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Making a Difference
by Lynn Lamousin
The Piedmont Review, January 2003 - COVER STORY

The New Year brings about introspection—we reminisce on the past 12 months and pledge to make a change in our appearance, habits, or conduct. But, what few of us resolve to do, at any time of year, is to improve the lives of others.

This is what our profiled individuals have committed themselves to doing, and for them it’s not a New Year’s whim, but an ongoing dedication to social service. Whether focusing on environmental issues or working to educate the public on adolescent pregnancy prevention, their common goal of bettering all society by improving the lives of those in need is the same.

In a town where a focus on our own good fortune is usually emphasized more than goodwill to others, it’s nice to imagine we might all start 2003 pledging to make a difference in Atlanta.

Jimmy Carter—Expanding Human Rights

During Jimmy Carter’s term as president of the United States, he became known as a champion of human rights, establishing it as a cornerstone of American foreign policy. Today, he continues his commitment to protecting civil liberties through The Carter Center—a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization founded by Carter and his wife Rosalynn in 1982, and chartered with “waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope.”

Recently honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, in his acceptance statement Carter reflected on his commitment to protecting human rights and his expansion of the term from the protection of political freedoms to the inclusion of basic human needs. Carter explains, “During the past two decades, as Rosalynn and I traveled around the world for the work of our Center, my concept of human rights has grown to include not only the right to live in peace, but also to adequate health care, shelter, food, and to economic opportunity.”

While most of The Carter Center’s projects focus on national and international issues, Carter, a Georgia native, always looks to assist causes in the local community. This commitment to the state was evident in his decision to build the Center in a location that, at the time, others considered inconvenient. Located east of downtown on what was once kudzu-covered land, the Center’s placement has been a boon to the historic, but previously depressed, neighborhoods that border it, and both property values and area pride have steadily increased since the Center’s founding.

Carter’s new definition of human rights and his commitment to charity at home is also demonstrated in his yearly volunteer trip with Habitat for Humanity International. Headquartered in Americus, Georgia, Habitat builds affordable houses through volunteer labor, cash contributions and material donations. The future homeowners assist in the building of their home and then purchase the dwelling through Habitat—who makes no profit on the transaction.

Lending not only his skills as a carpenter, but also his name to the effort, for one week a year he and Rosalynn join other volunteers and the future homeowners to build quality, affordable housing for families in need. His yearly outing with Habitat is called the Jimmy Carter Work Project, and during the June 8 to June 14, 2003 trip there are 77 houses slated for construction in LaGrange and Valdosta, Georgia, and in Anniston, Alabama.

To obtain a volunteer application packet for Habitat’s 2003 Jimmy Carter Work Project, go to http://www.habitat.org/jcwp/2003. For more information on The Carter Center visit them online at http://www.cartercenter.org, or in person at 435 Freedom Parkway.

Pam Smart—One Hand and One Heart at a Time

An incident that most people would have dismissed without another thought sparked the formation of Heart to Heart for Kids. A friend of Pam Smart’s saw several children sitting along the edge of a local YMCA pool, but noticed they weren’t swimming. After making a few inquiries, Smart’s friend learned that the children didn’t own swimsuits and other poolside necessities. When Smart heard this story it gave her the idea and desire to form Heart to Heart for Kids.

Founded in the spring of 2001, the organization seeks to “bring lasting, positive change to the lives of children through meeting their basic needs… One hand and one heart at a time.” As executive director of Heart to Heart for Kids, Smart has worked to continually improve on the foundation’s direction, and the scope of the organization has grown tremendously.

Smart explains, “As a relatively new organization, we are constantly changing and re-evaluating the ways we reach out to children. We strive to do thorough research on where the needs are and we are open and flexible to making the necessary changes at Heart to Heart to meet those needs. We recently expanded our focus from providing the basic necessities of life to children—such as food, shelter, clothing, and quality of life—to focusing on four areas: financial assistance, mentoring, legislation and educational programs.”

Assisted by a small staff that is compensated from Smart’s personal funds, the grassroots group has made large strides in its less than two years of operation. Going from collecting funds to provide one children’s center with backpacks and swimsuits to disbursing tens of thousands of dollars to local charities and deserving organizations. But, one thing that hasn’t changed is the organization’s commitment to properly place donor funds. Smart explains, “One hundred percent of all donations benefit the children directly. No funds that are raised are used for payroll or administrative expenses.”

