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EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 3
Inside This Section... Scott Burton.............................................................................9 Marcus Debro........................................................................22 Pat Doyle.................................................................................12 Penny Gaither.......................................................................20 Mike Grubb.............................................................................19 Libby Gwynn............................................................................6
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Dwight Hollinsworth............................................................15
This is the third year The Herald-Times has published
Kristi Huston..........................................................................13 Ron Jensen...............................................................................5 Jennifer Mackinday............................................................. 25 Edith Overlease.................................................................... 26 Sarah Perfetti.........................................................................10 Jack Peterman.........................................................................8 Dan Reynolds........................................................................ 24 Melissa Richardson..............................................................18 Melinda Seader..................................................................... 17 Dayna Thompson....................................................................4 Gary Verostko........................................................................27 Martha Wailes.......................................................................16 Allison Watters......................................................................21
its section featuring Everyday Heroes. More than 160 men, women and organizations have been nominated during the three years of the project. This year our readers sent in 51 nominations, all of which included impressive achievements of people who deserve respect and praise. Each of those nominees is listed in this section. Our panel of judges once again went through the difficult process of selecting a top 20 to be featured with full-length stories and photographs. The stories of our Heroes are varied, but all include the common denominator of service to others. We’re proud to introduce you to our Everyday Heroes for 2015. As during our first two years of providing this recognition, we hope their stories will inspire the sort of kindness and selflessness these heroes represent in their daily lives. Bob Zaltsberg Editor
4 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Dayna Thompson Support makes the difference for patients, caregivers By Lauren Slavin 812-331-4376 | lslavin@heraldt.com Dayna Thompson employs an unlikely weapon against a disease with no known cure – laughter. One in three seniors has Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia when they die, according to Indiana University Health Bloomington’s Alzheimer’s Resource Service. These degenerative brain diseases affect memory, thinking skills, information processing and limit many cognitive and physical abilities. But the patients, families and caregivers Thompson works with at the Alzheimer’s Resource Service don’t always feel afraid and alone. They’re learning to adapt to their disease or to care for someone through their final years, and Thompson said she’s honored they allow her to be their guide. “People let me into their lives very intimately,” she said. “I’m always impressed with their inner reserve, people who keep a positive attitude and even laugh. We laugh a lot in our support groups.” Thompson is an Alzheimer’s educator with IU Health Bloomington’s Alzheimer’s Resource Service, a program through the health system’s community health department that covers 11 counties in southern Indiana. With support from IU Health Bloomington Hospital, Thompson and her staff provide free consultations and counseling to individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families, as well as support groups for patients at all stages of the disease and their caregivers. For older individuals, many of whom are on fixed incomes and have other medical bills, Thompson said the free consultations
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
and support groups make all the difference in how they access health care. “I think we’re really blessed in Bloomington,” she said. “We have a lot of resources a lot of other communities our size don’t have.” Thompson runs several support groups for patients, families and caregivers that focus on improving and maintaining quality of life through cognitive and emotional wellness, social interaction and physical activity. Once diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, patients often become withdrawn from friends and family, Thompson said, sometimes out of embarrassment. With limited skills, Thompson remembers one support group member went from regularly playing tennis to never picking up a racquet. After sharing his experiences with the group and connecting with people who had similar circumstances, several group members started playing tennis together, modifying the game to fit their abilities. “Yes, you’re never going to be in Wimbledon,” Thompson laughed. “But you can still enjoy the activities you’ve always enjoyed. You don’t have to miss out completely.” Thompson recognizes the good that comes with giving Alzheimer’s patients a renewed sense of purpose in her support groups. But she sees the real heroes as those who return, even after their loved one has died, to share their knowledge with the group. The same knowledge they may wish they’d have known when they first became a caregiver. “I feel like people are always grateful and willing to help out,” Thompson said. “They’ve got so much on their own plate, and they still bend over backwards to help someone else.”
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 5
Ron Jensen Ad advocate for education By Mary Keck 812-331-4353 | mkeck@heraldt.com “These are absolutely priceless,” says Ron Jensen as he reaches into a bin full of big pink erasers. As he walks the halls of the Teacher’s Warehouse, he admires the artwork painted on the walls by students who attended Aurora High School. While the school no longer exists, the building is now used by the Bloomington Rotary to hold not only big pink erasers but other items that are priceless to educators: books, note pads, cardboard tubes, math and science posters, pencils, crayons, glue and three-ring binders. Jensen is the Teacher’s Warehouse board president for the Bloomington Rotary, and helping out by finding donors and planning for the future of the teacher’s store without a cash register is what he calls a labor of love. Educators from five counties come to the volunteer-run Teacher’s Warehouse to get school supplies for free, but it isn’t only the teachers Jensen has on his mind. It’s with tears in his eyes that he thinks about the students whose hands will hold those erasers and draw with those crayons. “It’s the most frustrating thing for teachers when three-fourths of your class comes in with a loaded backpack and a few kids come through the door with only the clothes on their back. As quickly as you can, you want to put them on par with other stu-
Nicole Krasean | Herald-Times
dents, and do it as quietly as you can,” he said. “The smile you see on their face is worth the effort. That’s the bottom line as far as I’m concerned.” Jensen was a teacher for 10 years, and he is a former president of the Indiana State Teachers Association. He also worked for the education association in Michigan. He retired from his job as Assistant to the Dean of the School of Optometry at Indiana University in 2000. In retirement, Jensen continues his work as an advocate for education through his involvement in the Indiana Coalition for Public Education of South Central and Monroe County. “I don’t know of any other way for my life to unfold,” he said. Teaching runs in Jensen’s family. His wife of 60 years, Mary Jensen, was a teacher. He has two daughters who are elementary school teachers. From Jensen’s point of view, teaching isn’t just about imparting information to kids. “It’s becoming a part of a student’s and a family’s life and having an integral part of shaping that life through suggestions and helpful hints,” he said. It’s not just teachers and students he cares about, though. Jensen also helps the community through his service at the First Presbyterian Church and by volunteering at the Interfaith Winter Shelter. “I owe it to my community,” Jensen said.
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Chris Howell | Herald-Times
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
Helping create a more sustainable world
Libby Gwynn
By Sam Robinson | H-T intern Libby Gwynn worked in education for 30 years, and she routinely promised herself that, when she retired, she would give back to the city she first called home in 1976. Gwynn retired from her position of assistant director of the Harmony School in Bloomington in 2010, and ever since, she’s been volunteering in Bloomington to create a more sustainable world. “I kept my word,” Gwynn said. For the past five years, Gwynn has been volunteering with Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, where she helps grow fresh produce for the community so everyone can have access to nutritious food. She’s also a frequent face at the summer and winter farmers’ markets, where she sells her own produce.
