Richardson Real Heroes honors volunteers doing great work on behalf of Richardson, Richardson residents or the Richardson Independent School District. Nominations for the 2018 Real Heroes awards are open and can be submitted online through the group’s website.

The basic criteria:

• The service must benefit Richardson, it’s residents or schools.
• The individual receives no monetary compensation for the service.
• The individual has not received significant public recognition for the service.
• Elected officials are not eligible. 

Real Heroes can be nominated in two classifications: Adult (post high school) and Youth (high school age).

More detailed criteria and the nomination form are on the Richardson Real Heroes website at:  www.richardsonrealheroes.com.

“The volunteers nominated are already heroes,” said Barbara Berthold, Real Heroes committee chair. “We want to publicly honor them, their efforts and the organizations they serve. Richardson Real Heroes gives public recognition to people whose dedication might otherwise go unnoticed. We celebrate the power of volunteers whose work contributes so much value to our community.”

Nominations will close at midnight Dec. 23, 2017.

Richardson Real Heroes is in its ninth year of operation and was founded and funded by The Richardson Coalition, a political action committee.

For more information, contact Barbara Berthold: richardsonrealhero@gmail.com

Imagine a place where people of all ages and physical abilities can enjoy fun and challenging play activities side-by-side.

That is the goal of the new “inclusive playground” that will be built at Richardson’s Cottonwood Park at the site of an existing, but aging, playground facility. The effort is a collaboration between the City of Richardson and the Richardson East Rotary Club.

The Rotary club and the City have launched a fund-raising drive entitled Make It Happen to bridge the gap between the money the City has for a new playground and the increased cost to make it inclusive. The goal is to provide a play atmosphere that will be a challenge and provide access to children and adults of all physical abilities. Inclusive playground equipment is more expensive than standard playground equipment, as are the “poured-in-place” surfaces that provide the best access for people with physical challenges.

Richardson East Rotary Club (RERC), through its foundation, is collaborating with the City to raised $250,000 to bridge the gap between funds currently available and the total cost of the new facility.

Please go here to donate on Sept. 14. If you are not available that day, you can donate via the same link beginning Sept. 7 through Sept. 14.

 “All of Richardson’s playgrounds meet the minimum standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act for accessibility, but ‘accessible’ is not always equivalent to ‘inclusive,’” said Richardson Director of Parks and Recreation Lori Smeby. “An accessible playground allows individuals with disabilities to use parts of the park, but we are taking it a step further and creating an inclusive playground that will ensure all children, and the adults that may come with them, regardless of ability, can play together.”

The first of its kind in Richardson, this playground will be a free, outdoor, safe, and inclusive play environment. It will encompass sensory-rich structures designed to engage children of all ages and create a unique and meaningful community environment.

Inclusive playgrounds have become a core service provided by many cities. The concept fits a stated goal of Richardson to be an inclusive city.

North Texas Giving Day is the Communities Foundation of Texas' annual 18-hour online giving extravaganza for North Texas nonprofits. It has generated more than $156 million for more than 2,500 local nonprofits. In 2016, $37 million was raised through more than 142,000 gifts benefiting 2,518 nonprofits.

The Richardson Real Heroes organization recently honored seven volunteers, representing five organizations, whose unselfish and unheralded volunteerism contributes to making Richardson a better place to live.

The honorees and the organizations for which they volunteer:

• Christie Abbott & Jerry Moore, CARE Corps at Richardson East Church of Christ
• Ruth Ann Aldridge, NETWORK of Community Ministries
• Beth Chisum, Methodist Richardson Medical Center
• Diane Hodges, Richardson Adult Literacy Center
• Walter & Kay King, Friends of the Richardson Library

The heroes were celebrated April  6 at the eighth annual Richardson Real Heroes awards ceremony at the Richardson Civic Center. Dr. Jeannie Stone, superintendent of the Richardson Independent School District, was keynote speaker. Dr. Stone told the crowd of more than 200 people that volunteerism was a key to a successful school district and a trait that sets Richardson apart as a community.

Richardson Real Heroes was founded by The Richardson Coalition with the motto of “Honoring Silent Generosity.” Nominees are sought from the public and non-profit organizations operating in Richardson. The Real Heroes committee chose the honorees from among that list. Real Heroes operates with the premise that volunteers in leadership positions usually receive public recognition, but those operating in the background are doing tremendous work without accolades.

The 2017 honorees:

Christie Abbott – Christie Abbott performs a key leadership role at the Richardson East Church of Christ in the CARE Corps Helping Agency, a food pantry and coordinator of services for those in need.  Volunteering 12-15 hours a week, she assures the food pantry runs effectively.  She is part of a team that picks up food donations and helps prepare it for distribution. She is the primary contact at the front desk when the pantry is open three days a week. Serving about 1,200 families per year with food, financial assistance, and counseling as required, Christie is one of the main faces of the CARE Corps ministry.  Having had times in her own life when she felt the same needs as those she serves, she is driven to give back.

