Margarita Cortez and Lupe Martinez, volunteers with our Foster Grandparent Program, have boldly embraced spearheading the pilot Towne & Country (T&C) Classroom Garden Project.

The Towne & Country (T&C) Classroom Garden Project is designed to provide at-risk children with "seeds of connection" to planet Earth along with facilitating the ways and means to lead healthy lifestyles. In the microcosm of a classroom setting, children learn essential aspects of designing and growing a garden with observation of nature serving as the master model. Grandma Lupe facilitates the Towne component of the project which is hosted by Jefferson Elementary School while Grandma Margarita leads the Country component at our Orange Cove School Age Child Care Center.

In addition to piloting the Towne & Country Garden Project, Grandma Lupe also contributed 1,600 volunteer hours last year mentoring over 100 kindergarten children with special needs at Burroughs Elementary School.

Together with her role as facilitator of the Towne & Country Garden Project, Grandma Margarita contributed 1,500 volunteer hours mentoring 75 at-risk children at our Reedley Head Start center and over 50 K-6 children at our Orange Cove School Age Child Care Center.

Between his duties as a proud father of six teenagers, a loving husband, and a successful business owner, Scott Bennet can find thousands of reason why he may not have time to volunteer.

But he doesn't. Two nights a week, Bennet finds himself walking the streets of Fresno looking for runaway, homeless, and street youth; alongside our Sanctuary and Youth Services' Sanctuary Outreach to the Streets (SOS) team, he offers these youngsters a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, emergency food, clothing, and hygiene supplies.

"Scott is a humble man," says Michelle L. Tutunian, Sanctuary and Youth Services Director. "He doesn't seek public recognition for his acts of humanity or financial contributions ... he simply feels fulfilled with the simple fact that he touched someone's life and made a difference in it.

Scott asked for the toughest assignment on his first day with the SOS team; he got what he asked for! He learned firsthand the harsh realities of street life and how it can rob a young person of their dignity and self-respect, and came face-to-face with hundreds of homeless and street youth weekly; each was treated with compassion and respect.

Last year, Scott volunteered 500 hours with the Street Outreach team and reached approximately 4,000 homeless youth. He also volunteered his time with other Sanctuary and Youth Services programs by distributing jeans during the annual Jeans for Teens campaign; painting and revamping the Sanctuary Outreach to the Streets office; and participating in statewide trainings sponsored by Sanctuary and Youth Services, to name a few.

In addition to his time, Scott has made endless financial contributions to Sanctuary and Youth Services. He has purchased jeans for homeless teens after discovering that supplies for the Jeans for Teens campaign was running low; adopted a room at Sanctuary Youth Shelter which allowed staff to decorate and paint the room with an ocean theme; provided new bikes for program participants; and donated furniture to young adults residing in our Transitional Living Centers - a transitional living program for homeless young adults.

Scott was recently awarded the Humanitarian Award by HandsOn Central California for his commitment to homeless youth and young adults. He truly symbolizes the spirit of an extraordinary volunteer doing an ordinary task and has made this experience an integral part of his life.

As if life as a full-time college student weren't busy enough, Daniella Valencia, 19, has managed to not only successfully stick to her studies at California State University, Fresno, but has found the time to make a difference in her community by volunteering.

Despite the many trials and tribulations she faced as a teenager, this enthusiastic and cheerful young woman is not letting her past define her but instead uses it as a launching board to help others in need.

"Daniella grew up in a very unstable home," says Andrea Sharpe, Daniella's case manager at our Transitional Living Center. "She became homeless when she was 16 and has basically taken care of herself since then." Sharpe adds, "Daniella doesn't dwell on the hand she was dealt but uses her story to empower others in her shoes."

Daniella has volunteered endless hours to the programs that help and encourage others. She has donated her time to various events and organizations including our Sanctuary Youth Shelter's Art Hop fundraiser; Chicano Youth Conference at CSU, Fresno; Tamejavi Multi-Cultural Awareness Festival; Tobacco Awareness Community Clean Up; and Project ASAP, a program dedicated to leadership development through the coordination of educational and awareness projects. She also serves as a mentor, guiding high school students as they explore higher education options, and tutor at Hamilton Elementary School.

Known as a "ray of sunshine" to everyone she meets, Daniella is passionate about everything she is involved with and is eager to make a difference by either volunteering or educating the public on local issues. It is that same passion and dedication that earned Daniella HandsOn Central California's Outstanding College Volunteer of the Year Award.