The Richardson Real Heroes organization recently honored five residents whose unselfish and unheralded volunteerism contributes to making the city a better place to live.

The honorees and the organizations for which they volunteer:

• Ida Dwight, First United Methodist Church of Richardson
• Jim and Norma Murphy, Methodist Richardson Medical Center
• Jeff Stuart, NETWORK of Community Ministries
• Joseph "Renato" Sperandeo, Richardson Adult Literacy Center

The five were celebrated April 9 at the sixth annual Richardson Real Heroes awards ceremony at the Richardson Civic Center. Former Richardson City Manager Bill Keffler gave a keynote speech to the gathering of nearly 200 people, citing the enormous benefits of volunteerism to the community. Keffler, who now serves as chief operation officer of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas, did research into the service of each of the honorees and told the crowd he was humbled by their service.

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. Then the Real Heroes board of directors chooses the honorees from among that list. Real Heroes is funded by The Richardson Coalition, a political action committee. Real Heroes operates with the premise that volunteers operating in leadership positions usually receive public recognition, but those operating in the background are doing tremendous work without accolades.

The 2015 honorees:

Ida Dwight: Ida founded First Center at First United Methodist Church in Richardson more than 35 years ago. The organization provides fellowship, programming and support for women from throughout the area. She also has served on the board of ARK House, which provides inexpensive housing for people whose loved ones are in a local hospital for extended periods. “Ida does not seek honors for her work,” said Dee Weaver, who nominated Dwight for the honor. “In fact, she considers what she does a responsibility and a privilege. Ida rolls her sleeves up and puts her head down to get things done. Her love for volunteerism and community service is well grounded in her Richardson church community. Her reach, however, is far greater.” She also is known for delicious, home-cooked meals that go to fellow church members, neighbors, and men and women staying at Hillcrest House in Dallas, a facility for people with HIV/AIDS. Through support of the Mission Work Area at the church, funds have been provided for water wells in Haiti, a primary school in South Africa, and a hospital. Local agencies that benefit from this ministry's funding include Habitat for Humanity, Nueva Vida Fellowship, and Wesley Rankin Community Center, according to Weaver.

Jim and Norma Murphy: Jim and Norma Murphy have volunteered for more than 13 years and support multiple departments at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. Jim, a former banker, volunteers for a weekly shift, but also took charge of the hospital's "chart room" program, according to Joni Reed, volunteer coordinator at the hospital. Jim heads a team of three volunteers who assemble the patient charts within the facility. “Jim saw how busy nurses, techs and clinical staff were, so he stepped up and told them that he would take over,” Reed said. “Last year, Jim's team assembled about 2,500 charts that allowed our nurses more time to do what they do best, which is save lives.” Norma, a former nurse, volunteers twice a week and also participates in the prayer shawl ministry, hand-knitting hundreds of shawls for critically ill patients. As Norma knits each shawl, she prays while she works, lifting patients in prayer. In most cases, she has never met the patient. The prayer shawl ministry is one of the hospital’s most popular patient projects, Reed said, and the hospital frequently receives thank you notes from recipients. “Hospitals are not easy places in which to work, volunteer or even to encounter,” said Reed. “Our patients are tired, stressed, scared, sick, and overwhelmed. When someone like Jim or Norma walks into the room, whether it is with a simple hello or a beautiful prayer shawl, they make the worries disappear, even just for a minute. And that is priceless."

Joseph 'Renato' Sperandeo: Renato has devoted more than 1,000 hours at the Richardson Adult Literacy Center (RALC) helping more than 200 adults become comfortable in English.  He also helps RALC improve instruction, mentors new volunteers, assists with student registration and helps with summer conversation classes. In addition to his exemplary volunteer English teaching service, Renato is active with his religious community, Richardson Baha'I, as well as a barbershop chorus that performs in nursing homes 20 times a year. The chorus involves weekly practices, usually after he has taught a two-hour English class through RALC. Renato was born in Italy and came to the United States at age 19, speaking no English. He worked in a kitchen by day and went to high school at night. Renato earned his high school diploma through the GED program and started college. Following an all-too-common theme, he could not continue college because of work and the financial needs of his family. He was drafted into the Army, where he served his new country for two years. In the Army, he improved his English proficiency and gained enough confidence to apply for an entry-level position with Citibank. He worked his way up to Vice President of Operations during his 14 years with the company. Renato and his family moved to Richardson in 1984. He and his brother owned and operated three Italian restaurants and managed shopping centers until he retired in 2011. 