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“Really, gardening has been my passion for a long time,” Gwynn said. “I do flowers and vegetables” Gwynn has been gardening since childhood. She grew up in England, and she said her father introduced her to gardening at a young age when he gave her a corner to cultivate herself. Gwynn decided to follow her then-husband to the United States in 1973 to Santa Barbara, California. “I was trained as a teacher in England, but when I came to the U.S., my credentials were completely useless,” Gwynn said. Gwynn ended up moving to Bloomington in 1976 by chance. Her husband’s family was from northern Indiana, and they had read about Bloomington in a National Geographic article. When they moved to southern Indiana, Gwynn and her husband did, too. “I don’t think I’d ever even heard of Indiana,” Gwynn said. “Life takes you down paths you never expected.” Gwynn put her training in teaching into use at the Harmony School, where she remained for most of her career. She’s since become an active supporter for environmental sustainability, because she said the world can’t continue to produce food under the current model. “The whole system isn’t really sustainable,” Gwynn said. “With the cost of transporting food, the modern world has become so separated from where their food comes from.”
“Growing food is I think a great way for people to take care of themselves,” Gwynn said. For the past year, Gwynn has also been dedicating her time to changing the way people transport their food from the grocery to their pantry. Gwynn founded Bring Your Bag Bloomington to work towards enacting a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags. “I had no idea what I was getting in to,” Gwynn said. “It’s a lot of research finding what the city has done and backing up your position.” Gwynn and a core group of around 10 members meet regularly at the farmers’ market, but she said she sometimes feels she’s preaching to the choir. “People have been for the most part receptive,” Gwynn said. “We have more than 1,000 signatures for a petition, but the challenge is to reach people who don’t hear about it.” “There’s always someone who needs help, and that’s the way life is.” Gwynn said. “I think it’s part of being an active member of the community.” Gwynn said that getting involved in the community has given her more opportunities to see good in the world, and she recommends it for others. “It’s very empowering,“ Gwynn said. “It’s rewarding in so many ways. One can get depressed about the state of the world, but once you get volunteering with other people, you see it’s better.”
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8 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Jack Peterman Building relationships through woodworking By Mary Keck 812-331-4353 | mkeck@heraldt.com When Jack Peterman works with 3 and 4-year-olds at Campus Children’s Center, he says, “funny things happen.” They happen while kids make wooden puzzles, lock and unlock tiny wooden doors with keys or loosen and tighten screws, because those are the kinds of activities they do when Peterman comes by. He’s been volunteering at the CCC for about eight months. Besides woodworking with kids, he also lends his handyman skills to people in need through the Area 10 REPAIRS program to install grab bars, ramps and handrails. “That’s fun—a bunch of old geezers that get together and build stuff,” he said with a laugh. Peterman also helps out around his neighborhood. Sometimes his neighbor’s need is as simple as climbing up a ladder and changing a light bulb, and other times it might be a drippy faucet or window that’s stuck. Giving a little of his time to others puts Peterman at ease when he gets a minute to relax. “I like to take a nap, but I feel guilty if I haven’t done something,” he said. “I grumble because people cut you off while driving and people steal. It makes you think people aren’t compassionate or they’re selfish. Well, I’d better put my money where my mouth is.”
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
Spend some time with Peterman, and you’ll find he gets more out of volunteering than just an eased conscience, especially when he works with the tiny people at the CCC. When 4-year-old Olivia Rawe sat in a chair beside Peterman looking over photos to use in her puzzle, she pointed at two that she liked best. “Can we put both on?” she asked. “We’ve never done that before, but we can do it,” Peterman replied with a chuckle. “You want to help me?” By the end of his time with the CCC’s little ones, Peterman admits that he’s worn out, but he’s had a lot of fun. “Watching kids grow is fascinating,” he said. One day a little boy reached up to touch Peterman’s beard and asked, “How come your hair grows on the bottom instead of the top of your head?” It’s those funny, spontaneous moments that Peterman loves when he volunteers his time with youngsters. From Peterman’s point of view, volunteering is just a little something everyone should do. “If every volunteer were to ask a friend to join them, either where they volunteer or help them choose something more appropriate to their skills, we could double our ranks. Doing so every year could expand volunteerism exponentially, making Bloomington and Monroe County even more outstanding than it is,” he said.
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 9
Scott Burton A coach who cares By Michael Reschke 812-331-4370 | mreschke@heraldt.com To say Scott Burton coaches youth sports doesn’t fully encompass what the father of three does after fulfilling his obligations as a sales representative for Crown Lift Trucks during the day. “The amount of teams he juggles in a season is pretty amazing,” said Jon Macy, who has coached with Burton at the YMCA and Twin Lakes Recreation Center. Over the summer, Burton coached both of his sons’ baseball teams and his daughter’s softball team. Macy estimated coaching three teams with multiple games and concession stand duty was about a 20-hour per week commitment. And that was just during the regular season. Burton coached an all-star team after that, which meant seeking sponsors to ease the burden of transportation costs and entry fees to tournaments for the players’ families. “It’s a crazy commitment,” Macy said. Burton acknowledges he was at the ballpark a lot this summer — seven days a week if there wasn’t a rainout — but said he just does what’s necessary to make time for it. “It’s such a priority,” he said. “I work hard during the day, in the evenings I’m there and then I got to sleep.” After baseball season is over, Burton coaches basketball. He’s even coached soccer, a sport he knew next to nothing about, when there was a need for someone to fill in. Burton does all this without any compensation. “It’s all volunteer,” Macy said. “He doesn’t get a nickel.”
David Snodgress | Herald-Times
Burton said that’s his way of trying to level the playing field for those kids from families who can’t afford to pay for private lessons. “I don’t like that it takes away from the kid that doesn’t have the financial means to do it,” he said. “That’s why I like to volunteer.” Jesse Steinfeldt’s kids have played with and against Burton’s children. While he’s impressed with how much coaching Burton does, he’s more impressed with how he does it. “The volume is great, but the main thing is the quality,” Steinfeldt said. “He does it the right way. He prioritizes development and fun.” When the game is on the line, you don’t see kids on Burton’s teams with pursed lips, he said. That’s because when they do mess up, Burton doesn’t make them feel like they did something wrong. He gets the player to realize their own error by asking them what they saw. “Youth sports can bring out the worst in people, but Scott runs counter to that,” Steinfeldt said. Improving a kid’s baseball swing or jump shot is important, but Burton also wants his players to learn the skills that will help them for the rest of their lives, like being good teammates. “Whatever you do in life, you’re going to have to work with coworkers,” he said. Burton said his love of sports goes back to the great role models he had for coaches growing up. Coaching youth sports gives him an opportunity not only to spend time with his own kids, but pass on the positive experience he had to a new generation. “I hope they thought I made it fun for ‘em, but also that I really did care about them,” he said.
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Sarah Perfetti PRIDE provides a safe place By Kat Carlton 812-331-4351 | kcarlton@heraldt.com In addition to working two part-time jobs, Sarah Perfetti holds most meetings for her main gig at Bloomington Pride out of a coffee shop. As the executive director of Pride, Perfetti oversees the group’s programming, which includes the Pride Film Festival, Summerfest events and Prism youth group. Their overall mission encompasses celebrating queer arts, creating safe spaces and challenging stereotypes to enrich the LGBTQA community. LGBTQA stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Asexual, and Ally. “I’d like people to think of Bloomington PRIDE as the go-to organization for queer-related things, said Perfetti, who was nominated by her wife, Abby. “Because of Sarah, queer teens have a safe place to meet twice a week to be themselves, come out of their shells, and go on adventures without fear of bullying or judgment,” said Abby in her Everyday Heroes nomination of Sarah. Sarah Perfetti spends much of her Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays focusing on her work with Pride. In January, she quit her fulltime job at IU’s Center for Evaluation Education Policy after spending about three years as a project associate. “I like having a lot of freedom to make decisions and explore my creativity, and in my role at IU I was charged with executing the decisions that had already been made,” she said.
