2006 Community Builder Award Recipients
Dorothy Anderson, American Express Public Relations. Dorothy is truly an example of the "unsung hero." Picture the daughter of a poor black Southern minister working tirelessly for a white gay men's choir in Salt Lake City, and you will understand much about the Community Builder Awards. Dorothy takes part in many activities in her role as a Community Builder, including her participation in the choir at the First United Methodist Church, (where she is the only African American in a diverse, mainly white and Pakistani congregation), her work as a coordinator with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (a prior CBA Awardee), and her involvement with the Salt Lake Men's Choir, a choir of mostly gay men. Dorothy works tirelessly, using her skills and networking contacts, to bridge communities and to benefit those less fortunate than she.
Kimberly Perkins, former news anchor, has created a 30 minute series on KTVX called "Profiles in Caring," that publicizes the humanitarian efforts of Utahns and others, around the globe. Over the past five years, Kimberly and her small team have featured nearly 50 small organizations, conducting life-saving work not only in our state, but as far away as Cuba, Tibet, Haiti, and Ethiopia. She also worked with students of journalism from the University of Ethiopia to instill social consciousness in their careers (see the Children of Ethiopia Education Foundation at www.coeef.org). She is truly connecting communities all around the world.
People Helping People uses workshops, coaching, and one-on-one mentoring to help single mothers mired in poverty to bridge the gap between a life of public assistance, and the world of successful, working women. PHP's Clients learn the details of success that middle class working women take for granted, and PHP's Mentors learn to understand, empathize with and truly appreciate people who would otherwise go unnoticed and unknown. Kayleen Simmons, Founder and Executive Director, will receive the award on behalf of the organization.
Ethel Wilcox of Wasatch Basket and Gifts is a strong supporter of cancer research, having recently lost her husband to cancer. Since the inception of Wasatch Basket and Gifts, she has donated 2/3 of its net profits to cancer research. In this way, Ethel uses her work of providing the community with quality products to benefit countless others whose entities she will never know.
Volunteers of America and the Junior League, for "The Freedom Garden." "Cultivating Seeds of Hope" perhaps best describes the unbelievable outcome of the Freedom Garden. Located adjacent to the VOA Center for women and Children, the VOA and Junior League began a three year partnership to create a greenhouse and implement a horticultural therapy program. The program provides hands-on education and experience with planting, nurturing, and maintaining a garden. Experiencing the life cycle of plants, from seed to compost, has helped many women at the center who could not end their destructive addictions through more traditional means. The project includes "a special memorial garden . . . for Center for Women and Children participants to enjoy and remember women who have died from their addiction."
Photo: Kathy Bray, Volunteers of America (left) and Missy Greis, Junior League of SLC (right).
