the Advanced Chemistry After school program at UMass, Boston, and graduating from High School in June 2009. They are all still in touch with the program staff. The Future: Future groups will include a more intense therapeutic component to give children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues the opportunity to enjoy scuba diving too. For example, for kids with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who have difficulties concentrating and staying still. The water is not an environment where you can move very fast, and you need to breath in a rhythmic way. This makes the water a very relaxing environment for children and adolescents to learn self soothing and self regulating skills. This is just an example of the potential therapeutic use of an activity such as scuba diving with the appropriate professionals involved. Recreational diving is not a new idea, but the combination of therapy, vocational training, environmental education, continuous evaluation and the ongoing support of participants, makes Dive Kulture unique in the USA. I would like to nominate Laura as a service hero; her enthusiasm, drive & passion is something we could all learn from & use as inspiration in our own lives as citizens committed to growing our Service Nation.

chrismaldi

vasquez

boston

ma

Name: chrismaldi
Last name: vasquez
City: boston
State: ma
About this hero: Since Chrismaldi was 14 years of age, she has lived by carrying the torch of community and the common good. She volunteered on neighborhood clean ups, tutoring younger students, and worked to improve the lives of families in her community four days a week afterschool. Upon her acceptance to College, she returned to the neighborhood that was at least one hour away, and still continued her volunteer work, including serving on community non-profit boards. Chrismaldi returned aftrer graudating from College, and is currently training other young people to be the change they want to see reflected in the world. She clearly is a service hero!!!

Marie-Claude

Thompson

Cambridge

MA

Name: Marie-Claude
Last name: Thompson
City: Cambridge
State: MA
About this hero: For the last 30 years, Marie-Claude Thompson (age 75) has dedicated her life to helping school-age children and teens from Boston's most disadvantaged inner-city neighborhoods succeed academically and in life. In 1980, Marie-Claude co-founded with her husband the faith-based non-profit Earthen Vessels, Inc. ("EV") to host summer camps in Vermont for disadvantaged youth (www.evkids.org). Marie-Claude expanded EV in 1985, recruiting and training Harvard student volunteers in partnership with the Harvard Catholic Center to match them with EVkids for multi-year mentoring relationships and weekly tutoring supported by school and family advocacy. As pro bono Executive Director of EV from 1980 through 2009 (she remains as Treasurer, and Director of Tutor Development and Camp), Marie-Claude has created a transformative program that has empowered hundreds of inner-city youth to succeed. Generations of EVkids have been introduced by Marie-Claude to the challenge of hiking the Green Mountains, learning teamwork, and modeling conflict resolution strategies. They have learned from her that seemingly impossible goals are manageable if tackled one step at a time with perseverance. All of this year's senior EVkids have been accepted to college. Mairie-Claude has also inspired generations of Harvard student volunteers to become positive change agents in our community and beyond. It is appropriate to recognize her volunteer service to the community as EV celebrates its 30th Anniversary year in 2010. Marie-Claude is truly service superhero.

Dave

Rini

Allston

MA

Name: Dave
Last name: Rini
City: Allston
State: MA
About this hero: Dave is a longtime volunteer at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and the winner of the Volunteer of the Year award last year. He blogs for BARCC, helps with the Clothesline Project, and tirelessly works for social justice. He's a co-leader of Boston's branch of the National Organization of Men Against Sexism, and has organized such awesome events as domestic violence shelter supply drives and discussion groups for books related to gender and social justice.

Shira

Lipkin

Watertown

MA

Name: Shira
Last name: Lipkin
City: Watertown
State: MA
About this hero: Shira is my co-blogger at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and a strong, creative, passionate supporter of gender equality and ending sexual violence. She works at BARCC part-time and volunteers with the Community Awareness and Prevention team. She recently finished her ninth Blogathon, in support of BARCC, where she and several fellow writers and creative-types posted fiction every half-hour for 24 hours to raise money. She also coordinated an auction of clothing, jewelry, and items to support the center. Shira has served as a volunteer speaker and ally to the Boston chapter of the National Organization of Men Against Sexism and a variety of other local community groups. Outside of her time with BARCC, Shira is an active member of the science fiction writing world with several titles and awards to her name. She organized panels at genre conventions for WisCon and Arisia (our local con!) on sexuality and gender violence. She also serves as a scout master for a local girl scout troupe in Watertown.

