Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence
Sanjeev Narang, 2009
Page Ahead was pleased to present the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence to Sanjeev Narang at the 2009 Volunteer Appreciation party. Sanjeev’s service to Page Ahead to 1997, when no other volunteer was willing to work with the difficult Lotus program our office was using at that time. He spent his Saturdays learning the program and building us a database, and then helped us convert to a better system.
In 2002 Sanjeev became a Page Ahead board member, serving in that capacity for six years. While on the board of directors, Sanjeev headed both the technology committee and the board development committee.
In addition to his work on the board, Sanjeev has singlehandedly maintained Page Ahead’s computer network, responding to computer error—as well as user error!—at all hours. Sanjeev’s humor, friendliness, and dedication make him beloved by everyone at Page Ahead. (And it doesn’t hurt that he brings treats wherever he goes!) Sanjeev is pictured here at the Volunteer Appreciation Party with former volunteers of the year recipients Diane Koontz and JoAnn Bader.
At the party, Sanjeev told a story about how books have impacted his life. Studying engineering in his native India, he needed an important book but it was extremely expensive. Even though it would strain the family budget, his father bought it for him, helping him get into a top school. As Sanjeev says, “Books are important. Words are important. Kids should have books—I'm just here spreading the word.”
Brooke Graham Doyle, 2008
It was with great pleasure that Page Ahead presented Brooke Graham Doyle with the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence at a Volunteer Appreciation party held at the Burke Museum in November 2008. Brooke (second from right, pictured here with Board President Sarah Jane Gunter, Executive Director Susan Dibble, and Board Vice-President David Hensel) was a member of Page Ahead’s board of directors from 2002 through 2006. During that time, Brooke served as secretary and chair of the Program committee. Since leaving the board, she has (thankfully) continued as Program chair. Brooke’s expertise in program evaluation and children’s literacy are invaluable to the organization. With her unflappable nature and terrific sense of humor, Brooke is an extremely well-respected and well-liked member of Page Ahead’s volunteer community. Thank you, Brooke, for all you do in helping Page Ahead create a love of reading among the children of Washington State.
Eileen Denslow, 2007
Some people find ways to go above and beyond what is expected of them. Elaine Denslow is one of those people. Elaine (left, pictured here with Executive Director Susan Dibble and Board President Gene Leonardson) began volunteering with Page Ahead in 2005, bringing her two boys along as she helped us prepare for our community fundraiser, Dish Up Literacy. She was also one of the first Story Time volunteers to be trained to present books, songs, and crafts to classrooms on a regular basis. For three years, Elaine visited Cascade Elementary in Renton every month. But while most volunteers visit one or two classes, Elaine took on four or five at a time! During her years as a Story Time volunteer, Elaine provided fun, consistent, and positive reading experiences for more than 260 kindergarteners. In addition to this work, Elaine also hosted a table at Page Ahead’s annual A Taste for Reading benefit luncheon. Thank you, Elaine, for giving so generously to children in need!
Jessica Young, 2006
Page Ahead was pleased to present Jessica Young with the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence at the August meeting of the board of directors. Jessica began her service to Page Ahead in 2003 as an AmeriCorps member. After her AmeriCorps term ended, she continued to volunteer her time at Page Ahead.
While her generosity and talents are endless, the staff at Page Ahead is particularly thankful that Jessica shared her technological skills, positive attitude, and infectious laugh with us. Thank you, Jessica!
Mary Jo Bruckner, 2005
Mary
Jo Bruckner received the annual Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence
at the January meeting of the board of directors. Mary Jo (pictured here with
Executive Director Sam Whiting) served on Page Ahead's board until 2005 and
is still active as a volunteer. Mary Jo is also quite involved in her community
on Mercer Island as a parent, speech pathologist, and volunteer. Her ability
to work hard, commitment to living a balanced life, and dedication to improving
the lives of others is inspiring. During her board tenure Mary Jo spearheaded
the effort to create our signature fundraising event, A Taste for Reading. The
fundraising goals have been surpassed by at least 10% each year it has been
held. The 2006 event was held at the
Triple Door in downtown Seattle.
Elizabeth Ruskauff, 2004
Elizabeth Ruskauff describes how a love of books and reading influenced her life:
"I had my first experience with books written specifically for young people at the age of 14. I was babysitting and stumbled upon the "Cherry Ames" series in which the heroic nurse saves the day. Inevitably I was led to the Nancy Drew mysteries. These were easy reads, and I was done in a flash. Of course, I wanted more. More wasn't easy to come by in the small town in Wisconsin where I grew up. There was no bookstore. My school had no library. My education was 'no frills' and I found textbooks dull.
That scarcity may account for my love of language, especially as used by Shakespeare. I was captivated by the language of his plays. Rich, layered, full of nuance and humor. I also love Jane Austen; the way she uses language to paint pictures and define characters. You practically feel their presence.
I received my primary school education in a world very different than the one we live in now. In the late 1930s children received little personal attention from a teacher. Kids who could not read well were considered slow. Hinderances—poor vision, dyslexia—weren't commonly considered. There wasn't much effor to discern the special, unique interest and talents of children and to appeal to those interests through literature. I like Page Ahead's approach: supplying kids with new books and with the opportunity to choose those books.
As a young adult, I began to see touring productions of musicals. I found I had no trouble suspending disbelief. Literature and theatre are somewhat similar: in books, you see the action in your head; in theatre, you see it on stage. My life has given me lots of practice in living in my mind, which gives me an easy ability to enter the world of fiction. I have placed myself smack dab in the center of Seattle, because of access to the cultural opportunities that feed my soul. Shakespeare performed on a bare stage—what could be better? Well, perhaps cheesecake at intermission."
Calvin Haavig, 2003
Fairy
tales aren't the only place you're likely to find a wizard. Page Ahead has its
own "techno-wizard." In December, Page Ahead named Calvin Haavig its Volunteer
of the Year in recognition of the time and talent he contributed to managing
and upgrading our computer systems. While Calvin has performed these services
for several years, he was especially critical to the success of Page Ahead's
office relocation. Calvin is a long-standing member of Page Ahead's technology
committee, a group of volunteers who are committed to combining technological
literacy with children's literacy.
"At a time when resources for non-profit social service organizations are short, operating as efficiently as possible is essential," said Volunteer Coordinator Jacki Crowther. "Calvin has worked long and hard to make sure Page Ahead is equipped to do just that."
Meena Cheng, 2002
Meena Cheng was honored for her innovative fundraising efforts on behalf of Page Ahead. For the past five years, Cheng and her committee of dedicated volunteers have hosted "Cooks for Books," a dinner, cooking demonstration, and auction that features prominent local chefs preparing their specialties using local ingredients.
Meena is a Certified Financial Planner with more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry. She has practiced public and private accounting as a CPA and is currently an Assistant Vice President of Investments for U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. An experienced public speaker, Meena has spoken to companies, universities, and conferences. Meena is also a culinary aficionado who has owned two restaurants and has written the popular book, "Fortune in Your Cookies," a humorous analogy between cooking and investment strategies.
Richard Wright, 2001
Richard (right)
began voluteering for Page Ahead in 1991, shortly after his wife, founding director
Keltie Wright, assumed leadership of the organization. A computer systems analyst
by trade, Richard put his considerable skills to work as a volunteer. With equal
amounts ingenuity and determination, he single-handedly built a technology infrastructure
for Page Ahead—increasing hardware from one computer to eight and introducing
new software. In addition, he trained all staff and provided technical support
from his home in Hawthorne Hills. His calm and level-headed approach to troubleshooting
earned him the affectionate title of "one-man help desk and first-aid station."