Alizeh Goes the Extra Mile to Bring School Supplies to Girls in Pakistant’s a long way from therugged mountains ofPakistan to the foothills of theU.S. state of Georgia, but for

Alizeh Ahmad, the tug of herparents’ home country isstrong.

“Because my family is origi-nally from Pakistan, I havealways felt a significant bondand love for the country,” saysthe Dalton, Ga. teenager whogoes to school in Chattanooga,Tenn.

When she read a bookcalled “Three Cups of Tea” byGreg Mortenson, an Americanwho builds girls’ schools inPakistan, Alizeh found the per-fect way to express her love.She decided to travel with herfamily to Pakistan to visit

Mortenson’s schools.Alizeh didn’t go empty-

handed. She got her class-mates to read Mortenson’sbook, and that led to a studentcommittee deciding to dedi-cate the school’s annual fund-raiser to Mortenson’s organiza-tion, the Central Asia Institute.

The week-long festivalwound up raising $62,000,enough to build a school andsupply it with furniture, text-books and five years’ worth ofsupplies. Alizeh ran a booththat sold Pakistani food andfeatured Pakistani mothers thatshe knew doing cultural hennatattoos on the girls.

Alizeh was able to person-ally give the check to Mr.Mortenson and to get him to

allow her to visit his schools.She took with her letters herclassmates had written, as wellas more school supplies shepurchased on her own.

The trip had a profoundeffect on Alizeh. “Greg

Mortenson’s favorite proverb is‘When you educate a boy, youeducate an individual, butwhen you educate a girl, youeducate a community.’ Ibelieve this is true. By educat-ing girls, we are encouragingthem to have faith in theirdreams, and to come back totheir communities and make adifference.”

Alizeh says the experiencehas also deeply affected herclassmates, who have come tounderstand “how privilegedthe lives they lead are.”

For going the extra mile tohelp girls get an education instrife-torn Pakistan, AlizehAhmad was named aPrudential Spirit of CommunityState Honoree this year.

Alizeh Ahmad

lcoholism has been part ofmy family,” says ShawnHawkins of Branson,Mo., expressing why

he made a movie about thedangers of teenage drinkingand driving.

Shawn wrote, directed andproduced the movie himself. Ittook four long years andrequired him to raise $1,600from 32 sponsors. “I wanted mymovie to really hit home withmy peer group. I wanted it tomake a ripple effect and savethe lives of many teens even if itis a ripple one wave at a time.”

Only time will tell howmanylives Shawn’s film will save. But ithas already been shown to allfreshmen in his community andit has run regularly on Branson’slocal cable TV channel. “Myintention was to make my peersthink and understand that when

they make certain decisions,they cannot go back andrewind their lives like I can

rewind my film.”Shawn, a 2009 Prudential

Spirit of Community StateHonoree, also says the experi-ence of making a movie hasturned him into a “far more con-fident person.”

Cheyne Leads Town-wide CampaignTo Buy Defibrillators for His School

any great volunteerprojects take shapeafter somethinghappens that

deeply affects a person.Unfortunately for CheyneValentine of Bigfork, Mont.,that “something” was thedeath of his best friend, whosuffered a heart attack duringfootball practice.

“I am certain that if thecoach had been trained in CPRand there had been a defibril-lator on the field, the outcomefor my friend would havebeen different,” Cheyne says.

To help make sure atragedy like that won’t happenagain, Cheyne organized atown-wide campaign thatraised $4,000 to purchase twoheart defibrillators for his schooland to provide CPR training forcoaches.

Cheyne, a 2009 PrudentialSpirit of Community StateHonoree, sent out flyers, spoketo hundreds of communitymembers, and wrote columnsand letters to the editors oflocal newspapers.

But while Cheyne’s school is

now properly equipped, hiswork isn’t finished. He hasbegun working to convince hisstate’s legislators to pass a lawrequiring defibrillators at allschool athletic events and CPRtraining for all coaches.

Fall 2009 • Vol. 6 No. 3

The official newspaper of The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Copyright 2009 Prudential Financial. All rights reserved.

He Spent Four Years Making Filmabout Dangers of Alcohol

Shawn Hawkins

Cheyne Valentine

‘‘A

I

M

Who said: “You make a living by what you get,but you make a life by what you give.”