Jerry Moore – Jerry is a long-time Richardson resident and 20-year member of the Richardson East Church of Christ. After retirement, Jerry joined the CARE Corps Helping Agency by volunteering at least 10 hours per week, coordinating activities and making sure there is plenty of food on the shelves in the pantry. As primary contact with the North Texas Food Bank, Jerry places all food orders and reports back on the food distribution to maintain compliance. He also coordinates with area grocery stores who donate food and supplies. Jerry organizes and schedules eight to 10 pickups from grocery stores each week, often making the pickups himself. He helps lead a team that sorts the food and produce, checking for quality and quantity for distribution. When there is excess, Jerry delivers the perishable goods to other food pantries to avoid waste.

Ruth Ann Aldridge - Ruth Ann Aldridge grew up in a family that encourages and practices the spirit of volunteerism. Besides her varied work at the Network of Community Ministries, she has been a Crime Watch Captain and has served on the Crime Patrol for her neighborhood. In the past five years, Ruth Ann has served Network of Community Ministries as an Emergency Services Coordinator, worked in the food pantry, packed dental kits, answered phones at the receptionist desk, filled food orders and helped with “Toyland Express”.  When Network decided to open the Richardson/North Dallas Clothing Center, Ruth Ann agreed to take charge.  As her nominator said, Ruth Ann is a silent servant who goes above and beyond to make a difference in our community.

Beth Chisum - Beth was raised in Richardson and graduated from Richardson High School. After retirement from Fina Oil as a consultant she sought places to volunteer and found a home at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. In less than two years, she has accumulated 858 hours of volunteer time. Beth is a Day Chair for her morning shift, scheduling her volunteers and keeping up with birthdays, anniversaries, special events and important life moments. Beth is also a “Holiday Elf,” which means she volunteers at the hospital during the holidays when everyone else takes off.

Diane Hodges – Diane is effectively the office manager at the Richardson Adult Literacy Center. In four years, Diane has volunteered over 850 hours. Diane’s efforts range from data entry, to tracking student attendance and progress to tracking finances and working on special projects. Without her, RALC would be forced to hire an office manager, spending funds that are now used to teach students English. She also helps coordinate citizenship classes at RALC. Her nominator says Diane has a friendly, helpful attitude that radiates to all that work with her.

Walter & Kay King - Walter and Kay have chaired the semi-annual Friends of the Library book sale for the past 4 1/2 years, raising over $25,000 per year. Weekly they lead a team of volunteers who categorize and box donations delivered to the library. Walter also transports donations from residents requesting pickups. In the month prior to the sales, Walter and Kay recruit, train and supervise over 50 volunteers who work the 3-day sales. Walter and Kay are active in First United Methodist Church of Richardson, and Walter has served on the Richardson YMCA board for many years.

More facts about the Richardson Real Heroes Program and award recipients can be found at www.richardsonrealheroes.com. For more information on this story, contact Tom Brooks, publicity chair of Richardson Real Heroes, at tom@tommywrites.com.

Richardson Real Heroes has chosen seven volunteers from five organizations to recognize this year for their unselfish and unheralded work to improve the lives of Richardson residents. The volunteers will be recognized at 7 p.m. April 6 with a ceremony and reception at the Richardson Civic Center

The honorees and the organizations for which they volunteer:

• Christie Abbott & Jerry Moore, CARE Corps at Richardson East Church of Christ
• Walter & Kay King, Friends of the Richardson Library
• Beth Chisum, Methodist Richardson Medical Center
• Ruth Ann Aldridge, NETWORK of Community Ministries
• Diane Hodges, Richardson Adult Literacy Center

This group was chosen from nominations made by residents and nonprofit organizations of all types serving the community. There was an increase in the number of nominations this year and all of the nominees were worthy of being recognized. The Real Heroes committee chose this group for their extraordinary and longstanding service, with little public recognition, said Barbara Berthold, chair of the Real Heroes committee.

“We had a difficult time choosing one volunteer over another,” Berthold said. “They all make a significant contribution to the community and I wish we could recognize each and every one.”

Friends and coworkers of the Real Heroes are encouraged to leave personal comments and anecdotes about the Real Heroes here. Selections from the comments will be used for a keepsake memory book compiled for each Real Hero.