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
In addition to her IU job, Perfetti began volunteering 35 hours per week with Pride and said it became too exhausting to work around the clock. Her real passion, she said, is her work with Pride. In 2012, Abby and Sarah began planning to make the Film Festival a freestanding organization. They wrote the bylaws, established a board of directors and applied for 501(c)3 status. The festival was created in 2003 by two IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduate students. Perfetti said when she and her wife stepped in, there were many people in the queer community, especially youth, who were underserved at the time. That’s why the transition to make the film festival independent was important, she said. In September this year, students from the Prism youth group sponsored an event with Indiana State Superintendent Glenda Ritz at Bloomington High School South. Ritz joined seven Prism students on the auditorium stage to answer audience questions about creating a safe, more inclusive school environment. Perfetti said that event made her especially proud of the students, who she said she has seen grow more articulate and comfortable with public speaking through their community outreach events. “[Ritz] really just listened to them, and they’re very knowledgeable,” she said. Sarah’s wife Abby says Sarah’s sacrifice for the community is the most heroic thing she can think of. “And she does it all without expecting recognition,” said Abby.
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 11
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington
Congratulates
the Everyday Heroes who offer their time to serve others in the community. ivytech.edu/bloomington HT-6268323
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Pat Doyle Volunteering keeps retired couple busy Rod Spaw 812-331-4338 | rspaw@heraldt.com Pat Doyle helps people even when she is relaxing in front of the TV. That’s her crocheting time, she said, when she makes blankets for new babies, caps for chemotherapy patients or shawls and lap warmers for residents of nursing homes. Going over her list of regular volunteer activities, it soon becomes clear why she has to multi-task while watching TV. She’s much too busy the rest of the time. Her schedule includes volunteering for Area 10 Aging on Aging; Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard; the Boy Scouts of America; Operation Quiet Comfort, a military support group; Different Abilities, a social outreach group for people with physical or mental issues; and her church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Doyle quotes church teachings when asked about her extensive volunteer commitments. “We have a Scripture: ‘When you are in the service of your fellow man, you’re in the service of your God,’” she said. Doyle also has a supportive partner in her husband, Raymond, who was an Everyday Hero in 2014 for many of the same reasons Pat is being recognized in 2015. The two have been a team since they began dating 53 years ago, marrying two years later. “We try to do about everything we can together,” she said. “We even get sick together.” Doyle is a native of Bloomington, a graduate of Bloomington
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
High School. She and Raymond have lived in Bloomington most of their time together, although they did spend 17 years in Terre Haute, moving there when their sons were attending Indiana State University. They returned in 2007 after both of them had retired. “I’m a Bloomington girl. I love Bloomington. I think it’s the next best thing to heaven, and I’m glad to be back,” she said. The Doyles began volunteering for an area agency on aging when they lived in Terre Haute, and they transferred their time to the Area 10 agency in Ellettsville when they moved back to Monroe County. She said they mainly provide rides to seniors who need to get to medical appointments, the grocery store or run other errands. Transportation also was how Doyle got involved with Different Abilities. She started driving someone to meetings, and then ended up running them, as well as signing for people with hearing impairments. She learned sign language to communicate with her grandson — now a student at Ivy Tech—who was born deaf. Crocheting is something Doyle has done since she was 12. A more recent skill she has picked up is quilting. She said she had never quilted until about a year ago, when she began meeting one morning a week with a group of women from her church who make quilts for other people. It was also through the church, which sponsors a Scout troop, that she became involved with the Boy Scouts of America. She has been a volunteer with the Scouts for the past 34 years. “You just learn to do things in the church,” she explained. “You want to do for others.”
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Kristi Huston Helping newcomers set up housekeeping By Carol Kugler 812-331-4359 | ckugler@heraldt.com For the past three or four months, Kristi Huston has been teaching her home-schooled children a lot more than studies from books. They have watched as their mother collected thousands of pieces of furniture and then distributed them to international students attending Indiana University for the first time. Beginning in the summer, Huston began organizing the free furniture giveaway. “It’s a bunch of groups that have come together to do this,” Huston said. The main groups are Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, where Huston is a member, and Bloomington International Student Ministries, which is a group that funnels international students new to Indiana University to the church for the furniture give away. “It was almost full-time all summer,” Huston said of her work with collecting and storing more than 2,200 pieces of furniture — everything from couches to beds and tables. This year’s event was on Aug. 22, but Huston’s work began much earlier and continued for a month afterward as she transported furniture to students who requested pieces that were not taken during the give away. “Everything had to move about five times to get this done,” Huston said. Most of the furniture was stored in four semi-trailers the church purchased for the furniture give away. Other furniture and household items were placed in storage units that were rented on a monthly basis. On the day of the give away, more than 460 international
Carol Kugler | Herald-Times
students were transported by vans to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church after they had registered in advance to participate. Once at the church, they checked in and were taken to an area where they learned more about Bloomington, played some games and met with a volunteer who helped them determine what furniture they most needed. Fifteen students at a time were taken to the church’s gym, which was filled with the furniture. The volunteer helped each student fill out paperwork and tag the items they chose — all within four minutes. Each student was allowed to take three large items, one smaller item and another small appliance. “It’s kind of a race, and they think it’s a fun game,” Huston said. Each of the students was led from the gym by “exit walkers,” children ages 5 to 12 who led them to the household item room, where they were allowed to pick more items. Then the students were driven home to await delivery of their items by church volunteers driving one of the 15 moving trucks rented to haul the furniture. In all, more than 550 volunteers helped, Huston said. “It’s one of the biggest SOCC events,” she said. “It’s a mind-boggling concept for them,” Huston said of the students. “They’re not expecting someone to give them something for free.” Huston said most of the students expressed their thankfulness at the generosity of others and told her how welcome they felt. “It’s such a simple act of kindness. It’s such a practical way to bless them. We’re not expecting anything in return.”
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HT-6273510
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Dwight Hollinsworth Feeding the community By Kurt Christian 812-331-4350 | kchristian@heraldt.com Lawrence Dwight Hollinsworth finds a way. Whether it’s a family camping trip — suddenly disrupted and in need of a change in venue — or the death of his father, Lawrence has always believed in service to his family, friends, company and community. Originally from Tennessee, Hollinsworth spends his days off at his mother’s house in Indianapolis, enjoying the company of his family as they watch movies and gather around his mother, Frances’s, cooking. And it’s no surprise that he loves his job, a reflection of the family dinners he holds dear. “In this business, you just connect with guests,” said Hollinsworth, who has spent about half of his 11 years with LongHorn Steakhouse as managing partner. “They’re not just numbers, they’re actually people that come in, and you get to learn everything about their families and lives.” Hollinsworth’s sympathy for his mother — who has needed more help since his father’s passing earlier this year — extends to his customers and the Bloomington community. He notices when his regulars go missing and seeks them out, taking special care to deliver their favorite dishes during their hospital stay or moment of need. “We do it just because there’s great people here, and we want to give back,” said Hollinsworth. “I joined this company, and all of the things that I’ve wanted to do and didn’t have the resources for, they’ve allowed me to do that here.”