(Answer and more questions are on page 4)

Quiz Question

irst a family friend sentword that three children

in Nimo Sahil’s nativeSomalia had lost their par-

ents and had no money.“Then,” says Nimo, who lives inKansas City, Mo., “my fatherfound out about 10 more chil-

dren that needed help.”As soon as Nimo found out,

“I started raising money so theywould have food and couldattend school.”

According to Nimo, who

has raised hundreds of dollarsa month for years, “If I stopsending money, the childrenwill be kicked out of schooland will not have money forfood. Some other childrenfrom the same village starvedto death, so it is important forme to continue my project.”

* * *“When I heard that the little

girl was hurt, I knew that Ineeded to find a way to help,”says Alexandra Klaehn,remembering her reaction tothe news that her pen pal inTajikistan had lost her arm in abear attack at a local zoo.

Unable to buy her friend aprosthetic arm, Alexandradecided the next best thingwould be to help make thatzoo a safer place for visitors.

With volunteers she recruit-ed, Alexandra went to Tajikistanand spent 11 days working onanimal cages, painting fences,and discussing modern safetytechniques with the zoo’s staff.

* * *“This project has opened my

eyes to what a few people cando to change the world,” saysLydia Ham of Sheffield, Vt.,explaining how it felt to raisemoney, collect goods, andwork on construction projects foran orphanage in Guatemalaover the past three years.

Of her several projects onbehalf of the orphanage, onewas to collect 400 pairs of eye-glasses to take to Guatemala.

Another was to ask her friendsnot to give her presents on herbirthday but instead donateclothing and school supplies forthe orphans.

Lydia is also learning howto weave. Why? So that the

next time she goes toGuatemala she can teach theolder girls in the orphanageand widows who live nearby askill they can use to supportthemselves.

There’s a new trend called“micro-volunteering.” It’s for peo-ple who think they are too busyto volunteer. All a person has todo is download to his cell phonea free program called “TheExtraordinaries.” Then, when hehas a couple of free minutes, hiscell phone will give him a mini-volunteer project to do – for

example, giving advice to a col-lege applicant.

* * *During these difficult econom-

ic times, more Americans report-edly are volunteering to helplocal police keep their communi-ties safe. There are said to beabout 5,000 citizen patrol unitscurrently working with community

police departments. That’s 25%more than in 2008

* * *According to news reports,

First Lady Michelle Obama haspromised to speak at the 2010graduation of GeorgeWashington University if commu-nity members complete 100,000hours of community service

before the ceremony next May.

* * *More than 14,000 volunteers

recently turned out to clean upLos Angeles’ beaches, parks andcreeks. In just one day, theypicked up 150 tons of trash. Thatwas 65% more trash than waspicked up on the same occasiona year ago.

HELPERS AROUND THE WORLD

N E W S

Lydia Ham

Alexandra Klaehn

Nimo Sahil

New York City MayorMichael Bloombergrecently launched a newprogram called “Cities ofService” under whichmayors of several U.S.cities will work to recruitvolunteers to work inareas of greatest localneed. Participating citiesinclude: Vicksburg, MS.;Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles,CA; Providence, RI; WestPalm Beach, FL, Newark,NJ, and Phoenix, AZ, aswell as New York City,NY. Can you find each ofthese eight cities on thenumbered map?

F

2

35

6 7

(Answers are at bottom of page 4)

18

4

Holley’s Campaign Results inPlayground for Disabled Brother

13,000 U.S. Soldiers Have JaneyTo Thank for Their 'Care Packages'

wanted to put a smile oneach child’s face.”

And so she did.How? By distributing

more than 1,000 stuffedteddy bears to children in hos-pitals and orphanages in theAfrican country of Ghana.

It was a long way to go. Butfor Rachel Bervell of Mukilteo,Wash., it was trip she’ll neverforget. “I vividly remember theexpressions of the children Imet. Some faces beamedwhile others smiled shyly, butall of them hugged their gifts.”

Rachel, a 2009 PrudentialSpirit of Community StateHonoree, got the idea of dis-tributing teddy bears in Ghanafrom her grandmother, whoseveral years earlier had goneto Ghana and taken with hersome of Rachel’s old teddybears. Her grandmother’s ges-ture of kindness came rushingback when Rachel worked asa summer volunteer at a localhospital and saw how a doll or

stuffed animal really bright-ened up a sick kid’s day.