The 2017 Richardson Real Heroes

Christie Abbott – Christie Abbott performs a key leadership role at the Richardson East Church of Christ in the CARE Corps Helping Agency, a food pantry and coordinator of services for those in need.  Volunteering 12-15 hours a week, she assures the food pantry runs effectively.  She is part of a team that picks up food donations and helps prepare it for distribution. She is the primary contact at the front desk when the pantry is open three days a week. Serving about 1,200 families per year with food, financial assistance, and counseling as required, Christie is one of the main faces of the CARE Corps ministry.  Having had times in her own life when she felt the same needs as those she serves, she is driven to give back.

Jerry Moore – Jerry is a long-time Richardson resident and 20-year member of the Richardson East Church of Christ. After retirement, Jerry joined the CARE Corps Helping Agency by volunteering at least 10 hours per week, coordinating activities and making sure there is plenty of food on the shelves in the pantry. As primary contact with the North Texas Food Bank, Jerry places all food orders and reports back on the food distribution to maintain compliance. He also coordinates with area grocery stores who donate food and supplies. Jerry coordinates and schedules eight to 10 pickups from grocery stores each week, often making the pickups himself. He helps lead a team that sorts the food and produce, checking for quality and quantity for distribution. When there is excess, Jerry delivers the perishable goods to other food pantries to avoid waste.

Walter & Kay King - Walter and Kay have chaired the semi-annual Friends of the Library book sale for the past 4 1/2 years, raising over $25,000 per year. Weekly they lead a team of volunteers who categorize and box donations delivered to the library. Walter also transports donations from residents requesting pickups. In the month prior to the sales, Walter and Kay recruit, train and supervise over 50 volunteers who work the 3-day sales. Walter and Kay are active in First United Methodist Church of Richardson, and Walter has served on the Richardson YMCA board for many years.

Beth Chisum - Beth was raised in Richardson and graduated from Richardson High School. After retirement from Fina Oil as a consultant she sought places to volunteer and found a home at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. In less than two years, she has accumulated 858 hours of volunteer time. Beth is a Day Chair for her morning shift, scheduling her volunteers and keeping up with birthdays, anniversaries, special events and important life moments. Beth is also a “Holiday Elf,” which means she volunteers at the hospital during the holidays when everyone else takes off.

Ruth Ann Aldridge - Ruth Ann Aldridge grew up in a family that encourages and practices the spirit of volunteerism. Besides her varied work at the Network of Community Ministries, she has been a Crime Watch Captain and has served on the Crime Patrol for her neighborhood. In the past five years, Ruth Ann has served Network of Community Ministries as an Emergency Services Coordinator, worked in the food pantry, packed dental kits, answered phones at the receptionist desk, filled food orders and helped with “Toyland Express”.  When Network decided to open the Richardson/North Dallas Clothing Center, Ruth Ann agreed to take charge.  As her nominator said, Ruth Ann is a silent servant who goes above and beyond to make a difference in our community.

Diane Hodges – Diane is effectively the office manager at the Richardson Adult Literacy Center. In four years, Diane has volunteered over 850 hours. Diane’s efforts range from data entry, to tracking student attendance and progress to tracking finances and working on special projects. Without her, RALC would be forced to hire an office manager, spending funds that are now used to teach students English. She also helps coordinate citizenship classes at RALC. Her nominator says Diane has a friendly, helpful attitude that radiates to all that work with her.

The April 6 event honoring the Real Heroes will have video highlights of each Real Hero and a program honoring volunteerism in the community. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jeannie Stone, superintendent of the Richardson Independent School District.

The event is open to the public and we invite you to join us in honoring the 2017 Richardson Real Heroes. Please RSVP by April 4 at richardsonrealhero@gmail.com. More information about the Richardson Real Heroes Program can be found at www.richardsonrealheroes.com.

For more information on this story, contact Tom Brooks, publicity chair of Richardson Real Heroes, at tom@tommywrites.com or phone 214-415-2551

Richardson Real Heroes wants to honor volunteers doing great work on behalf of Richardson, Richardson residents or the Richardson Independent School District. Nominations for the 2017 Real Heroes awards are open and can be submitted online through the group’s website.

The basic criteria:

• The service must benefit Richardson, it’s residents or schools
• The individual receives no monetary compensation for the service
• The individual does not receive significant public recognition for the service
• Elected officials are not eligible

More detailed criteria and the nomination form are on the Richardson Real Heroes website at:  www.richardsonrealheroes.com.

“These volunteers are already heroes,” said Barbara Berthold, Real Heroes committee chairman. “We just want to recognize and honor them, their efforts and their organization in a public way. This is a chance to get public recognition for someone whose dedication might otherwise go unnoticed.

“Richardson does a great job of highlighting visible people who have made contributions to our city. We’re picking up the slack with the unsung heroes.”

Nominations will close at midnight Dec, 23, 2016.

Richardson Real Heroes is in its eighth year of operation and was founded and funded by The Richardson Coalition, a political action committee.

For more information, contact Barbara Berthold: richardsonrealhero@gmail.com