Medical-Professionals Groups Among Recent ‘Points of Light’ Recipients

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://www.pointsoflight.org, or by contacting the foundation at 1400 I Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202) 729-8184.

The recipients:

2243. Southwest Christian Hospice and Hope House, Union City, Ga., an inpatient and home-care hospice whose Children’s Respite Center at Hope House provides support to caregivers of children with severe disabilities and life-threatening illnesses.

2244. Vickie King, Ogden, Utah, who has participated in 250 volunteer searches for missing people; in addition, she trains other search volunteers and their dogs and conducts workshops on wilderness safety.

2245. National Roofing Contractors Association, Rosemont, Ill., a trade association that coordinated the reroofing of the Pentagon following the September 11th attack, including collecting and administering funds, labor, and materials donated by its members.

2246. Marleau Quick, Salt Lake City, who, despite being legally blind, volunteers daily as a reading instructor for second graders at Lincoln Elementary School.

2247. Jessica Lin Silvestri, Struthers, Ohio, who organized a local collection of donated cell phones that are reprogrammed for emergency numbers and then distributed to individuals in abusive relationships, as part of the national Call to Protect program.

2248. Jennifer Crawley, Benton, Ark., an advocate for music education who has helped the Play It Again Arkansas Program collect donated musical instruments for school bands and orchestras. She also created a Web site illustrating the benefits of music education.

2249. Nonprofit Financial Center, Chicago, which provides capital financing, financial-management training, emergency loans, and support services to other nonprofit groups nationwide.

2250. Frank Barker, Jacksonville, Fla., who has volunteered for many years with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, helping acquire donated materials and labor that have resulted in the construction of more than 850 homes since 1989.

2251. Sandi Martin, Salt Lake City, who created a literacy-skills program in public libraries and schools that uses certified therapy animals and their owners to create incentives for reading.

2252. Solomon’s Porch Medical Outreach, Tucson, a nonprofit organization of medical professionals that provides medical services to poor, uninsured, and inadequately insured people.

2253. Ilene Gorzitze, Salt Lake City, a retired teacher who helped develop the physical-education curriculum at a local elementary school, and who helped the school find affordable gym equipment for the program. She has also organized fund-raising events for charities that support health projects, such as a local Jump Rope for Heart fund raiser for the American Heart Association.

2254. Lancaster Area Victims Offender Reconciliation Program, Lancaster, Pa., a faith-based organization that arranges mediation sessions involving victims and offenders. The group aims to reduce recidivism, lower juvenile-justice costs, and promote safety by focusing on reconciliation and offender accountability.

2255. Rainbow Bridge, Denver, an organization that trains and schedules volunteers, including many youths, to serve as companions to elderly people in nursing homes.

2256. Angelina Kelly, Billings, Mont., a participant in the “Keepers of the Hood” club, which encourages youths to become aware of the needs of their neighborhood and to develop solutions to these problems. One such project involved organizing students to distribute mittens and hats to low-income neighbors.

2257. Kevin Medina, Flushing N.Y., a member of the American Red Cross Queens Chapter Youth Group who has coordinated presentations about fire and burn safety for preschoolers and has organized youth volunteers for disaster-relief operations.

2258. Charles and Gail Helfer, Takoma Park, Md., who served on voluntary patrol, and recruited and helped train other volunteers for the Park Police Friends Board, a nonprofit group that provides financial support and in-kind services to the Montgomery County Park Police.

2259. Loy Dennis, Marionville, Ill., a World War II veteran who volunteers with several veterans’ organizations and his local church.

2260. Milton Dye, Richlands, Va., who is chairman of local Veterans of Foreign Wars post activities and has held programs in schools about safety issues and democracy.

2261. Baby Health Service, Lexington, Ky., a clinic staffed by volunteer physicians that provides free medical care to children without health insurance.