Special Olympics Trainer Among ‘Points of Light’

Following are the people and organizations that have most recently been named to receive President Clinton´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 20005; (202) 729-8184.

The recipients:

1703. Abby Weinzer, Phoenix, who established a charity to provide homeless children with sleeping bags, toiletries, and stuffed animals.

1704. Jackson Servant Leadership Corps, Jackson, Miss., an ecumenical service and leadership program that enables students of different races to work together on housing improvement, neighborhood beautification, education, and other community projects.

1705. Love Is the Answer (LITA), San Rafael, Calif., an organization founded in 1975 to improve the quality of life for elderly people in long-termcare facilities through intergenerational friendships and support.

1706. Kerri Stephen, Woodbridge, Va., who collects stories written by homeless children about their experiences, and who works with former shelter residents to provide clothing, food, and other assistance to homeless kids.

1707. Mary Crawford Leblanc, Baton Rouge, La., a ninth-grade English teacher whose mentor program enlists honors students to befriend and tutor impoverished children.

1708. Daniel Celluci, Broomall, Pa., a high-school senior who created a cultural-awareness program for younger students, organized charity drives for elderly people and the homeless, and led a successful campaign for the sponsorship of a house by Habitat for Humanity.

1709. Sachem High School South Volunteer Center, Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., a program for student volunteers that raises money for various charities, coordinates blood drives, and encourages new students to get involved in school and community activities.

1710. James Brawley, Westwood, N.J., a 75-year-old volunteer who started a church pantry, supported by local grocery stores, that feeds 20 families on a regular basis.

1711. Guy Recotta Jr., Hammond, La., who has served as a trainer and chaperone for the Special Olympics, founded the Richard Murphy Hospice, and organized the first Habitat for Humanity program in the town.

1712. Habitat for Humanity International´s Collegiate Challenge, Americus, Ga., a program through which students volunteer during their spring break to help repair or renovate substandard housing and construct low-cost homes.

1713. Ann Merlino, Staten Island, N.Y., who established several organizations that educate women and minors on the dangers of breast cancer and tobacco-related diseases.

1714. World Care, Tucson, an organization that provides school supplies, medical equipment, and medical examinations to disaster victims and low-income communities; it also promotes recycling in order to prevent new landfills.

1715. Mobile Meals of Tucson, a program founded in 1970 that prepares and delivers meals to injured or ill people who are confined to their homes.

1716. Faith In Action, Monticello, Ill., a multidenominational church program that helps elderly people shop for groceries, prepare meals, and mow their lawns; during holidays, volunteers also decorate participants´ homes and sing carols for them.

1717. Merlin Atkins, Maryville, Mo., who led the reconstruction of a community building for local youth programs and who established a center that collects clothing and food for needy families.

1718. College Partnership for Kids Tutoring Program, Williamsburg, Va., a program at the College of William and Mary in which students tutor children at local elementary schools.

1719. Lois Park, Grenada, Miss., an 83-year-old volunteer who began teaching adults how to read in 1984 through the Grenada League for Adult Development.

1720. Neptune Middle School, Kissimmee, Fla., which encourages students to serve the community through various local programs, including gardening projects, recycling efforts, and field research on wading birds.

1721. Laborers´ Local No. 1407, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., which provides displaced union workers with holiday gifts, packaged food, and technical training, and also provides assistance in remodeling Laborers´ Hall, where local youth and union meetings are held.

1722. Benedictine U., Lisle, Ill., whose students and faculty serve as tutors and mentors, and assist with curriculum development and renovations, at Marksville Catholic School, in La.; the project is part of Connect America, a national grassroots organization that brings volunteers together to address social and civic problems.