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
Beyond his dedication to LongHorn’s elderly or sick patrons, Hollinsworth’s commitment to community schools, churches and sports teams have helped earn him manager of the year and community spirit awards. One of Hollinsworth’s ongoing projects is the pancake breakfast, in which an organization sends its members into the community to collect donations for a class trip, or other fundraising endeavors. Those who donate are invited to a free breakfast of pancakes, sausage and a drink at LongHorn. The entirety of the donated funds go to the organization, with LongHorn providing the food and restaurant at no charge while the volunteers serve their donors. Hollinsworth has coordinated over 14 pancake breakfasts, where organizations like the Bloomington High School South swim and dive team, the Boys and Girls Club, the local 4-H, Boy Scouts and more have benefited as much as $2,000-3,000 per breakfast. “We’ve got some great people in Bloomington, some big hearts, and it’s just great to be a part of that,” said Hollinsworth. The way Hollinsworth talks about his daughter, Victoria, or his attendance at his nieces and nephews’ sporting events is enough to convince any onlooker of his dedication to those around him, young and old. But Hollinsworth’s dedication goes further; this year, LongHorn will partner with Kids Do Matter to provide food for over 500 children at the annual Christmas party. “Man, just the feeling that you get by doing something great for others and not expecting anything out of it,” said Hollinsworth. “Just doing it out of the love that you can help someone — it’s an awesome feeling.”
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Martha Wailes Happily sharing with others By Marcela Creps 812-331-4375 | mcreps@heraldt.com For Martha Wailes, being named an Everyday Hero doesn’t seem right. She knows way too many people who do way to many great things in the community. Wailes works a regular shift at Community Kitchen. During one particular volunteer shift, she’s sorting through a donation of raspberries. “I take home the things that are not usable,” she said about composting the fruit past its prime. She explained that the food scraps used to go to a pig, but when the pig died, Wailes took it upon herself to compost the scraps. She also makes sure to keep the plastic clamshells that store the raspberries as they can be recycled. She’s been a regular volunteer with Community Kitchen for about three years. She decided to volunteer when she saw a newspaper article about the loss of student volunteers when summer arrives. At the time, the organization needed someone to help with its breakfast program. “And I’m a morning person,” she said. Wailes likes being involved in her community. Not only does she volunteer at Community Kitchen but she does her part to build and maintain ties in her neighborhood, where she is president of its association. She also volunteered to help people sign up for health insurance — a complicated but necessary task for those without it.
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
“You volunteer because you think it’s something that’s useful,” she said. Wailes said her father was very community-oriented, although he wasn’t quite so hands-on. “I grew up in a family where my father was very active in the community,” she said of her time as a youngster in Wisconsin. Her father served on committees related to the local hospital, unions and United Way. “He was doing that the whole time I was growing up,” she said. In her neighborhood, Wailes has found ways to continue to create the caring community that has been in place for years. When an older neighbor who planned a yearly holiday party was no longer able to serve as hostess, Wailes stepped in. She also plants her garden in the front yard and happily shares her harvest with neighbors who appreciate such fresh vegetables. “You just can’t plant a garden for what you’re going to get,” she said. Building that kind of neighborhood has its rewards for Wailes as well. Not only does she like living in such a community, but when she had a dog, she never needed to worry if it got loose. In fact, one neighbor made it a habit of feeding the dog, since he had Wailes’ phone number and could easily call her to tell her where to find her canine. For Wailes, her acts are not heroic. They’re second nature. “I’m retired, for heaven’s sake. What else am I doing with my time?” she said.
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Melinda Seader Helping get things started By Kami Mackin H-T Intern With a background in photography, marketing and carpentry, she calls herself a jack of all trades, master of none. A title that bothered her in younger years is something she now understands and has come to appreciate in herself. It is also what earned her the honor of being an Everyday Hero to the community. Today, Melinda Seader, 54, has used her skills in her quest to serve the Bloomington community in places such as WonderLab, Bloomington Playwrights Project, Bloomington High School South, the Hoosier to Hoosier Sale, Cardinal Stage Company and the Monroe County Civic Theatre, among others. Seader was vital during the early stages of both WonderLab and the Cardinal Stage Company, two nonprofits, doing mainly marketing and carpentry. She said she realized nonprofits can only survive when there are volunteers: the people in the trenches. “It’s been fun in the community helping get things started until they get successful enough to pay someone and I can wave them goodbye,” Seader said. “What I’ve tried to do is be the person that comes and fills gaps a lot, because in the nonprofit world, the trouble is when you begin it’s usually one or two people doing everything.” It’s something Seader jokingly calls ‘cross-pollination.’ She said, if she can help BHSS productions, then the actors that come out of
Kate Seader | courtesy
BHSS may eventually work at a nonprofit such as the Cardinal Stage Company. She said if she can share or build props, that’s money the company doesn’t need in the future, opening up opportunities to pay that young person. Seader and her husband, Don, own an automotive shop, and have used it as leverage to give back to the community by underwriting materials throughout the years. “This is a wonderful community. And I enjoy the idea that there is a lot of things I can help with,” Seader said. In the upcoming year, Seader is hoping to wean herself from some volunteer work to focus on home projects that have been put off for the past eight years, which have been spent being heavily involved in the community. In 2007, when her kids started high school, Seader began building props and sets for the theater and choir productions at BHSS as well as for Cardinal Stage Company, and last year Seader built around 15 shoe and clothing racks for the Hoosier to Hoosier Sale. But for her, supporting the community has been more important than the monetary gain. “My payment is I have probably several dozen kids in town who call me Mama Seader, because I was there building their sets. And they have gone on to do things here at IU, and I’ve gone to Indianapolis and seen them in shows. But it’s that sense of knowing that you have helped somebody take that next step,” she said, “If we model that for our kids, then you know whatever you may have started will continue.”
