Jefferson 'Excellence in Service' Award recipients
Our team is nominating George Waddell for a Jefferson ‘Excellence in Service’ award because he has introduced our team to the Sepulveda Basin, as well as given us a tour of the Basin. He is constantly in touch with us and helps us with each of our projects. When we first contacted the Sepulveda Basin he began emailing us on how we could help and the days that he could meet with us. He gave us a tour of the Sepulveda Basin and designated an area for us to adopt. He has educated us on the plants in the region, how to weed out invasive species, and how to take care of an area so that it’s plants grow the best they possibly can. He has given us access to our main project that has opened up so many volunteer opportunities to us that help further our goal. George recently planned and executed non-native species removal Saturdays at the Basin. Through his efforts he introduced more community members to the Basin. George’s dedication to our group is greatly appreciated and his devotion towards the environment is truly inspiring.
Our Students in Action team is nominating Ms. Kotin for an 'Excellence in Service' Award as she has assisted us with our service project. Ms. Kotin is a program director at the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society and has helped by introducing us to the Sepulveda Basin, offering suggestions for our brochures, and our book. We witnessed the damage the fires had done to the Basin and helped in planting a few seeds. We also learned how to remove invasive weeds. Ms. Kotin has worked actively in the SFVAS and impacted that community positively through her Sepulveda Basin Environmental Education Program where she provides teacher training and field trips to the Wildlife Area for sixty classes from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades yearly. Thank you, Muriel, for your dedication to the Sepulveda Basin and helping children of all ages become more knowledgeable about nature and the Basin.
Our Students in Action team is nominating Jason Urroz for a Jefferson 'Excellence in Service' Award because he has assisted Valley Changemakers Students in Action team on one of our service projects and supported our cause. Jason Urroz has assisted us in a service project where we created brochures to provide more information on the Sepulveda Basin. Jason Urroz is currently a director for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program, which is a self-guided, brochure program for kids to be more active outdoors. This person has impacted our community by providing children with more opportunities to interact with nature. They are partners with over 200 trails and can be found in 12 states and Washington D.C. Thank you Jason Urroz for your work with the community.
Our team is nominating the SOCES NHS club for a Jefferson Excellence in service award because they have demonstrated leadership and kindness to all at their school for creating a program that trains tutors, and holds tutoring sessions that are free and open to all every Sunday for most subjects. The program was named the AID program because they aid students who are in need of support and it also stands for Assistance In Distance. The NHS club has been active with their members online despite the pandemic and its many tribulations, they have taken the time to realize that students aren't getting all the support that they need in classes so they made a program that will help bridge the gaps. NHS has impacted my school greatly because as one of the tutors I know first hand the amount of time and effort it takes to coordinate this program outside of school hours. During my time as a tutor I have seen students from all grades (4th-12th), and all subject areas.They have shown great courage and taken great responsibility with the creation of this program and it has, and will continue to affect the lives of SOCES students in a positive and meaningful manner.
We are nominating Henry Herrera for a Jefferson Award because of his commitment and service towards wildlife and the betterment of the environment. Since May of 2019, Henry has worked as the CAL FIRE Regional Urban Forester for Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Henry’s main experience has been with fuels/vegetation management, prescribed fire, reforestation, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Policy Act (CEQA), public information and working with undeserved youth. CAL Fire oversees forest practice regulations, protects wildlife and watershed, and encourages and integrates fuel management projects to reduce the likelihood of wildfires. CAL Fire also promotes the conservation of California's trees and forests. Henry is an inspiring individual who has demonstrated true devotion towards benefiting the environment of California. Henry Herrera has emailed and met with our group over zoom to further educate us on the environment and wildfires, all while providing aid towards our projects. He has supplied us with great knowledge that we have implemented into our projects, improving them greatly. The time he dedicated towards helping us has played a role in furthering our team's success and impacting our community.
