New ‘Points of Light’ Honorees

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:

1833. El Dorado Women’s Center, Placerville, Calif., a nonprofit organization that provides a 24-hour hotline, free legal representation, and other support services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

1834. Robyn Skodzinsky, Ann Arbor, Mich., an AmeriCorps volunteer who developed lesson plans and a curriculum for preschool children, served as a mentor for middle-school students, and created Bait House, an after-school academic center.

1835. Al Ferguson, Quail Valley, Calif., who organized a local crime-watch program and created a community clean-up program for released prisoners.

1836. Kaj Skov, Lebanon, Pa., who helped construct a home for people with AIDS, and sponsored numerous fund-raising events for local art and health groups.

1837. Northern Virginia Family Service, Falls Church, Va., which has provided support services such as job training and child-abuse prevention to local families since 1924.

1838. Esther Andrews, Riverside, Calif., a board member of the Alliance for Children and Families who fought to end school segregation in the Riverside Unified School District in the 1960’s, and directed the local Head Start program for 15 years.

1839. Beulah Oliphant, Sherman, Tex., an AmeriCorps member who recruits volunteers to help elderly people gain full access to benefits provided by Social Security, Medicare, and private insurance companies.

1840. Anne Jeffers, New Martinsville, W.Va., a high-school senior who serves as a literacy volunteer in Wetzel County, and teaches in the Alternative Education program for students expelled from school.

1841. Hope Harbor Children’s Home, Claremore, Okla., which provides academic help, volunteer opportunities, and life-skills training for at-risk youths.

1842. Project Unity, Bryan, Tex., a neighborhood outreach program composed of representatives of local organizations. The program, which began in 1995, helps families contact and work with groups that provide services such as child care, job training and placement, and law enforcement.