Jeff Stuart: Jeff Stuart started his volunteer “career” at NETWORK of Community Ministries in 2002 in the food pantry. He has made himself an indispensable cog in NETWORK’s finance department. Jeff has utilized his background in systems analysis as a part of the team that receives, records and deposits donations. He also is responsible for managing the donor database, preparing management reports and providing technical support to staff. In 2014, Jeff joined the Technology Requirements Team, a group of staff members/volunteers planning and executing a five-year plan for technology updates. Network can document 432 hours of labor provided by Jeff in 2014. “Without Jeff we could not process donations,” said Elizabeth Scheihing, NETWORK’S volunteer coordinator. “He continually goes above and beyond, supporting NETWORK however he can. While his services are essential to NETWORK, most people do not see his hard work and dedication. In most cases the work he does for NETWORK would only be trusted to a paid staff member. His tireless efforts, dependability and trustworthiness have made him an exception to the rule.” He is married to Anne. They have two children, Michael and Kimberly, each of whom are married with two children and live locally.  He is the Treasurer of the local Knights of Columbus chapter and has served as a marriage mentor with his wife through All Saints Catholic Church.

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 or phone 214-415-2551.

By Tom Brooks

More than 400 patrons packed the ballroom for Richardson East Rotary Club’s 19^th Annual Casino Party, helping the club score a great fund-raising level for college scholarships and the other charities and programs the club supports.

The party-goers gathered at the Richardson Civic Center Jan. 30 and ate tasty barbecue before hitting the charity gaming tables and silent auction.

“It is hard to imagine a fund raising event getting better and better after 19 years, but this one has,” said D Schieferstein, chairman of the 2015 event. “At Denim and Diamonds this year, we added new games, sold more tickets, had the largest number of sponsors and had a great silent auction.  We are able to give back to the community in a significant way. Can it get any better?”

The club’s various charities include college scholarships for Richardson ISD students, the Rotary Dental Clinic, wheelchairs for those who can’t afford them around the world, several local nonprofits and the Rotary International effort to eradicate polio.

Final costs and revenue figures are still being tallied.

“Our event proved to be among the biggest and best in the club’s history,” said Kathy Higgins, club president. “I want to give a special thanks to the Richardson East Rotary members, the leadership of the Casino committee and the entire Richardson Community for making this event a huge success.”

The biggest beneficiaries of the fundraiser are graduating seniors from the Richardson Independent School District, who see the results in the form of college scholarships.  Richardson East Rotary also contributes in other ways to RISD schools, plus donates to the YMCA, The Counseling Place, the Network of Community Ministries, Richardson Adult Literacy Center and other local and international efforts.

Another major beneficiary is the Rotary Dental Clinic, which opened in 2010 as a joint partnership between the Network of Community Ministries and Richardson’s three Rotary clubs. Richardson East Rotary Club has taken special pride in the clinic because the founders are two members of the club, Doug Crosby and Mark Denny. The two dentists grew up in Richardson and graduated from J.J. Pearce High School.

For the price of the ticket, party goers enjoyed dinner, liquid refreshment for the night, snacks and a “gambling” stake for the Casino games.  Local companies underwrite the event with sponsorships. More funds were raised in a silent auction of goods and services donated by members of the community.

In addition to local charities, Richardson East Rotary Club contributes to Rotary International projects. The signature project is PolioPlus, an effort launched in 1985 to rid the world of polio. Since its inception, the crippling disease has been eradicated from all but three countries.  Richardson East Rotary also contributes to international clean water projects and the Wheelchair Foundation.  Using the partnership between Rotary and the Wheelchair Foundation, the club is responsible for placing more than 1,200 new, sturdy wheelchairs with needy users around the world.