18 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Melissa Richardson
Redefining success By Lauren Slavin 812-331-4376 | lslavin@heraldt.com Melissa Richardson’s job is to “redefine success.” The families she works with have harsh backgrounds. Many of the parents come from homes where they themselves were badly parented. Children are caught in the middle of custody or guardianship battles. There has never been a positive adult role model or gentle grown-up in their short lives. Richardson is a social worker with Family Solutions, and works with families in Monroe and surrounding counties to provide homebased care. As a guardian ad litem, she also represents a child’s interests in court, investigates the circumstances of their case and provides recommendations to judges that best keep the child on a stable path surrounded by caring family members. “I work with families trying to keep families together,” Richardson said. “I love what I do and always have. I think if you find something you like to do, it doesn’t feel like work at all.” Since 1991, Richardson has worked with children and families to meet them where they are. Whether it’s getting a kid up and to school on time, or keeping a consistent bedtime schedule, Richard-
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
son knows no two families have the same struggles, but all celebrate their victories, no matter how small they may seem. “I think, ‘Boy, that could’ve been me,’” she said. “I think all the time about my blessings, and parenting is still hard.” And Richardson is a parent to about 120 high schoolers—though only four by blood. Her sons, Todd, age 20, Tyler, 18, Thomas, 16, and Trent, 14, are current or former Bloomington High School South football players. And for seven years, she’s supported them as a “food mom,” feeding the 120 or more players at team dinners after practice the day before a game, before every home game, after every away game and the morning after a game while the players review footage from the game. “They’re not traditional eaters,” Richardson laughed. “It’s quite a scene to see that many peanut butter and jellies.” Being a volunteer doesn’t just feed the players. It gives Richardson a chance to interact with her sons and their friends, who she said are the opposite of sulky teenagers. The young men are always appreciative for her work preparing pounds of macaroni and cheese, and even after they graduate, old habits die hard. “I feel like they’re my boys,” she said. “I feel like when they come back, I need to make them a plate of food.”
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 19
Mike Grubb For the love of the sport By Seth Tackett 812-331-4354 | stackett@heraldt.com It wasn’t his first love, but it sounds like it might be his last. Mike Grubb grew up on an Iowa farm, swinging for the fences and dreaming of the big leagues, and now he paces the sidelines of the pitch sharing his knowledge of his new love — soccer. “Obviously, soccer is my job. It’s a great job, because I love soccer,” said Grubb, executive director of the Cutters Soccer Club. “My job is to grow soccer as much as we can. But I’ve always had a particular interest in coaching and teaching kids. That’s how I’ve gotten involved in things.” Grubb’s desire to give back to the Monroe County soccer community started years ago back in Iowa, on a baseball diamond. “A lot of people made it possible for me to play baseball as a kid. There was a lot of commitment on their part and they did it for years and years. When I was a kid, I had the same coaches for 10 years or more and they had been doing it long before I played baseball,” Grubb said. “This sport is my opportunity to give back. I’ve really grown to love this sport, obviously, since I’ve been involved for so many years. It’s a great sport for kids, that’s why I like to do it.” A job at Crane moved Grubb to the Bloomington area in the early ‘70s and his son’s participation at the Boys Club introduced Grubb to the sport in the early ‘80s. “It was something I could do with him and help along, that type of thing,” Grubb recalled. “The longer I was involved with it, the more I fell in love with it. It has become a lifelong activity for me.” And ever since, Grubb has left his fingerprints all over Monroe County soccer. “I am not a coach, per se,” Grubb said. “I don’t make any overtures that I am a coach. I am a person that loves the sport and I’ll impart knowledge. I just want to get kids interested in the sport.” And he has. It all started in the mid 80s with the Hoosier Cup, a fundraiser for the high schools’ soccer programs, which were in their
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
infancy at the time, and then it blossomed into a whole lot more. As the executive director of the Cutters Soccer Club, Grubb shares his love of the sport though the club’s outreach programs, which have been kicked off at local churches, the Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters, just to name a few. “I like the mission of those organizations,” Grubb said. “They are trying to get kids involved, trying to keep kids from getting into the wrong kinds of things, trying to help kids academically. “So this is an opportunity for me to help with what they are trying to do, but, also help our organization by trying to get more kids attracted to the sport.” Some of Grubb’s greatest enjoyment comes from the club’s TOPSoccer Program, which primarily works with the Down Syndrome Family Connection. “Working with special needs children and adults is probably the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. Through the TOPSoccer Program, I have the opportunity to introduce these athletes to a sport I love and watch them have fun, grow and improve.” Grubb also established a program for adults who wanted to continue their love of the game. After contacting Denise Brown, the Monroe County Coordinator for the Special Olympics, and with her approval, Grubb and the club set up the Special Olympics Soccer Program. “Those two areas are probably the most fun for me,” Grubb said. “I spend a couple of days a week with them. I really enjoy working with those kids and adults and they have a great time playing the sport. It’s really great. The idea of being honored as a hero for sharing and spreading his love of soccer seemed foreign to Grubb. After all, it’s his job. “I don’t look at it that way, I was absolutely amazed,” Grubb said of his nomination as an Everyday Hero. “First of all, I was kind of taken aback by the whole thing. I do what I do, because I just like to do it. I enjoy the time I spend with the kids we work with. It’s a chance to stay young, it’s a chance to interact and it’s a chance to hopefully get kids to love the sport I love. It’s just something I love to do.”
20 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Penny Gaither Why say no? By Sarah Morin 812-331-4363 | smorin@heraldt.com Penny Gaither shared an office with a woman who would become not only a good friend but a great inspiration. “She taught me how to be busy,” Gaither said of Lou Moir. The two worked together with students at Indiana University back in 1987. Gaither was amazed at Moir’s calendar — always full — and reply to any request — rarely no. And since then, it seems Gaither’s default is set to yes. It was Moir who nominated Gaither, a lifelong educator, as an Everyday Hero. “The name of your award, Everyday Heroes is perfect to describe Penny Gaither who daily does “everyday” tasks for strangers, friends and family,” Moir wrote about her friend. Those everyday tasks range from hosting garage sales to helping fund scholarships for women returning to college and planning events and advocating for Middle Way House. “If you can do it, then you make time,” Gaither said. “There’s nothing wrong with being really busy. Why say no?” She serves on the board of Middle Way House, which helps domestic violence and rape survivors, and helps organize the fundraising events. “They change the lives of hundreds of women every year,” Gaither said. Gaither herself is a fundraiser for the nonprofit. She shared the importance of the organization and its work in the community during a 7-minute talk before “100 Women Who Care.” The result: The women decided to gift nearly $20,000 to Middle Way House. “Luckily, bless their hearts, they voted for me,” Gaither said. “When you work with a nonprofit, you know what a struggle it is.” That’s why she gives time and money, and encourages others
Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
to do the same, including her two grandsons. She keeps a plastic jar in the house where all loose change goes, whether it’s found in couch cushions or pockets. “I don’t rob strangers,” Gaither joked. Her grandson accompanied her to the bank, where they turned the collected change into a check, and the check went straight to Middle Way House. The grandsons have also donated toys, puzzles and books. “As a family, we’ve been so blessed. There’s no reason not to do it,” Gaither said. “You get much more than you give.” And just as Moir’s words and actions helped shape Gaither on being busy, Gaither’s love of learning continues to be passed on. Gaither tutored IU football players years ago, and she still keeps in touch with them. A former Hoosier defensive tackle called her one day to say that her words of encouragement and discipline were still with him, and now he was passing them along as an educator. “I can’t get your words out of my head,” he told her. “I sound like you.” So those lessons of reading a book with a pencil in your hand to take notes and studying with the ability to be able to teach back the information you’ve learned is reaching a new generation. It was her parents who provided the model of stepping up to help others, in little ways but often with big outcomes. She grew up on a farm in Washington, Indiana. She remembers her mom was always cooking for others. Or her father placing a jar on the counter of a filling station to collect money for a fellow farmer who lost both hands in a corn picker. Her dad didn’t say much about it, just slipped a $100 bill inside. “That was my dad’s training for me — lead by example,” she said. And so it goes on, words of inspiration and acts of kindness spreading and taking root like sunflower seeds.
