Exposures

I Care: A voice for kids at the Courage House

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:15:33 -0700

Sixteen-year-old Jordyn Jones barely breaks a sweat as she works in the garden with residents of Courage House, a home for young victims of sex trafficking supported by the Christian-based nonprofit Courage Worldwide. The girls joke around and Jordyn fits right in, but her life couldn't be more separate. Many of the girls living there are runaways from abusive families. Jones comes from a loving family with deep Christian roots.
She and her family have been volunteering at Courage House for three years. They recently opened their home to a resident who turned 18, past the home's age limit.
Last year, Jones spent two weeks volunteering at Courage House in Tanzania. "I know God has called me to be a voice for kids," she said. "My heart is with kids and the issue of sex trafficking breaks my heart."

I Care: Providing spiritual care

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:49:08 -0700

The fragrance of fresh flowers fills the air in the meditation center as nurses arrive to have their hands blessed by Rev. Arthur Lillicropp, an Episcopal priest. As manager of Spiritual Care Services at Kaiser Permanente in South Sacramento, he comforts the sick and dying, counsels grieving families, and reassures staff.
Lillicropp has also been on the other side of the hospital bed. In 1990, he had corneal transplant surgery after living in blindness for seven years. He said he lost hope when told his body was rejecting the transplant, but a woman he thought was a nurse came to him, held his hand and said God was with him.
"That was the conduit through which God's compassion came into my heart ... ," he said, "and I said, 'I want to do this.' I want to sit at someone's bedside and say, 'God has your heart, it's going to be OK.'

I Care: A passion for service

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:40:56 -0700

It's 7:00 am and a laughing group of fifth and sixth graders is boisterously learning how to fly handmade helicopters. Retired Navy helicopter pilot Lou Fifer is at the helm, teaching the children properties of flight in a before-school Aerospace Connections in Education class funded by the Civil Air Patrol. Fifer, who dedicates himself to service in many areas, leads an extensive program of 100 volunteer tutors at Thomas Edison Language Institute, a Title 1 school. Each day he gives his undivided attention to struggling students, and one by one they begin to grow, knowing that they are valued. He is both strict and kind, sometimes wearing his flight suit to class as inspiration.
"This is a passion with me," Fifer says. "I have five successful children and I demand excellence. I like seeing the kids mature and get the concepts."

I Care: Helping victims of crime

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:21:18 -0700

Sitting at a booth outside the Capitol, Bill Spahn pleasantly fields questions from the public on behalf of the Crime Victims Assistance Network Foundation (iCan). Spahn, who retired from a career in various aspects of computers and networking, discovered the volunteer opportunity while searching Craigslist in 2011. After intensive training, Spahn was counseling crime victims and making presentations to law enforcement and parole boards. He noticed that iCan needed help generating reports for its financial backers. Using his programming skills he created spreadsheets that make compiling the mountains of data each quarter a breeze. iCan is run by three dedicated individuals, including Margie Cueva, at bottom left. "Helping them be successful is what I enjoy," Spahn says. "It's nice to be able to use my skills to help them use their skills."

I Care: Service with respect and honor

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:43:41 -0700

Under a gray-blue sky streaked with pale yellow, Wilkie Liang lowers an American Flag in front of the Hall of Justice on Freeport Boulevard. He quietly walks through an empty parking lot before sunset. He reverently folds the flag into a triangle and places it securely in a drawer. Liang takes on many duties as a Volunteer in Police Service. His most sentimental contribution is making sure the flag flies on weekends and holidays, when the police and fire headquarters are closed.
Liang is a Vietnam veteran who served with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He's known men who died in war. "You could say it's a personal thing," Liang says. "There's a purpose and a meaning behind raising and lowering the flag. It's because of respect and honor for the veterans. It's remembering them for their sacrifice."

Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Feature Photography, Renee C. Byer

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:46:48 -0700

I Care: Fighting AIDS by engaging with youth

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:52:45 -0700

Having worked tirelessly for weeks, Ericka Dennis is on stage for only a moment to welcome guests to a dance contest aimed at attracting young people to get tested for HIV at Center for Aids Research and Education in midtown. An emcee dressed in drag introduces dance teams that energize the audience. Meanwhile, the mission of testing 1,000 youths within a year is being carried out by a team of youth peer educators led by Dennis, the youth program coordinator.
Dennis began fundraising for CARES when she was a sophomore in high school, which inspired her to later pursue a career in public health. "The numbers are rising," Dennis said about the infection rate in youths. "There's a lack of information and a lack of access." She faces the problem boldly. "There's so many types of ways to stop it, and the youth is the key."

I Care: Shooting hoops to help others

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:05:35 -0700

Jason Wada, 18, spends his spring break sweating in the sun to put up a basketball hoop and paint lines on the asphalt at the Salvation Army's transitional living center near I-80 and Watt Avenue. For hours, he and his father, Felix, toil over a 52-page manual as they assemble the hoop. Residents, who once were homeless, curiously watch from afar.
Wada has played basketball since age 5, using a hoop his father set up for him at home. He has coached youngsters in the Asian community and played ball for McClatchy High School's team. For his senior project, he organized a "shoot-a-thon," raising $350 to buy the hoop and paint.
He gets the hoop up, hangs the net and smiles. "I would like to envision a dad teaching his little kid to play and all kids of all ages enjoying it together," he says. A father going to his apartment with his child calls out: "Thank you."