To raise money for Heart to Heart for Kids, Smart dives right into the fundraising effort, often placing herself, her family and her home into the center of the campaign. For example, in November 2001 she hosted a yard sale at her home with the proceeds benefiting three Atlanta children’s organizations. Rounding up items from friends and volunteers, Smart encouraged helpers to involve their entire family by allowing their children to set-up and decorate refreshment stands. The two-day sale netted $9,000 that was donated to Children First, Genesis Shelter and My House. Another interesting fundraising tactic happened this past summer when the Smart family found themselves with one car too many. They advertised the sports car for sale on the foundation’s Web site and after it was purchased all proceeds were donated to Heart to Heart for Kids.

To contribute to Heart to Heart for Kids, contact their office at 404-949-0904 or visit Heart to Heart for Kids on the Web at http://www.hearttoheartforkids.org.

Laura Turner Seydel—The Power is Yours

Growing up, Laura Turner Seydel was more aware of environmental issues than most children. As daughter of CNN founder and philanthropist Ted Turner, Seydel would watch nature documentaries at home with her father. Seydel explains, “Dad was always involved with the media and interested in the environment. Lots of documentary filmmakers would send him tapes for review and we’d watch them at home.”

By viewing these films, Seydel soon realized how ecologically desperate some areas of the world were and she became interested in working to improve the environment. Her first step toward this goal was to volunteer overseas with Greenpeace when she graduated from college.

As an adult, Seydel continues to be committed to environmental causes and has established herself as a local ecological activist. In 1993 she co-founded the Upper Chattachoochee Riverkeper Fund to protect the Chattahoochee River and the greenspace surrounding it, and she sits on the board of several conservation organizations including Earth Share Georgia, The Nature Conservancy of Georgia, and the North Georgia Water Planning District Board. Last year, Seydel also took on the responsibility of serving as chairman of the Captain Planet Foundation.

In conjunction with the “environmentally charged” cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, the Captain Planet Foundation acts as a conduit to place funds in the hands of groups conducting environmental projects with elementary and high school students. Beyond the educational value of the experiments, the Foundation hopes to encourage young people to become environmental stewards.

Funded by royalties from the series and merchandise sales, the Foundation awards grants ranging from $250 to $2,500. The funds have assisted students in creating everything from a bird habitat in Illinois, to conducting water quality tests in Colorado.

Seydel says the Captain Planet cartoon, which stars a sky-blue skinned superhero whose motto is “the power is yours,” reminds her of her family. She laughingly says, “Dad created Captain Planet… there are five children in the cartoon, and he has five children. I always think the kids are us and he’s the blue guy trying to educate and make a better world.”

For her next project, Seydel plans on targeting Atlanta’s air quality—our city has one of the worst ratings in the nation. As a mother of three, Seydel is particularly concerned with the fact that poor air quality is directly related to children’s asthma. This project is still in the planning stages, but with Seydel’s history of making things happen in Atlanta, it shouldn’t be long before her name appears on another board of directors list.

To learn more about the Captain Planet Foundation or to apply for a grant, visit the Foundation’s Web site at http://www.captainplanetfdn.org.

Ray Humphrey—Bringing HOPE to Atlanta’s Children

With a law degree from Georgetown University and a sports background that includes being a three-time member of the U.S. National Track and Field Team, Ray Humphrey seems like a man destined for the spotlight. But, instead of using those credentials to bring attention to himself, he has used them as a basis for focusing on others.

As a college student Humphrey was interested in community service and volunteered his time to the Boys and Girls Club, and when he moved to Atlanta in 1996 he served as community liaison for the Make A Wish Foundation. He also became involved in HOPE worldwide-Georgia’s fledgling Child Development Program—donating his Saturdays to coordinating supervised basketball games for kids living in housing projects. In 1999 his volunteer dedication gained him the position of executive director of HOPE worldwide-Georgia.

Since accepting the post, he has focused his efforts on connecting inner-city youth with tutors and mentors. Leading a team of 260 volunteers at six program sites, Humphrey seeks to not only build academic skills, but to also build character.

Many of the volunteers are local college students, but anyone who has what Humphrey describes as “heart and commitment” can participate. For volunteers, HOPE conducts training on how the adults should interact with the children. Humphrey explains, “It’s important to know how to encourage kids and demonstrate respect to them. Never underestimate your personal influence… the way you walk, talk, look at them, it all makes a difference.”