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 21
Allison Watters Providing the perfect prom By Megan Banta 812-331-4368 | mbanta@heraldt.com Between the perfect dress, along with shoes and jewelry to match, and getting hair and makeup done, prom can be an expensive endeavor. But Brown County resident Allison Watters created an event that makes sure no girl misses her prom because she can’t find or afford any of the things that make the night so special for many. The Glass Slipper, which takes place once a year at Brown County High School, allows any girl — and sometimes women, in the case of CAP prom in nearby Columbus — to come and pick out a dress, shoes, jewelry and a handbag and to learn how to do their makeup and hair from professionals. And it’s all free. The event, which happens for a few hours early in March each year, is in its eighth year and has seen tremendous growth, Watters said. “The first year, I had 140 dresses and three helpers. Now I have more than 150 helpers and 3,000 dresses,” she said. “I’m holding on for the ride at this point.” The event now fills two gymnasiums at the high school and offers dresses from size zero to 30, with 30 full-size dressing rooms for girls to use as they select the perfect prom outfit. That’s more than Watters ever expected when she started the event after being led to do so through prayers for God to use her in a positive way “and this is what I got.”
David Snodgress | Herald-Times
“I never thought that it would be beyond Brown County,” she said. It’s grown so far beyond that though — people come from as far out as Jasper, northern Indianapolis and Louisville for the event. Watters describes the opportunity to participate in the event and “love on everybody that comes in” simply, as a blessing. “You just get all … oh man, just blessed, that we can reach out to this many people,” she said, pausing for a second as she tries to put the feeling into words. The event is designed as a ministry, first and foremost, she said, with a number of volunteers coming from Watters’ church. Watters and her volunteers accomplish that in a simple way: through love. “Whenever somebody comes in, anybody, I want one of the helpers to grab them and make them feel special,” she said. “We want all of these girls to know that it doesn’t matter if they’re wearing the most beautiful dress in the whole getup or ratty pajamas. They’re beautiful.” Watters’ passion for the Glass Slipper comes from deep within, from a calling to “love all people and to reach out to all people.” It’s a calling that others have responded to in kind, from thousands of donations to professionals offering their time for free to jewelers offering to make girls something that will match their dress and personality if they can’t find something in the donations. You can feel it on the day of the event, too, Watters said. “It’s just so amazing, just the love that you feel in the room,” she said. “Everybody just comes together.”
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Marcus Debro Presence of assistant principal is hard to miss Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 23
By Abby Tonsing 812-331-4245 | atonsing@heraldt.com Assistant principal Marcus Debro can be found most afternoons working bus duty in the parking lot of Bloomington High School North. At 6-feet-5-inches tall, the former collegiate basketball player and current high school basketball referee is hard to miss. He towers over the students, but they approach him easily. One girl asks for help finding her bus. Other students give friendly hollers and waves out of bus windows. Smiles abound. In just a few long strides, Debro is quick to catch an errant piece of litter that had been propelled down the sidewalk by a gust of fall wind. In that tall, athletic frame holds an altruistic heart and a soul that embodies the spirit of “service above self.” He helps others and never asks for a thing in return. It’s what makes Debro an Everyday Hero, say his co-workers who wrote his nomination letter to The Herald-Times. “There is not a hubris bone in his body. Marcus hides from that recognition, because he feels it’s a responsibility and a duty,” said social studies teacher Pat Wilson. “He has absolutely noble goals—wanting to improve the human condition. Old or young, no matter who you are, you’re part of the human family. When he sees a need, he reaches out,” she continued. That takes the form of mentoring students at North, providing clothes and shoes to children in need, ensuring Habitat for Humanity volunteers are well fed, coordinating historical preservation projects
for Banneker Community Center and the Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park. The list goes on and on. Last winter, a recently widowed woman found Debro shoveling her driveway and sidewalks before dawn. He currently serves on the boards for Volunteers in Medicine and the Kiwanis Club of South Central Indiana and is a member of 50+ Men Who Care, which donates funds to local not-for-profits. Past leadership involvement includes work with Girls Inc. and the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross. The Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington is looking to establish an alumni program. Debro said he’d help. After finishing a recent day’s afternoon bus duty, Debro experienced exactly the recognition he does not seek. As soon as he walked into a school faculty meeting, he received a standing ovation from 90 of his colleagues, some chanting “hero.” It was an unrehearsed, spontaneous moment. One that caused “tingles and tears,” recalled Wilson. Debro’s quick to shift conversation to the selfless and hard work of others, including his co-workers. He says the real heroes are police officers, firefighters and medics who have responded to the slew of recent tragedies here at home. It’s the United States Air Force master sergeant and medic who will return home to Ellettsville after seven deployments. “We’re not judged by how many toys and trinkets we possess. It’s about helping others,” Debro said.
Everyday Heroes Are Good People Who Do Good Things Dedicated hearts like yours Are not so easy to find. It takes a special person to be So generous and kind. To care so much for your fellow man Is a quality all too rare. Yet you give of your time and talents, For all in need to share. So thank you for being a volunteer, We’re privileged to work with you. We want you to know how appreciated you are, Not just today, but the whole year through.
TOP 15 HEALTH SYSTEM in
THE NATION
Second Year in a Row! HT-6 6273 3615 5
Monroe Hospital would like to congratulate all of the Nominees and Winners. You have made a difference in the lives of others.
4011 S. Monroe Medical Park Blvd., Bloomington, IN 47403 812-825-1111 • monroehospital.com
24 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Dan Reynolds A good man remembered for how he lived By Laura Lane 812-331-4362 | llane@heraldt.com Nikolas Holt wasn’t surprised to find a worn Bible tucked away in the console when looking through his dad’s Chevy Trailblazer. Dan Reynolds had been a man of faith who kept the holy book with him, even packing it to Afghanistan in 2012 for a job using his electronics skills to help block the detonation of improvised explosive devices. “He was a good man.” It’s what people say about the 43-year-old Owen County man who died Aug. 6 from burns sustained in a fire at the house in Freedom where he, his wife of eight months and her 11-year-old son had just moved in. Joy Reynolds, 41, and her son, Bailey Little, also died from burns sustained in the 6 a.m. fire. Joy Reynolds had told friends and coworkers how happy the family was. “They seemed great together,” said Angela Reynolds, Dan Reynolds’ former wife. She last saw him on June 8, when he drove to Shoals to take their daughter out to dinner for her 19th birthday. He talked about a new job he was to start the next week, plans to move into the Freedom house and coaching Bailey’s baseball team. A bright future, a new start. The morning of Wednesday, Aug. 5, Angela Reynolds got a call from IU Health Bloomington Hospital. She had worked there when she and Dan Reynolds were married, and medical staff were trying
Courtesy photo
to contact his next of kin. “I gave them his mom’s number,” she said. Then she broke the news to her three kids. “I talked to the fire chief and the sheriff and they said Dan, after getting Joy and Bailey out of the house, ran half a mile through the woods to the road for help, and when they found him he was covered in dirt and leaves. He was 95 percent burned. And you know what? That is exactly what I would have expected. It’s the kind of guy Dan was.” Holt said his dad was his Cub Scout leader, his T-ball coach and his basketball coach. And after Reynolds’ kids were grown, he continued coaching youth sports teams. “The last time I saw him was the Monday before it happened,” he recalled, pausing. “I just happened to run into him at the Circle K gas station in Spencer.” Holt was standing in line to prepay. When he got to the cash register, the clerk told him the gas was paid for. “He already paid at the pump and was out there filling up my tank. He did that kind of thing all the time.” He thanked his dad. “I’ll see you later. Love you.” He drove off. His mom called two days later, crying and with grim news. Holt said his dad was excited about the prospect of being a grandfather – Holt’s fiancee is due to give birth in December. The boy will be named Daniel Thomas. Holt struggles with grief and the loss of his father. “Dad was a great man. He cared a lot about people. He tried to save Bailey, and you can’t go out more a hero than trying to save a child.”
