Volunteers of the Month

February 2008

Christine Manturuk- "Greater Philadelphia Cares recognizes and bridges gaps within our community. The act of volunteering and lending a helping hand erases boundaries that we can imagine to be between ourselves and one another.
Bingo night at Logan Square Senior Social Club is fun! Everyone that attends is there to exercise their ability to share. I go each week to see that side of others and bring it out in myself."

January 2008

Jeanette Bennicelli - "Volunteering keeps me connected to my community and is rewarding in so many ways. Philadelphia Cares is a wonderful organization that brings people together to serve diverse communities of Philadelphians. It is a great feeling to meet new people through Philadelphia Cares-sponsored projects and to work together to help improve the environment of our city and the lives of the people who live here. Working together, we can accomplish so much more!"

December 2007

Connie Kreischer-Slingbaum - "One of the best parts of volunteering is the warm feeling that you get from giving your time and efforts to help others. Each December it has been a privilege for me and my co-workers at the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Eastern Regional Office to participate in the Greater Philadelphia Cares Adopt-a-Family program. Volunteers at the Turnpike fundraise all year; holding luncheons and other events to raise money to purchase gifts we hope will brighten the holiday season for our adopted families. Ths program is the most rewarding part of the holiday for me. It is truly better to give than to receive, so volunteer and you'll keep that holiday feeling with you all year long."

October 2007

Mandy Blumenthal - "Greater Philadelphia Cares has given me the opportunity to try such a wide variety of volunteer experiences and discover what suits me. Over the years I've enjoyed both participating in and serving as project leader for everything from packing up meals at MANNA, to teaching staff at several agencies how to use computers, to helping kids learn to read, to offering care and attention to shelter animals and so much more."

September 2007

Sarah Zulueta - "Volunteering is a rewarding experience that has enabled me to give back to the community. I have participated in many projects and enjoyed the friendships that I have built with people that I have effected through volunteerism."

August 2007

Jackie Owdij - "Communities are like circles, sometimes you support others and sometimes others support you. Volunteering with Greater Philadelphia Cares gives you the opportunity to be part of this circle."

July 2007

Linden McEntire - "After spending all day planning Greater Philadelphia Cares volunteer projects, the thought of volunteering myself can sometimes be exhausting. I guess it is like the shoemaker's children going barefoot! But I have found that I love volunteering at the school next to my house, Bache Martin Elementary. The Neighbors in Action concept of taking pride in your neighborhood by volunteering where you live really rings true for me, and I hope it does for others as well. "

May 2007

Kerry O'Brien - "Volunteering with Philadelphia Cares has been a great experience for me. When I first joined Philadelphia Cares, I tried a variety of different projects. I found one project in particular, Values through Sports and Arts & Crafts to be very inspiring and became a regular volunteer. The Values through Sports and Arts & Crafts program provides Saturday activities for the Nicetown area children. What I like about this program is that the activities teach the children values of respect, teamwork, creativity, and life skills. Through the program activities, the children learn they have the ability to better themselves and their community. It is a great example of how Greater Philadelphia Cares volunteers can 'be the change' in the present and can also teach children in the community how they too have the potential to 'be the change' in the future."

April 2007

Janet Sparks - "I am inspired by this quote of Mahatma Ghandi. 'Be the change you want the world to be by volunteering your time and talents.'
Everyone has something to share with another person, even if it is only a smile, and by doing so you not only enrich their life you greatly enrich your own."

March 2007

Cara Tratner - "Over the past few years I have volunteered with a number of projects through Greater Philadelphia Cares, mostly involving children. GPC has given me a glimpse of a culture very different from my own, one which I might not have seen otherwise. This year I have been helping at the Northern Home for Children, and it has been a wonderfully rewarding experience. I have loved getting to know all of the kids there, and they always manage to surprise me with their raw energy and passion. I have found that these kids have a lot to say - they just need someone to listen."