In addition to quizzing students on multiplication tables and other standard teaching techniques, a letter-writing program was established between tutors and kids. In addition to building self-expression, for these children just receiving a letter is a special event. Says Humphrey, “Many of these kids lead transient lives and they don’t ever see the mailman, so for them to get a letter from someone who they look up to is amazing.”

To become a tutor and mentor, contact HOPE worldwide-Georgia at 678-320-9494.

Jane Fonda—Campaigning for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention

Whether she’s portraying a galaxy trotting pop culture heroine or championing a revolution in the fitness industry, it’s unlikely that you’ll find Jane Fonda following a path that’s already been traveled.

Since relocating to Atlanta a decade ago, the retired actress has become a fixture at local fundraisers and community service organizations. Most notable is the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP), an organization Fonda founded and chairs.

Established by Fonda in 1995 after an eye-opening trip to the United Nations Conference on Population and Development, the campaign combats teenage pregnancy from a new angle. While still promoting standard practices such as family planning and education, for Fonda, to truly address the issues of adolescent childbearing, a focus on social, economic and gender dynamics is necessary.

Fonda explains, "I created G-CAPP to broaden the traditional adolescent pregnancy prevention agenda and to address the social antecedents that lie beneath the problem behavior. These include poverty, unemployment, violence, drugs, lack of good parenting, school failure, and dropout, child abuse, alienation from mainstream society, racism and gender bias. This approach necessitates working not only with girls but also with boys, not only with their mothers but also with their fathers, with their communities and with society at large.”

G-CAPP currently works with three campaign communities, in Atlanta, Savannah, and Gainesville, to address the areas of reproductive health, youth development, effective parenting and economic development. Each program is specially developed with input from community residents so that the area’s particular needs are addressed. Programs initiated in campaign communities include sexuality education, abstinence workshops, HIV/AIDS education, parenting classes for young mothers and fathers, and job counseling and training. A large part of G-CAPP’s success is then measured in their ability to eventually leave the community strong and self-sustainable in adolescent pregnancy prevention.

To raise funds for G-CAPP, Fonda has done everything from auctioning herself off for a pajama party to throwing a premiere gala for the film "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." In 2003, the two-time Academy Award winner plans on hosting an Oscar ceremony celebration on March 23 to kickoff the 8th G-CAPP Annual Conference. The yearly conference features industry recognized professionals offering new information on adolescent health and pregnancy prevention.

To register for the 2003 G-CAPP Annual Conference, or to volunteer your services to the campaign, call the G-CAPP office at 404-524-2277. More information about the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention can also be obtained online at http://www.gcapp.org.

More Ways for You to Make a Difference in Atlanta

Volunteers and funds are needed for a broad range of charitable causes in the Atlanta area. How will you make a difference?

AID Atlanta
Educates the public on HIV/AIDS prevention and provides services for individuals afflicted by the epidemic.
404-870-7700
http://www.aidatlanta.org

Atlanta Humane Society
Founded in 1873, the Atlanta Humane Society seeks to protect animals from cruelty and to educate the public on responsible pet ownership.
404-875-2600, extension 227
http://www.atlantahumane.org

Atlanta Union Mission
Operates six centers in Atlanta to provide food, shelter, and career planning services to homeless men, women and children.
404-588-4000
http://www.aumcares.org

Compassion in Action
Brings care and compassion to elderly and terminally ill individuals who find themselves alone and facing death. Volunteers are taught to provide strength and bring respect to the dying process.
770-277-0587

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation
Educates the public on burn prevention practices, supports burn care facilities in the state of Georgia, and assists burn victims in their recovery. Conducts a camp program for burn-injured children.
404-320-6223
http://www.gfbf.org

Literacy Action, Inc.
Adult literacy program focused on reading, writing, speaking and study skills. The materials used to teach these skills evolve from student experiences and needs. Also teaches GED prep courses and administers testing.
404-818-7323

Mary Hall Freedom House
A women’s program dedicated to treating substance abuse and to preparing residents to be productive participants of society. Children are allowed to live with their mother’s during treatment.
404-843-3800

Moving in the Spirit
Develops creativity, discipline and self-expression in at-risk children through the art of dance.
404-624-5295
http://www.mitsdance.org

Pets are Loving Support (P.A.L.S.)
Provides pet care for seriously ill or disabled persons so that pets and owners can remain together.
404-876-7257
http://www.palsatlanta.org

Trees Atlanta
Protects and beautifies Atlanta's urban environment by conserving and planting trees.
404-522-4097
http://www.treesatlanta.org

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