-For more information contact Tom Brooks, PR Chairman of the Richardson East Rotary Club. 214-415-2551, or email: tom@tommywrites.com

   The Richardson East Rotary Club recently awarded seven community volunteers with the Paul Harris Award, one of Rotary’s highest honors, for their efforts to improve lives in Richardson.
   The club created its Community Service Awards program this year to recognize members of the community who are not Rotarians, but display the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” Paul Harris was a Chicago attorney best known for founding Rotary in 1905. The service organization launched with Harris and five others, but now has more than 1.2 million members in 34,000 clubs around the world.
   The award represents a $1,000 contribution made on behalf of the individuals to the Rotary Foundation, the organizations charitable arm.
   The seven recipients are Brenda Duckett, Jerry Hailey, Jeff Hubbard, Kaitlyn Mullens, Rachel Savant, and the husband-wife pair of Don and Valerie Tarrant.
   Here are descriptions of the nominees and their volunteer efforts compiled from comments of those who know and work with them.
   Brenda Duckett – Brenda retired from RISD in 2004 after over 36 years in the District and has been busy helping the residents of Richardson ever since. She is very involved with her church, First United Methodist. Over a five-year period, she managed campaigns for church construction and furnishings, raising almost $10 million. She never says “no” to a committee assignment!
   She leads a Cancer Caregiver Support Network for the church, which has helped hundreds of people. She also has been involved with Methodist Richardson Medical Center as a volunteer chaplain, as Foundation Board President, and raising funds for the hospital as Gala Co-Chair (more than once). She has held leadership positions with Altrusa International of Richardson, which supports several local charities. In addition, she served as a member of the Richardson Woman’s Club in various capacities, which impacted Richardson students by providing scholarships. In 2011, Brenda was elected to the Farmersville Ex-Students Hall of Fame for her outstanding career in Education and for the many years that she dedicated to the support of civic and volunteer organizations in Richardson. Her sponsors for this award said, “Brenda is a true example of service before self and an example of someone who lives by and practices the Four-Way Test.”
   Jeremy Hailey & Jeff Hubbard - Jeremy Hailey joined the ministry team at Richardson East Church of Christ as Children’s Minister in August of 2010. He graduated in 2002 from Abilene Christian University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Art (Graphic Design). He received his Master’s in Elementary Education from Texas State University in 2005. Before making the transition to full-time ministry, Jeremy taught in public schools for seven years while also working as a youth minister. He is married to Betsy, a longtime member of the church.
   Jeff Hubbard is the other half of the church’s Youth Ministry Team. Jeff graduated from Harding University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree and recently obtained his Master’s in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University. Jeff works beside his wife, Kera, as they minister to teens together. He enjoys playing and watching all kinds of sports, going to movies, and reading. Despite being outnumbered at home, Jeff is blessed to share a home with his wife and three beautiful daughters, Hannah, Harper, and Henley. They keep him laughing continually and he frequently explains the rules of baseball, which they find boring.
Jeremy & Jeff are being honored for their teamwork as volunteers supporting the staff, students, and community of Forestridge Elementary. Jeremy & Jeff and their team of volunteers have coordinated multiple projects that impacted the school climate, student learning, and staff morale. They repainted the large map of the United States on the school play pad, refinished the furniture in the teachers’ lounge, and cleaned the front landscape and planted seasonal flowers on multiple occasions. They refurbished the kiosk for the school banking program. They also organize and provide lunches for the Forestridge staff twice a year. At Christmas, they provide $5 gift cards to all 70 staff members to either Starbuck’s or Sonic. The team always volunteers at the annual Back to School Picnic, Spring Fling, Buddy Fun Day, Book Fairs, and Science Fair. In addition, each teacher and staff member have been blessed with a prayer partner from the church. Jeremy & Jeff work tirelessly to help people see the good in one another. They exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” in the countless things they do for members of their church, their community, and Forestridge.