Rachel conducted a teddy-bear collection drive at herschool. Fortunately, her par-ents were already planning afamily trip to Ghana and evenagreed to pay for the bears tobe shipped separately so thatRachel could emulate hergrandmother and make a lotof kids very happy.

Rachel Goes to Africa to Give TeddyBears to Sick Kids, Orphans

Rachel Bervell

s a volunteer for a localpet rescue organiza-tion, Zachary Eller ofMilton, Ga. thought

that one way to befriend theabandoned dogs he washelping would be to bakedog biscuits.

“Everybody loved them,so I made more and beganselling them at functions inmy community,” as well asonline through a Web site –www.woofemdowndogbiscuits.com – says the 2009Prudential Spirit ofCommunity State Honoree.

Before you could saybow-wow, Zachary’s dog bis-cuit baking project hadraised close to $8,000 forthe pet rescue organization.

For Zachary, it’s a labor oflove. “My first word was‘dog,’ ” he says. When heturned six, he started askingfor pet food in lieu of birth-day presents. Together withhis brother, Zachary has

donated more than 1,000pounds of pet food to local

shelters over the years.Zachary now bakes on

weekends and whenever hehas free time during theweek. “There is a hugehomeless pet problem inAmerica,” he says. “It isgood to know that I havehelped save many homelessanimals.”

Zachary’s Dog Biscuit BakingSupports Pet Rescue Group

Zachary Eller

A

ne day while at hisschool I saw thathe and all of the

other childrencould not play on a play-ground like typical children.”

So remembers HolleyCunningham of Pascagoula,Miss., as she describes why shelaunched a community cam-paign that resulted in a newplayground suitable for dis-abled children to be built ather brother’s school.

Holley, a 2009 PrudentialSpirit of Community StateHonoree, raised some$100,000 from donors and arehabilitation agency. Sheapproached teachers, thera-pists and a recreation compa-ny, all of whom helped designa playground that included awheelchair swing, therapeuticswing set, slide, painting sta-tion and rubber surfacing.

There’s more work to bedone, Holley says. Phase II of

her campaign involves addingto the new playground a pic-

nic area, pool, wheelchair liftand walking track.

But while her work isn’t fin-ished, Holley is already reap-ing the benefits of her efforts.“The most memorable part ofthis project was getting to seethe smile on my brother’s facewhen he got to swing for thefirst time.”

Holley Cunningham

hen 2009Prudential Spirit ofCommunity StateHonoree Janey

Turner was just eight years old,she contributed to a schoolproject that sent “care pack-ages” to seven U.S. soldiersserving overseas.

Janey, who lives in Easley,S.C., never forgot how goodthat felt and now, in her earlyteens, she is committed tomaking life a little easier forAmerican soldiers abroad. “Itis important for the soldiers toknow that we support themand that someone caresabout them,” she says.

More than 13,000 soldiersknow that for sure becausethat’s how many care pack-ages Janey’s nonprofit organi-zation, called “Hands forSoldiers,” has sent out overthe last few years.

Each care packageincludes shampoo, tooth-brush, razor, candy, pen, play-

ing cards and other items,many of which have been

donated by hotels and busi-nesses. To raise money,Janey’s group has held skatenights, yard sales and festivals.

The care packages the sol-diers receive include a notefrom Janey that reads: “Thankyou for your service. Youdeserve a big hand. Love,Janey.”

Janey Turner

W’’O

’’I

COMPUTERC O R N E RMatthew Uses

Web Site To Warnabout Genocide

“My brother Lucas is currentlysuffering from a rare disease that isincurable, and will take his lifeaway by age 15,” says ChelseyMontgomery of Cedar Rapids,Iowa, explaining why she andmembers of her family volunteerto spread awareness about MPS III,a rare genetic disorder also knownas Sanfilippo syndrome.

While she and her family con-duct an annual 5K walk/run and agolf tournament to raise money,

Chelsey didn’t think she was doingenough. “I took matters into myown hands,” she says, and startedspeaking publicly about MPS III,sometimes with her brother by herside.

“I am devoted to helpingthese children have a life and tospend the life that they have as akid, and not locked up in a wheel-chair,” she says.

* * *“I have an amazing life and

have always wanted others toenjoy life, but I knew that wouldn’thappen if I stepped back like somany others and only watched.”

And so Nicholas Paris of LasVegas, Nev. decided to share hislove of football with others in hiscommunity, especially seniors, vet-erans and disadvantaged kids.