Robbie

Samuels

Boston

MA

Name: Robbie
Last name: Samuels
City: Boston
State: MA
About this hero: Socializing for Justice, which is marking four years of building a cross-issue progressive network in Boston, is the brainchild of local activist, community organizer and event planner Robbie Samuels. For almost 10 years, Robbie has been involved with Boston's progressive community through a number of organizations. He has been recognized for his efforts - in 2009 he was the inaugural recipient of the History Project's Lavender Rhino Award and the Theater Offensive's Gender Hero Award. In creating SoJust, Robbie has combined fun, socializing and cross-issue mobilization as never before. The vision for SoJust comes from Robbie's firsthand experience. He wanted to address what he was repeatedly finding in his work - that individuals, organizations and campaigns stunted their effectiveness by focusing solely on single-issue work. He shares, "There was a definite void that I thought SoJust could fill. I thought that if we could get enough people representing enough progressive issues into a room, we might be able to engender cross-issue collaboration and more effectively fight for social justice." Socializing for Justice will commemorate its fourth anniversary, 1400 members, 80 events, and countless connections made since 2006, with an Open House event called Connecting for Justice on September 16th from 6-9PM at Lir Irish Pub on Boylston Street in Boston. Held three times a year, this event draws hundreds of progressives of all stripes - diverse by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, newness to Boston and experience with activism. The purpose is to build a cross-issue progressive community, network and movement in Boston while putting the social back in social justice. Newcomers and long-time members will come together at Connecting for Justice to celebrate the remarkable success of this member-driven, volunteer-run grassroots group.

Charlie

Rose

Jamaica Plain

MA

Name: Charlie
Last name: Rose
City: Jamaica Plain
State: MA
About this hero: Charlie is an extraordinary human being who has been an inspiration and role model for generations of City Year participants. Ask anyone!

Danielle

Marcellino

Medford

MA

Name: Danielle
Last name: Marcellino
City: Medford
State: MA
About this hero: Miss. Marcellino is a Well a nice Italian American women...now 30 and still servicing her family friends...and works at the Lahey Hospital...an for that I love her brand of brave soul work...after all; "They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines." - Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb (1943)

martha

huntley

brookline

ma

Name: martha
Last name: huntley
City: brookline
State: ma
About this hero: Martha is a leading member of the Brookline community. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce membership committee helping to serve and strengthen business in Brookline. Her volunteer efforts and community involvement are second to none bringing together residents for fund-raising and awareness events, for the environment and local food pantry just to name a couple. Her kids attend the local school and she has shown tireless commitment to school events for the last eight years.

Vinnie

Brigance

Boston

MA

Name: Vinnie
Last name: Brigance
City: Boston
State: MA
About this hero: Vinnie attends the University of Massachusetts where he currently volunteers for MassPRIG and the Haitian American Society as fundraiser and event coordinator and organizes student petitions to congress for legislation that affects student life. In addition, Vinnie tutors students with English as a second language, and co-founded the Hit the Books Scholarship Program. Currently Vinnie is serving as co-Founder and lead fundraiser for an organization dedicated to helping refugees and asylum seekers with their casework. Vinnie grew up in Michigan where poverty and destitution were a very real part of his everyday life. Instead of resigning to the life and lack of opportunity that he was raised to accept, Vinnie enrolled himself in a community college and worked tirelessly while the economic situation in Michigan - and in his family - worsened. Instead of giving up, Vinnie was resolved to pursue his education and change his circumstances and those of his loved ones. Realizing that the plight he grew up in affects increasingly more Americans, as well as individuals from around the world, Vinnie discovered a natural calling for service and has been a consistent and dedicated volunteer for as long as I have known him. Vinnie volunteers and serves without seeking recognition or thanks. To him, service is a way of life, and this is why he is, to me, one of the most genuinely remarkable people I know. I am grateful to be his friend and to have known him as long as I have, and I hope that you will join me in thanking him for all he has done to make our society and our country a better place.

Joseph

Porcelli

Jamaica Plain

MA

Name: Joseph
Last name: Porcelli
City: Jamaica Plain
State: MA
About this hero: Joseph has a great quality about him that he is all about other people. He has built a great community organizing platform, Neighbors For Neighbors, as a way to build stronger neighborhoods so that people living in those neighborhoods feel safer, more informed and more involved with what is happening around them. Neighbors is not only about sharing information but creating ways for neighbors to socialize, have meaningful discussions with each other and create action steps to fix things in their neighborhoods that they don't like. It would have been one thing, also, if Joseph kept it maintained in Jamaica Plain where he lives, but Joseph expanded it to every neighborhood of Boston, to show that he has a more holistic attitude toward his passion for creating more liveable neighborhoods. In addition to Neighbors, Joseph does a lot of work with the Boston Police Department, the Mayor's Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and organizations in other cities across the country to help strengthen other communities. His passion for people is unlike any that I have seen in recent years.