   Kaitlyn Mullens – Kaitlyn is a Dallas native who graduated from J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson and completed her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Texas A&M. Kaitlyn taught kindergarten at Forestridge Elementary in the RISD from 2006 -2009. During those years, she had many refugee students in her classes. Recognizing the multitude of needs, she spent time volunteering with the refugee families of these students. In 2009, she decided to begin working with refugees full-time so that she could help educate entire refugee families. Kaitlyn enjoys working alongside her husband, Cameron, and being a mother to Lydia, Matthew, and Vera, all under the age of five. Kaitlyn is the Director of Operations and Founder, as well as teacher for the organization “For the Nations, Refugee Outreach.” Its mission is to provide educational and acculturation services that help meet the practical needs of refugees and to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
   Kaitlyn recognized the needs among her students and their families, and became their advocate. The refugee families adored her. Kaitlyn and her husband rented a home in the Forestridge community so that she could be close to the families and offer her programs in her home. The ministry outgrew her home.
After school and in the summer, she teaches swimming lessons, conducts classes for the refugee students, and takes them on field trips. She and her staff have developed high quality, effective educational programs and have shared the good news of Christ with many DFW refugees. Her vision is to bring their programs to more of the area’s large refugee population. Kaitlyn compares to Paul Harris in so many ways. She saw a need and she acted on it. No job is too small or too large. Like Paul Harris and his ideal of service, Kaitlyn is 100% committed to the refugees she serves. She realizes they don’t have the advantages we have, so she wants to give them whatever they need to succeed. Like Paul Harris, Kaitlyn is making a positive difference in the world!
   Rachel Savant - D Schieferstein, who nominated Rachel for the award, first met Rachel volunteering in Richardson at “Dadfest” about five years ago. “Dadfest” is an annual event sponsored by the Urology Research and Education Foundation. The purpose is to raise awareness about men’s health and to honor dads. While there is no connection or involvement with her own dad, D has seen Rachel volunteering at these events several times. She also volunteers with the many functions of the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital’s Cancer Support Group (of which D is an active participant, so he sees her at many of these events as well) and many Leadership Richardson Alumni events.
   Rachel’s passion is found helping under- privileged children. Rachel was a Board of Directors member of JOVEN in San Antonio. (JOVEN provides outreach services, counseling, and structured activities for high-risk youth and their families of Bexar County). Rachel traveled to Llano Verde, Zacapa, Guatemala and volunteered most of the two and one-half years she lived there. She managed group work projects and created micro businesses for older children. She also assisted in rescues of malnourished children.
   In Oklahoma, she volunteered for Cornerstone Youth Mentoring Program and Cleveland County Juvenile Services, both of Norman, OK. Rachel was the 2003 Volunteer of The Year in Cleveland County, OK. Rachel is a Leadership Richardson Alumnus from Class 29. She is a University of Oklahoma 2005 graduate and was a member of Alpha Chi Omega. She currently lives in Richardson in Heights Park and is employed by Keller Williams.
D cannot say enough about this outstanding young lady except to say she helped to convince her mother, Gwen Savant, to join Richardson East Rotary after visiting us herself. Both of them recently traveled back to Guatemala for more volunteer work. Rachel embodies the Four-Way Test in all that she does. Like Paul Harris, her focus is on local and international service projects. To quote Paul Harris: “But he who has once given himself to dreaming is not easily satisfied.” THAT is Rachel G. Savant.
   Don and Valerie Tarrant – Don and Valerie were employed at RISD - he for 36 years and she for 30 years. Don taught history and geography at West Junior High and finished at Berkner High School. Valerie taught grades 1-6 at Aikin Elementary and worked with special needs students at Greenwood Hills Elementary.
Both retired in 2004. Don and Valerie work as a team of volunteers to help local kids and adults. In Richardson, they work at Network of Community Ministries. Much of their effort is in the Network food pantry, where they distribute food to those in need. They also work with the Santa Program to organize toys, choose toys and distribute them to parents in financial need.
   Outside of Network, they have volunteered with Ark House, serving on the board of directors. They served as Facilities Managers for the 21 apartments owned by Ark House to make sure that they were ready for families coming here for extended medical treatments.
They also are members of the Senior Council Board of Senior Gathering, a program offered by First United Methodist Church. The program provides lunch, education and entertainment for seniors at the church. They find organizations, vendors, a Sunday School Class or a senior living community to sponsor their events
Don and Valerie exemplify Paul Harris in the giving of their time, energy and organizational skills to our community. Paul Harris used those same skills in the founding and expansion of Rotary.

