Volunteer Spotlight: Stephanie Kinney

Stephanie Kinney is a 22-year-old female from Blackwood, NJ. She is a senior at Rowan University studying Psychology and is graduating in Spring 2012. Even with a busy schedule, Kinney makes sure to find time to give back to her community. She has been a team leader for the American Cancer Society for two years now, and is also involved with Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walks. She recently became the volunteer Girls’ Soccer Coach for Highland High School in Blackwood,NJ in August 2011.

Q: What motivated/inspired you to get involved?

The breast cancer walk I do with my family and friends once a year. 5 years ago I lost my grandmother to breast cancer, so that really motivated me to want to raise money to help find a cure.

I got involved with volunteering with the soccer team because I played soccer at Highland all four years of high school. That team really taught me a lot about myself and I possess qualities today that I learned from the team.

             Q:What is your goal for your cause?

Ultimately, my goal for breast cancer research is that some day there’s a cure and I will continue to raise money until there is a cure.

As for the soccer team, of course I’d like them to win as many games as they can, but I also just want them all to have fun playing. You’re never too old to have fun playing a sport! For me, high school soccer was the most fun I’ve ever had on a team. Not because we won a ton of games, but because we were a family. We experienced a lot as a team and we were there for each other no matter what.

Q: What events are you currently involved in?

The Breast Cancer Walkis right around the corner: Sunday, Oct 23rd at 10 AM at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, NJ.

The soccer team is having their last game of the regular season ,which is also senior night on October 26th, 5 PM at Highland High School. I’d like to see a large cheering section!

Q: How has volunteering affected you?

Volunteering is basically a hobby for me. I’m always happy to do it and I absolutely love it. Volunteering has allowed me to mature. I realized that life is not all about benefiting myself. It has also taught me to be passionate about things that I love and believe in.

Q: What advice would you give to others that want to get involved?

If you have a passion for something, no matter what it is, start emailing some organizations. Most of them are always happy to have volunteers! If you are really motivated, find an organization you love and hold your own event.

Q: What other organizations would you recommend to get involved with?

Any organization that is doing something positive! Some other organizations that I’ve had positive experiences volunteering with: Susan G Komen, To Write Love On Her Arms and Reverb. I’ve also volunteered as a coach for some youth soccer teams in my town. Opportunities are everywhere!

Christine McNutt hosts Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Benefit October 13, 2011

Kayla DeFeo (left) and Christine McNutt (right) posing for a picture at the Man and Woman of the Year 2010 Banquet

Christine McNutt, Rowan University Alumni, will be hosting a fundraiser in memory of Kayla DeFeo on Thursday, October 13th at Phily Sports Bar from 7-10 PM.  All proceeds are being donated in her name to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door and will include a full buffet, beverages, draft beers, wine, and well liquors.

Christine McNutt has been involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for the past three years. She originally became involved with the Team In Training Campaign (TNT) in August 2008 and raised a total of $7800 after completing two events through the organization. In April 2010, she was selected as a candidate for the Man and Woman of The Year Campaign, where she was able to cross paths with Kayla DeFeo. Kayla was a 6-year-old that who was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of two, in honor of her battle she was named Girl of the Year through the organization. Christine had the opportunity of getting to know Kayla and developed a strong bond with her while working along side Kayla’s mother.

“I was devastated to find out that after 5 and a half long years of bravely fighting against ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) Kayla had lost the battle. This little girl made such an impact on those she met, I only knew her for a short amount of time but I will continue to fundraise in memory of her until a cure is found.” Christine proclaimed after learning of Kayla’s passing on September 7th, 2011. Christine works at Phily Sports Bar, and spoke with her manager to organize the event that will be held on October 13th.

Debra Defeo Formica, Kayla’s mother, founded Helpful Gifts in honor of her daughter’s struggle.  She is extremely grateful for all of the support she and her daughter received from Christine and everyone else at LLS as she stated, “God gave us Kayla for a short time but for an important reason- without Kayla there would be no Helpful Gifts from the Heart, in such a short time she touched so many lives. Kayla will forever live on in our hearts here at LLS. Thank you again for all of your support, this is why we continue to do what we do.”

Christine McNutt is grateful for the time she was able to spend with Kayla and is determined to do whatever she can to help people fighting similar battles. She is optimistic for a good turn out on October 13, 2011, and invites everyone in the area to attend. 

The Many Ways to Make a Difference

Every time I turn on the news, I hear about some sort of atrocity in the area.  It portrays the world to be such a horrible place and that there is no hope for change. People are always complaining about this or that, and the problems seem to be getting worse! Here are a list of people in the community who have taken the initiative to help alleviate some of the problems in their area and some ways that you can get involved.

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ABC’s Call For Action are always looking for more volunteers.

Local Universities’ students are taking a stand and getting involved in the community:

Students from Rowan, Temple, and the University of Pennsylvania come together to help out for Habitat for Humanity and are looking for more volunteers!

Drexel University student, Suzanne Krepelka, was named Main Line’s Student of the Week through her involvement with Champions of Caring.

Temple’s School of Medicine recently launched Philadelphia CeaseFire. Marla Davis Bellamy, director of Philadelphia CeaseFire and the Center for Bioethics, Urban Health and Policy stated in the article, “The problem of gun violence in cities across the country, including Philadelphia, has become a public health epidemic. The key to ending such an epidemic is to adopt a public health approach that engages communities and focuses on behavioral change.”

Philadelphia’s professional athletes are also seen fulfilling their role for social responsibility:

Retired Philadelphia Eagle’s player, Vince Papale, joins Philadelphia Soul in their FUN-RAISING initiative “Philly Football Rocks!” The picture of Vince Papale above was taken by Anthony Fabrikant at a Philadelphia Soul press conference.

DeSean Jackson, Eagles’ Wide Receiver, created the DeSean Jackson Against Bullying Foundation with teammates Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson. The Good in Sports is a blog dedicated to identifying all the positive media revolving around sports as opposed to the plethora of resources listing the many scandals involved.

Don’t lose hope! There are people out there that want to make a difference, and would love your help in their efforts.

Hi! My name is Sheel Bhuta. I am a senior at Rowan University studying Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism with a special interest in sports and entertainment. I’ve always found that giving back to the community is fulfilling, eye opening, and a great way to step outside yourself. You’ll be surprised to see that helping other people can actually help heal yourself in the process.

My blog will cover a broad range of volunteerism for young adults in the Philadelphia and South Jersey Area that are looking to give back to their community, tap into the resources available, or maybe even both. The blog will be separated by specific focuses and each blog will cover issues dealing with that particular topic. Some of the focuses will be Self-Help/Motivational, Animal Shelters, Food Drives, Big Brother/Big Sister Programs, and many more. If you have an idea or anything to add to what I’m writing about, please feel free to leave me a comment.

We live in a stress-filled world. It’s nice to have a chance to either help out or be helped! Here’s my chance to help start you off. As stated best by Mahatma Gandhi, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”