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 25
Jennifer Mackinday A sister’s story helps other military caregivers By Ernest Rollins 812-331-4357 | erollins@hraldt.com It took Bloomington resident Jennifer Mackinday five years before she could say “my brother was wounded in Iraq” without shedding tears. When Specialist James Smith, U.S. Army Retired, came back home after being wounded while on tour in Iraq in 2005, Mackinday said she felt overwhelmed. As a result of injuries he sustained, her brother had lifelong disabilities, and she had to be there for him at the sacrifice of other aspects of her own life, such as work. Caring for a disabled veteran can be taxing on the caregiver, who can be anyone from a spouse to a child. Mackinday said if not for the help of members at the American Legion helping her navigate Veterans’ Affairs, medical appointments and other resources, she would have continued to struggle with caring for her brother alone. “I never thought that I would be a military caregiver,” Mackinday said. That is why, after experiencing what it was like firsthand, she wanted to do as much as she could as an advocate to help others who may find themselves in her shoes. It started with writing a book about taking care of her brother and the different resources she was steered toward to ensure he received the appropriate care. Mackinday said after it was published she
David Snodgress | Herald-Times
started to get calls from other caregivers and even active duty servicemen looking to learn more. This spurred her to do even more. Now, she gives speeches on what it is like to be a military caregiver, helps train and connect caregivers with resources and is a member of organizations such as the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Operation: Job Ready Veterans to continue advocacy for veterans and military caregiving families. Mackinday said isolation is probably the biggest challenge a caregiver has to overcome, adding it can be very difficult to talk about what they are going through, as it can be emotionally and physically draining. She said that is why she always tells caregivers to speak up. “Raise your red flag,” she said. “You have a problem — let someone know; there are people and organizations willing to help.” Mackinday said as the public learns more about these individuals and their families she finds people want to help in some way and at times is even surprised at how many families are affected when a wounded veteran returns. Mackinday said as her brother’s health continues to improve and more strangers become friends as they connect because they have that loved one they are caring for, advocating will remain an important part of her life. “I think (continuing to advocate for military caregivers) is also part of the healing process,” Mackinday said. “When you can get to the point to help someone else overcome the barriers you had in your own life.”
26 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Edith Overlease An inspiration to others By Kat Carlton 812-331-4351 | kcarlton@heraldt.com Growing up in Traverse City, Michigan, near big orchards, Edith Overlease said as far back as she can remember she’s had an interest in plants and birds. “I’ve spent a lot of my life in the woods,” she said. Now in her 80s, Overlease is an accomplished teacher with publications on plants across the globe. She and her ecologist husband William, who shares the publication bylines, spent years traveling everywhere from nearby McCormick’s Creek State Park to parts of the Arctic to study plants. She said they touched every continent on their travels. Though she still holds great interest in plants, Overlease said she stopped taking up research projects about the time her husband passed away eight years ago. That’s also the time she began lots of volunteer work in Bloomington. “Even when I was a little girl in Michigan, I just wanted to help people,” she said. Overlease studied elementary education at IU in the 1950s and then became a teacher in Pennsylvania, while her husband was a professor. “He taught the big ones, and I taught the little ones,” she said. Now, Overlease spends part of every week with the Monroe County Public Library’s VITAL program, which stands for Vol-
David Snodgress | Herald-Times
unteers in Tutoring Adult Learners. She tutors people to help them learn literacy skills. At home, she also tutors a student who attends the Broadview Learning Center. And Overlease frequently visits the elderly who live in nursing homes. She said she visited one person for nine years and has been making trips to the Garden Villa assisted living facility, where she’s been visiting the same man for more than two years. She also has three cats at home in Bloomington and a daughter living in Scottsdale, Arizona. Megan Grabowski, Overlease’s high school student neighbor, nominated her to be an Everyday Hero. “Through helping in her church or having a friendly smile as she walks by, she never fails to brighten my day,” said Megan in her nomination. “It is beautiful and inspiring to see someone so happy,” she said. Overlease has been on the care committee at her Christian Science church. She also volunteers for Meals on Wheels, a Bloomington program that delivers meals to homebound people who are unable to cook for themselves. “I keep busy,” said Overlease. “I look up to Mrs. Overlease and aspire to have that positive, selfless attitude for the rest of my life,” said Megan in her nomination. “She lives every day to the fullest and can see the good in everything. For this she is a hero to me, a person that I aspire to be.”
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 27
Gary Verostko A neighborhood angel takes extraordinary care of ordinary things By Madeline Dippel H-T Intern Everyday aspects of normal life are often taken for granted, but Bloomington resident Gary Verostko helps his neighbors with these everyday tasks without even giving it a second thought. The neighborhood Verostko lives in now is nothing like the one he grew up in, he said, with more adults living close by as opposed to a street filled with children, but he grew up with the same attitude that he has now. “My neighborhood at home [in Terre Haute] was all play as a child, but my parents helped their neighbors all the time… To me, your neighbors are your neighbors, and, you know, you get to know them, and if they need something, you help them with it,” Verostko said. He said his dad was the 13th child of his family, often visiting his grandparents and helping his 10 sisters and two brothers, but helping anyone who really needed his aid. Raised Catholic, Verostko said the “Golden Rule” is something that he really believes in. After first becoming settled into his now home, he did not have the time to really get to know his neighbors, spending a lot of time working small jobs, with his bachelor’s degree in biology and mas-
Chris Howell | Herald-Times
ter’s degree in library science, and his free time golfing. “When I worked at the golf range … I used to help lots of people with their golf game, and they were very appreciative of that because golf lessons can be kind of expensive,” he said. Now that he is retired, Verostko spends a lot of time helping the people in his neighborhood. He helps his elderly neighbors, aged 90 and 85, with the little things, taking care of the leaves for them, bringing fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers’ market and changing light bulbs, for instance. When his 90-year old neighbor had a lot of physical problems, tearing his hamstring, he and his wife felt comfortable calling Verostko for help at any time, whether it was carrying in groceries or helping his neighbor up when he fell. Verostko said he is not the only one in the household to help out; his wife brings extra food over to the neighbors when she makes it. He grows his own produce, offering the fresh vegetables to his neighbors when harvesting. To Verostko, these instances are not out of the norm—they are the norm. He said none of what he helps with takes up time or hurts him, but they are all what he feels he should do for the community at large. “I don’t do extraordinary things, I do ordinary things.”