Nicholas arranged to haveseniors attend one his team’sgames. He and teammates alsotraveled to a veterans home tobrighten up their day. And he start-ed a drive to collect used footballcleats for kids who can’t afford tobuy their own.

To do even more to help oth-ers, Nicholas also tutors youngerstudents, washes police car win-dows, and assists one of his formerteachers.

* * *“I saw a big canister of pop

tabs in our local McDonald’s andfound out about where themoney goes and who benefitsfrom it. I decided this was definite-ly something I could do.”

Thus did Jennifer Sanchez of LaLuz, N.M. organize a class compe-tition that collected some 125,000soda can pop tabs to benefit theRonald McDonald House of New

Mexico. The pop tabs get recycledand the money helps families withsick or injured kids, she says.

“I believe my project madepeople stop and think that doingsimple little things can help otherpeople in big ways,” says Jennifer,who convinced several classmatesto help her conduct the week-longcampaign for two consecutiveyears.

Quiz answer from page 1It was said by Winston Churchill,the famous war-time primeminister of Great Britain.

MAP ANSWERS1- New York City2 - West Palm Beach3 - Los Angeles4 - Providence

5 - Phoenix6 - Vicksburg7 - Atlanta8 - Newark, NJ

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards constitute the nation’slargest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteercommunity service. Since its inception in 1995, the program has hon-ored nearly 90,000 middle and high school students at the local, stateand national level. Applications can be completed online athttp://spirit.prudential.com or www.principals.org/prudential, and must becertified by a school, Girl Scout council, county 4-H program, Red Crosschapter, YMCA or affiliate of HandsOn Network.

For more information, visit http://spirit.prudential.com,

or call 1-877-525-8491.

Publisher - Scott PetersonEditor - Bill Paul

Art Director - Stephen BlauweissProduction Assistant - Sylvia Biviano

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Matthew Heck of Wichita,Kan. is committed to raising pub-lic awareness about the evil ofgenocide.

While he knew about whathad happened in the past,Matthew says he was stunnedwhen a friend told him thatgenocide was still occurring in theDarfur region of the African coun-try of Sudan. “That realization was

something of a turning point inmy life,” he recalls.

To raise public awareness,Matthew organized a two-week,1,300-mile relay run fromWichitato Washington DC. The relay notonly raised awareness. It alsoraised more than $25,000 thatMatthew gave to the GenocideIntervention Network.

Matthew created a Web site –www.neverignore.org – to chron-icle the relay and provide infor-mation on what genocide is andhow anyone can fight against it.The site has been designed toserve as inspiration to others toget involved.

“I wholeheartedly believethat genocide must end,” hesays. “If even one person’s deathcan be prevented, my entireeffort is worthwhile.”

The Prudential Spirit of Community Report is the

official newspaper of The Prudential Spirit of

Community Awards program. It is published

online by Prudential Financial, in cooperation with

Earth Preservers Inc. of Westfield, NJ. (908) 654-

9293. Copyright 2004-2009 Prudential Financial.

All rights reserved. The Prudential Spirit of

Community Report can be downloaded and

reproduced for free.

QUIZANSWERS1.b;2.c;3.a;4.b;5.d;6.a;

Chelsey Montgomery

Jennifer Sanchez

Matthew Heck

Nicholas Paris

QuizQuestions:

1. Which Hollywood celebrityjoined New York MayorBloomberg to announce thelaunch of the new “Cities ofService” volunteer program:a: Miley Cyrusb: Ashton Kutcherc: Oprah Winfreyd: Ellen DeGeneres

2. According to a recentsurvey, which U.S. state ranksas the number one volunteerstate:a: Tennesseeb: Arizonac: Utahd: Michigan

3. According to same survey,which city ranks first in vol-unteerism among major U.S.cities:a: Minneapolis-St. Paulb: Kansas Cityc: Tampad: Chicago

4. In 2008, approximatelyhow many millionsAmericans volunteered:a: 41b: 62c: 77d: 112

5. When the TV program“Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition” recently redid ahouse in northwest Illinois,how many volunteers report-edly turned out to help:a: 100b: 500c: 1,000d: 3,000

6. Thousands of volunteersall around the world recent-ly tested the quality ofwhich of these naturalresources:a: Waterb: Outdoor Airc: Indoor Aird: Soil