Our team would like to nominate Northridge Academy High School (NAHS) Earth Club for a Jefferson 'Excellence in Service' Award because of their efforts to continue club activities during online school because of COVID-19. NAHS Earth Club has made their efforts of sustainability during online school by making this year about education. At the moment, each of the six Earth Club members and advisors is making educational videos about sustainability for Earth day projects. Each video will either be a lesson or a hands-on activity where you can recycle materials from home. The actions of the NAHS Earth Club have impacted Northridge Academy by educating other peers on sustainability and recycling. Making educational Earth Day projects helps others reuse materials at home, as well as using their creativity to help the Earth. By spreading ways others can help the Earth through projects, Earth Club is encouraging their peers to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Earth Club will be posting their videos online so not only Northridge Academy will be viewing these videos. Anyone who will come across these videos will have been educated, as well as have an opportunity to do these projects.
Our team is recognizing Valley Food Bank with an Excellence in Service Award for contributing greatly to not only their community but anyone in need. This group has distributed over 2.1 million canned and dry goods as well as 2.5 million pounds of fresh food per year to more than 180,000 people in need. The Valley Food Bank was established in 2001 as an outreach of the Rescue Mission Alliance to serve the food insecure in the San Fernando Valley. Their warehouse facility in Pacoima is a central hub that collects, processes, and distributes surplus food at no charge to a network of food pantries, rescue missions, and other non-profit organizations to provide hot nutritious meals and food baskets to the hungry and homeless in Southern California. Thank you Valley Food Bank for working to care for families in need.
I am nominating Alyssa Fernandez for a Jefferson Excellence Service Award due to her admirable devotion towards the team. Alyssa has been an important member of the team through her constant input towards meetings, plannings, and projects. She is always organized and on top of her tasks and has aided the team with every project. Alyssa does countless tasks that greatly benefit the Valley Changemakers group. For one, she is our social media manager, meaning she controls our Instagram. She is responsible for all the posts and stories that can be seen on our Instagram page. In addition, she is an active member within our group, always participating and engaging in communication and working on what needs to be done. She always goes above and beyond on her duties and looks for ways our team can be better, through getting in contact with more people, creating organized schedules, and sending out reminder texts. Alyssa has shown true dedication to a team and has represented what an organized, ambitious, and hard-working member looks like. Thank you, Alyssa.
We are nominating Mrs. Albaeck for a Jefferson 'Excellence in Service' Award because she has dedicated many hours of her time to service as well as her current and previous Students In Action teams. Last year, Mrs. Albaeck helped her Holmes Students In Action team to hold a Walk-a-thon to raise awareness for the homeless. She has also helped her past SIA teams to execute drives to donate to LAUSD Homeless Education Branch. She's also been to Valley Food Bank to help sort canned goods. Another thing Mrs. Albaeck does is pick up trash when she is out on walks. She dedicates her free time to help her past and present students, as well as time for service. Currently, Mrs. Albaeck has visited the Sepulveda Basin to pick up trash and plant native plants. Mrs. Albaeck used to teach at Holmes Middle School in Northridge. There she was the advisor of the Holmes Students In Action team. She spends her time helping organize and looking for new opportunities to help out the community. She was the glue of the Holmes Students In Action teams. Without her guidance, some events wouldn't have happened. The way she supported the Holmes Students In Action team made us want to continue doing service. When Mrs. Albaeck retired from teaching at Holmes Middle School, we formed a team of former Holmes SIA members. Most of us would have stopped doing Students In Action if our high schools didn't have a team, but Mrs. Albaeck helped us continue. By helping us stay involved in service, she is expanding our knowledge of the world to make a difference.
LA Nature for All has been working to protect the public lands and green, open spaces around Los Angeles and connect Angelenos to nature since 2008, when they formed as the San Gabriel Mountains Forever coalition. They've also created leadership academies as well as advocate and educate people about nature. LA Nature for All advocates for policies, projects, and programs that connect people to public lands through transit access programs and improved recreation facilities, to improve public health.
Richard Rachman has shared his observations of post-fire vegetation in the Santa Monica Mountains and discussed his research into the effects of wildfire on local oak tree populations. Richard has helped us with our mission on spreading information about the impact of wildfires to the community. He has joined one of our meetings and provided us with information and some resources to aid us in our work. He educated us on invasive plants as well as showed us how to use a resource iNaturalist to help identify and map plants we come across.