28 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
Celebrating bright spots in our community
Congratulations TO THE 2015 EVERYDAY HEROES!
On behalf of The Herald-Times and the Everyday Heroes sponsors, thank you for your contributions! You help make our communities great.
Scott Burton
Kristi Huston
Melissa Richardson
Marcus Debro
Ron Jensen
Melinda Seader
Pat Doyle
Jennifer Mackinday
Dayna Thompson
Penny Gaither
Edith Overlease
Gary Verostko
Michael Grubb
Sarah Perfetti
Martha Wailes
Libby Gwynn
Jack Peterman
Allison Watters
Dwight Hollinsworth
Dan Reynolds
EVERYDAY HEROES | THE HERALD-TIMES | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | 29
We at the H-T were overjoyed to get so many nominations for Everyday Heroes. We wish we could have done a story on every one of them. To make sure that all are honored, here is a brief summary of the remaining nominees and who nominated them. They are listed in the order in which they arrived.
Courtney Rhodes
She’s a great mom who does everything for everyone and never asks for anything in return, said her nominator and mother. Nominator: Lisa Trammel
David Davis
He’s always helping his neighbors, many of whom are senior citizens. “He’s a Christian man and loves to do for other people.” Nominator: Debra Fields
Ruth Brooks
At 95, she visits people who are sick and sends cards of inspiration. She drives, lives on her own and walks every day. Nominator: Stacey Hickman
Tabitha Freeman
She’s a second grade teacher who loves her students and deeply cares about their futures. She spends a lot of time after school to make sure things are in order for her students and others. Nominator: Candace Dean
Joshua Wilson
He’s a volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, who benefited from the positive influence his Big Brother had in his life. He’s a correctional officer at the Monroe County jail and wants to become a youth probation officer. Nominator: Heather Wilson
Freddy Sturgeon
He’s a 911 dispatcher at Bloomington Police Department and has helped save lives in that capacity and before that as an advanced EMT. His nominator said he has chosen “to wake up every morning and do what he can for others. Nominator: Sharlyn Flint
Jonathan Surdam, M.D
He changes the lives of patients every day through his joint replacement surgeries, helping them get back to active lifestyles and feeling like themselves again. Nominator: Amberly Moore
Joe and Dellsie Boddie:
She is the executive director and sponsor of the Cry of the Children, Inc., organization. He is a volunteer for the organization and has worked with children as a coach for many years. Both have mentored countless children and their families. Nominator: April Webster
Paul Ford
He’s a firefighter, EMT and father of five who spearheaded Project LifeSaver, which helps save lives in the community. Nominator: Keera Ford
Patricia Strain
She goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure her students at Ivy Tech Community College have a successful experience. Nominator: Christopher McFarland
Irene Goens
She’s described as “a neighbor, friend, mother, grandmother, church member and citizen. She’s a 70-plus ... fireball of energy always putting others before herself.” Nominator: Kathleen Axsom
Elaine Brugger
She helps people live a healthier lifestyle through her free Healthy Beginnings class. She’s bought Fitbit for students and has hosted them for healthy dinners. Nominator: Kathleen Axsom
Grips Pizza, Solsberry
The owner of this establishment has gotten school supplies for 27 students, including two granddaughters of his nominator. Nominator: Tina Bowers
Rosie Bean
She’s described by her granddaughter as “the rock that holds us all together. She adopted my dad and uncle as babies, then she raised me, my sister and my cousin. ... She always puts others before herself.” Nominator: Tina Bean
Mary Wicker
She has been a teacher of the deaf at Fairview Elementary School for over 30 years, providing valuable instruction and support for children with hearing loss. She was described as “the backbone of Fairview Elementary.” Nominator: Deborah Myerson
Lisa Jerrells
The owner of Joie de Vivre, she’s called a “not-about-me type of person” who always puts everyone’s needs in front of hers. Nominator: Perry Boy Robinson
Suzy Yeagley
Owner of the Bloomington Body Bar, she’s described as “an inspirational woman who makes the people with whom she interacts want to be better versions of themselves.” She’s credited with making a strong impact on health and wellness of the community. Nominator: Laura Hammack
30 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 | THE HERALD-TIMES | EVERYDAY HEROES
nomination summaries continued...
Janis Christy
She recently retired from Indiana University and now devotes much time to volunteering, mentoring and giving spiritual guidance at a women and children’s homeless shelter, something she’s done since 2008. Nominator: Kimberly Goldman
Brenda Wilber
She is a nurse by training, and at 75 still cares for anyone who needs her help. Her nominator says she was a hero to people who needed her when they were dying, scared or broken. Nominator: Brooke Wilber
Virginia Ferguson
She’s described as “a silent hero whose help goes unseen and underappreciated.” She has experienced homelessness, but now is a mom with a job who is in college part-time. She still helps others and asks nothing in return. Nominator: Silver
Thomas Park Clement
As a man who came from an orphanage in Korea, he now helps Korean adoptees financially and in other humanitarian ways. Nominator: Dianne Shewmaker
Juli Hillenburg
She’s a direct support professional at LifeDesigns who “is always there for her clients and cares deeply about them.” Nominator: Jeremy Williams
Cathleen McPhee
The owner of Cathleen’s Gymnastics and Kid Camp in Spencer, she has dedicated her life to making a difference in the lives of children. Nominator: Shelley McPhee
Jeanne Turner
An active resident at Meadowood Retirement Community who has been deeply involved with helpfulness and kindness for all concerned. Nominator: Dick Schutte
Elizabeth von Buchler
She’s described as a tireless teacher who believes in education and literature; treats all her students with enthusiasm, respect and kindness; and is always helping new teachers adjust to their profession. Nominator: Katherine Schutte
Lorene Maree Long
She inspires everyone who sees her, including through videos and photos, and gives her mother and father a sense of joy they wish everyone could experience—while she has a type of cerebral palsy which limits her physically and leaves her mostly nonverbal. Nominator: Adam Long, her father
Amal Altoma
An Everyday Hero in 2014, she’s an active community volunteer who especially helps children in need. Nominator: Carla Hedges
Mark Wiedenmayer
His nominator said she is “convinced he spends his life thinking of how he can help others.” He has helped the First Methodist Food Pantry, among other places. Nominator: Lou Newman
Jim Riley
He, along with Roland “Bud” Kohr, were the driving force behind the establishment of New Hope Family Shelter. Nominator: Teri deMatas
Lisa Weiler
Her nominator said she was a mentor for her who helped her overcome some difficulties and grow in faith. She’s described as a dedicated healer. Nominator: Sandy Pate
Keith Long Sr.
Despite some health issues involving his heart, he’s still going strong as he puts everyone else before himself. He’s always making people laugh and going out of his way to do what he can to help others. Nominator: Christina Long
Congratulations to Our Everyday Heroes! On behalf of IU Health Bloomington Hospital and Southern Indiana Physicians, we want to say thank you to those who help make our community a better and healthier place to live.
Š 2015 IUHealth 10/15 HT-6268356