Langford Sneed of the Richardson East Rotary Club was given the Unsung Hero Award at the Richardson EDGE Luncheon recently.

Club President Kathy Higgins told the crowd that Sneed joined Richardson East Rotary in 1989, and he has maintained perfect attendance since that time. He has served in countless officer positions for the club including Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, Community Service Chair, Vocational Service Chair, Program Director and International Service on two separate occasions.

"Over the years, he has owned a Hunter Fan Store, a garage door company, and a gift shop, all while continuing his chosen career as a pharmacist," Higgins said. "He takes care of our club members’ medical ailments with his back home remedies and can fix a garage door almost immediately." To quote another Rotarian, Wendall Ritz, “Langford is Superman and the Flash all in one - a Marvel Character.”

Sneed has owned pharmacies in Richardson, worked at several more and continues working as a pharmacist today.

EDGE is the Economic Development, Growth & Expansion initiative of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon is co-sponsored annually by the Chamber and Richardson's three Rotary clubs.

DALLAS -- Five Star Professional has included 100 percent of Atlas Wealth Advisors’ financial consultants in its 2014 Dallas/Fort Worth area Five Star Wealth Managers class.

Five Star Professional recognizes a select group of Dallas/Fort Worth area wealth managers who provide quality services to their clients.  Five Star Professional will team with Texas Monthly magazine to feature the recipients in a special section of its August edition.

The five Atlas Wealth Advisors chosen are Philip Athey, Scott Hammel, Adam Keller, Jay Marsden and Kyle Walters.

“We couldn’t be more proud to have all of our advisors achieve this recognition,” said Kyle Walters, managing director at AWA. “This validates our emphasis on being customer-focused and valuing continuing education by our advisors.”

The Five Star Wealth Manager award program is the largest and most widely published award program in the financial services industry. The award is based on a rigorous research methodology. It incorporates input from peers and wealth management firm leaders, along with client retention rates, industry experience and a regulatory history review.

The research behind the award is extensive with each wealth manager being thoroughly vetted from numerous angles, a Five Star spokesman said.

Athey and Keller are in the Richardson office of Atlas Wealth Advisors, while the other three work out of company headquarters north of downtown Dallas. AWA is a fee-based wealth management company whose goal is to build a lasting relationship and tailor a financial plan based on the client’s long-term objectives. AWA has partnered with WFG Investments, Inc., as its broker-dealer.

Five Star Professional conducts in-depth, market-specific research in more than 45 markets across the United States and Canada to identify premium service professionals. Wealth manager award candidates are identified through firm nominations, peer nominations and industry qualifications. They are evaluated on 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria, including client retention rates, client assets administered, firm review and a favorable regulatory and complaint history.

Self-nominations are not accepted and wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or awarded. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future investment performance. Detailed information on the Five Star Wealth Manager research methodology can be found at www.fivestarprofessional.com.

More information on Atlas Wealth Advisors can be found at www.atlaswealthadvisors.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR INTERVIEWS:

Atlas Wealth Advisors: Kyle Walters – Phone: 214-276-5619; Email: kwalters@atlaswa.com

Tom Brooks: 214-415-2551; Email: tom@tommywrites.com

DISCLAIMER: Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The Five Star award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets.  The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by Five Star Professional or Texas Monthly.  Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future. Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm, and the content of this article should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star award and the research/selection methodology, go to www.fivestarprofessional.com.