Optimist Club Among ‘Points of Light’

Following are the people and organizations that have most recently been named to receive President Bush’s Daily Points of Light Award. The Points of Light Foundation, a Washington charity, assists the president in making the choices and carrying out the award program. More information about the award winners and the program is available at the foundation’s Web site, http://pointsoflight.org, or by contacting the foundation at 1400 I Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202) 729-8184.

The recipients:

1853. Martha Sarno, New York, who founded the National Aphasia Association, an organization dedicated to serving people who suffer from aphasia, a communication disorder caused by a stroke or brain injury.

1854. Martiel Mullis, Lacey’s Spring, Ala., who organized and volunteers for Sharehouse Ministries, a partnership among several local churches to distribute food, clothing, and emergency funds to needy families.

1855. Tamarac Optimist Club, Denver, a volunteer group that works on numerous community-service projects, including Habitat for Humanity, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and a program that serves children with physical or emotional problems who have been adopted by single foster mothers.

1856. Daniel Choong, Denver, who created and volunteers for a youth mentoring center in Littleton, Colo., that teaches conflict-resolution skills, provides community-service opportunities, and assists learning-disabled teenagers.

1857. Shauna Winmill, Tustin, Calif., who has collected holiday gifts and toys for needy children every year since her ninth birthday in 1992.

1858. John Taylor and Clyde Cole Jr., Warren, Ohio, who organized the cleaning of Western Reserve Junior High School and the redevelopment of the surrounding Westlawn area.

1859. Narragansett Council Boy Scouts of America, Providence, R.I., which provided 64,000 hours of service in 2000 to communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island; the programs include cemetery cleanups and playground improvements, church painting, service in soup kitchens, and help with Earth Day events.

1860. Feinstein Community Service Center, Providence, R.I., a volunteer program organized by Johnson & Wales U. that assists nonprofit groups serving needy families and individuals.

1861. Ruth Weaver, Ephrata, Pa., whose efforts in the past five years have helped triple the number of people served by Bridge of Hope, a church program that provides friendship, rental assistance, and support for homeless women and children.