New York Resident Honored With the Daily Point of Light Award at National Conference of Volunteering and Service
ATLANTA, June 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Delores Powell of Buffalo, NY was one of four honorees recognized with the Daily Point of Light Award from Points of Light Institute. Powell was honored June 28 at a gala event in New York City at the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, co-convened by Points of Light Institute and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Twenty three years ago, Delores Powell moved to the United States from Jamaica with dreams of a better life. Despite working hard as a home health aide, she struggled financially. After moving to Buffalo in 2004, Powell set out to buy a home for her and her four children.
Unable to afford a realtor or lawyer, Powell negotiated her house purchase without aid, only to discover her new home was on the city's demolition list. Though she convinced city officials to give her time, after five and a half years, the family's home was still not livable.
During this period Powell was not only dealing with her own struggles, but also began to take the whole neighborhood under her wing. Powell partnered with "PUSH Buffalo," an organization that works to rebuild struggling neighborhoods.
Staff at PUSH helped Powell film a submission video for the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and due to its tremendous need, Powell's family was chosen. Inspired by her dedication to helping others, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team, along with volunteers, not only built a new home for the Powells, but also built 119 homes in her community!
The Daily Point of Light Award honors individuals and groups creating meaningful change in communities across America. The award, established by former President George H. W. Bush, recognizes volunteer efforts in the following service areas: environmental stewardship, education, empowering youth to serve, building healthy communities and improving economic viability of local communities.
Three other Daily Point of Light award-winners were recognized for creating meaningful changes in their communities across America. Katy Keck of New York, NY has raised more than $200,000 in donations for Infinite Family, an online mentoring organization for orphaned children in Africa. Shannon Lambert of Minneapolis, MN received the award for creating Pandora's Project, an online resource that supports 20,000 sexual abuse survivors worldwide. New York State's First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson received the award for her three years of volunteering at hospital emergency rooms counseling injured domestic violence victims. She's also created a state-wide initiative that challenges middle-school students to exercise more and eat healthy foods.
For more information on the Daily Point of Light Awards, contact Saxon Seay at [email protected]. For more information on the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, visit http://www.volunteeringandservice.org.
About Points of Light Institute
Points of Light Institute inspires, equips and mobilizes people to take action that changes the world. The Institute has a global focus to redefine volunteerism and civic engagement for the 21st century, putting people at the center of community problem solving. We are organized to innovate, incubate and activate new ideas that help people act upon their power to make a difference. Points of Light Institute operates three dynamic business units that share our mission: HandsOn Network, MissionFish and the Civic Incubator. For more information please visit www.pointsoflight.org.
Contact: Jennifer Geckler, +1-404-979-2941, [email protected]
SOURCE Points of Light Institute
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