Paul

Epstein

Brookline

MA

Name: Paul
Last name: Epstein
City: Brookline
State: MA
About this hero: Paul is a social worker whose contributions to the community extend well beyond his working day. Walking with him around Brookline or Boston is like waking with the pied piper. Kids and adults alike are always saying how he has changed their lives, yet he serves in a quiet and discreet manner. He has touched so many lives and is selfless in his pursuit of making a difference.

Byran

James

Malden

Mass

Name: Byran
Last name: James
City: Malden
State: Mass
About this hero: Byran is a 22 year old who joined America Corps/Youth Build 2 years ago. He has committed himself to this project with 97% attendance and is getting his High School diploma through this program at the same time. Byran and his brother has been responsible for recruiting most of their friends who were just wondering in the streets and wanted to be busy and earn a few dollars. Not to mention an Ed Award. Byran has been serving in different capacities for most of his young adult life with church, helping people move...without charge and just donating his time. Without a doubt Byran is a very hard working and deserving individual who is kind , giving and willing to go the extra mile to make sure families have a home.

Julianne

Lenehan

melrose

massachusetts

Name: Julianne
Last name: Lenehan
City: melrose
State: massachusetts
About this hero: I would like to nominate my daughter Julianne as a service hero. When she graduated from DePaul University in June of 2005 she left with many wonderful service experiences. Those who attend DePaul University in Chicago are extremely service-oriented so there was a plethora of service opportunities and she enjoyed each one: Chicago Quarter Mentor, Discover Chicago, DePaul University, fall 2007 Assisted new students in their transition to college through Discover and Explore Chicago courses; integral part of the first year teaching-team, and created separate syllabus and lesson plans. America Reads, Tutor, 9/05-6/06 Tutored Chicago Public School Students, grades 1-8, in Math, English, and Science. Spring Service Immersion Leader, Biloxi, MI, spring 2009 Leader for ten DePaul University students on a seven day service trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. Conducted pre- trip meetings, developed and maintained budget records, coordinated with site leaders and contractors, and led nightly reflections. The group completed painting and landscape projects on two homes during this week-long project. Spring Service Immersion, New Orleans, LA, 03/07 Campus Ministry, Chicago, IL Participated in a week-long hurricane-relief project in New Orleans, LA. Conferences and Invited Talks Male Initiative - Chicago Public Schools , 3/09 DePaul hosted its third annual Male Initiative project for the Chicago Public School system. This conference was designed to encourage young men within the inner-city schools to apply and attend college. I was selected by my Psychology professor to assist in an “abuse and neglect” workshop specifically designed for these young men, helping them with the tools they need to recognize and help stop violence and neglect that may be present within their homes and neighborhood streets. The summer after graduation she began working full-time at Tufts University. Despite the fact that she was in a full-time position she interviewed as a Coordinator and Recruiter of Volunteers for The International Institute of Boston. She was hired and worked in this position beginning in August of 2009 until May of 2010. The International Institute of Boston "fosters the successful transition of refugees and immigrants". Julianne took her position very seriously and started the IIB's first student council and male writing group. Her work was lauded at the IIB's 2010 graduation ceremony with cheers from the students. Of course we were proud, but more importantly I could see how fulfilled she she and how important a role she played in helping the students at the IIB move forward. I have attached a photo of Julianne during her study abroad experience in Morocco.

Anna Lucia

Stifano

Boston

Massachusetts

Name: Anna Lucia
Last name: Stifano
City: Boston
State: Massachusetts
About this hero: Anna Lucía came to this country with limited English to go to earn a degree at Suffolk University. She began with Oiste, the first and only Latino political organization, as an intern in 2002 with little knowledge about the Latino community in Massachusetts or of USA politics. She quickly became a star, rising through the ranks as Community Organizer, Program Coordinator, and now Advocacy Director. Her commitment to the political empowerment of the Latino community is seen every day not only through her work with Oiste, but also after hours, where she provides free assistance and support to everyday people in the Latino community to push their issues forward. She is involved in issue campaigns around education and CORI Reform and is a testament to her community. She is an immigrant who recently got her green card in the US and cannot vote but has inspired thousands of Latinos who can vote to do so. She strongly in the power of democracy and in that everyone has the capacity to exercise leadership whatever their background or walk of life. She is my hero because she came here with no knowledge of civic engagement and is now contributing to democracy in ways that most citizens wouldn't even dream of doing. To me she is a true star.