I Care: Collecting shoes for Sacramento soles

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:32:56 -0700

Christina Preston chirps cheerful greetings to employees at Girl Scouts Heart of Central California as she navigates a large box of donated shoes to her car. She is the founder of the grassroots Shoes4Sacramento, which collects shoes for a growing number of local causes, including Homeless Connect and Kops N Kids.
Preston, a native Sacramentan who grew up in humble circumstances, was a shy child who thought the future would take her somewhere else. Now she's firmly rooted here. She finds rewards in providing the needy with something so simple yet so important, and inspiring others to do the same.
"I feel more connected," Preston says. "It's strengthening my identity as a person to be a part of a community."
To donate new or gently used shoes, visit shoes4sacramento.com.

I Care: Healing through play

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:50:05 -0700

Cheerful music plays softly in the background of the sunny playroom at Sutter Children's Center, Sacramento. "Do you have a good memory, Edgar?" Child Life Program volunteer Susan Rumberg asks. Edgar McKnight, 11, who is tired of being hospitalized, replies with a confident "Yes!" Rumberg laughs, and challenges him and his brother to a game of Memory Match. The feeling of confinement fades as they play a boisterous game.
The time Rumberg spends here is "a sacred commitment," she says. Her even temperament is soothing. Her sense of humor is invigorating. She heals through comfort and entertainment. "The goal of a Child Life Specialist is to make the environment as normal as possible," she says. "They are facing many challenges. A child needs to be a child, have the opportunity to play, interact with their peers and do what they do at home."

I Care: Sharing a passion for music

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:14:25 -0700

The tinkling of instruments softens. A clarinet sets the intonation. The audience hushes as the silver-haired conductor, Les Lehr, enters. He commands an elegant presence in the Crowne Plaza ballroom, where the Sacramento Symphonic Winds is about to perform. Soon the audience will be taken on a musical journey crafted by Lehr and played out by the volunteer winds and percussion band.
Lehr, who spent 40 years teaching music in schools, has been the musical director and conductor for this band for 15 years. Its purpose is to give people a place to play their instruments and to bring high-quality music to the community. They also support area high school music programs by playing with students and repairing instruments.
"Music is a passion for all of these people," Lehr says. "Music has enriched their lives beyond measure."

I Care: Fighting fires for 36 years

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:29:08 -0700

The sparkling silver tank of the Metro Fire water tender holds 2,800 gallons, and when it's sent to a fire Terry Barnes will almost always be sitting in the driver's seat. For 36 years, Barnes, 72, has dedicated himself to Elverta's all-volunteer Station 116. The retired heavy equipment mechanic lives half a mile away and keeps his pager on 24/7. He'll rush to drive the water tender to every fire that his pager alerts him to. Actions speak volumes for this man of few words. Each day he comes to the station to clean or work on the engines. He's stayed steadfast in his post as neighbors and other firefighters have come and gone. Still, he feels connected to those he serves. "I take pride in living in the community and working in the department and helping as much as I can," he says. "It keeps my mind going because you never know what's going to happen next."

I Care: Giving back to the neighborhood

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:40:23 -0700

Multiple hands of neighbors unite to spread soil around a newly planted valley oak in William Curtis Park. Jogging or biking passersby cheer and ask about the 16 new trees added lovingly to their park. Partnering with the Sacramento Tree Foundation, more than 20 volunteers from the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association spent Saturday morning planting, among them John Mathews, center. Since 1985 he has lived in Curtis Park, in the home his grandparents bought in 1945. Mathews joined the association board eight years ago; to represent neighborhood concerns about the Curtis Park Village development that will some day add hundreds of people to the area. "There's a great sense of community here," he said. "I feel like I'm a better person for volunteering all these years. There's a sense of satisfaction I get from giving back to the community."

I Care: Clown-care to feed the soul

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:31:17 -0700

The activity room is dim at Sky Park Gardens Assisted Living in South Sacramento until an orange-clad clown named Sammie sweeps in as sweet as the sunshine. Quietly, compassionately she seeks a connection with each senior or disabled person in the room. She is goofy, she laughs, she plays with them. She sings "Let Me Call you Sweetheart," looking deep into the teary eyes of a tired soul.
"Would you like to dance," she asks Andrew Robertson, right, who is hesitant at first but can't resist her coaxing. Suzanna Hoye is a professional clown with part of her business being "clown care" for seniors. As the economy faltered some facilities could no longer afford to hire her, but Hoye still comes. "How many people are lonely and need that connection?" she says. "It's feeding my soul to be so close to people and the extra attention is so important."

I Care: Teen does little things to make a big difference

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:51:25 -0700

One by one women from many walks of life line up to receive a warm breakfast served with an even warmer smile at Wellspring Women's Center in Oak Park. "Do you want some eggs?" 14-year-old Isabella Powers asks. "How are you today?" she inquires with a sweet youthful eagerness that charms the guests.
Powers began volunteering here when she was 9. When she sees a problem she moves into action. She is starting a campaign at school to collect used forks, spoons and mugs for the center, which is running short. For her 10th birthday she asked for school supplies for the children at Wellspring. Seeing people's appreciation is her present, she says. "We're here to help others. You can't make this world a better place by just focusing on yourself. It's the ripple effect. You're making and impact, then other people do the same."