Good News! Newsletter

The good news page of this website will feature success stories about interaction between human beings creating positive memories that can never be taken away. Previous Issues Our Apologies... This expanded edition of the Good News Newsletter is randomly late in coming. We apologize for the delay in producing this issue. We've been so busy doing Random Acts of Kindness that we didn't have time to sit down to write about them. This expanded newsletter will chronicle what we've been up to. A lot of good things have been happening, and we are still moving forward. 2nd Annual Awards and Dinner Dance Well, we made it through another Random Acts Awards and Dinner Dance. Wow, what a party! Melvin was in his element, and also in drag, as he brought the house down when he showed up as a Raiderette Wannabe. Steve and his lovely bride did an incredible job on the silent auction with twice as many items as last year. Maria was in her usual creative mode as the slide show she put together got rave reviews. Her new helper, new kid Jim Mc Nicolas, who was a former media guru in another life before fire, made all the slides and video work together. Thanks again to Coleen Bell who did all the table centerpieces and floral arrangements for the buffet tables. Jackie Curtis, what a singer! What a wonderful gentle soul who lives for her music. And, what a choir! Thank you so much to the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Youth Choir. These kids really have a gift. The Raiderette and Warrior Cheerleader photo booth did well. We noticed that a lot of the photos had Brad Pieraldi in them. We wish to thank Noel Cisneros from KRON Channel 4 who did the story of Debra Taylor, our Citizen Hero of the Year, and made the award presentation to her. One of the unexpected delights of the evening was when two of Debra's daughters came on stage to honor their mom and performed a duet on violin and viola. Their version of 'Canon in D' produced a standing ovation. What a memory! Roy Palentino, Chris Peters and Aaron Montes did an excellent job as they presented the colors. Aaron Montes also did a great job as a presenter of Citizen Hero Awards to three men who saved a woman in an east end structure fire. And, Ron Weatherly, who started the ball rolling by responding to a food request two years ago from a Castlemont High School teacher who mentor's to kids, presented Andre Mouton with the Educator of the Year Award. Principal Debra Lindo brought on to the stage two of Andre's success stories who gave praise to their mentor and told of how he has changed their lives. Priceless! We are very thankful and thrilled that this year's event produced a nice profit after expenses. Some of these funds have already gone back into the community. And, the rest is waiting for more requests from the members of our department. Take a chance by creating a memory for yourself by helping someone else. We would like to thank all the silent auction donors, in-kind donors, in-kind services and the many volunteers who helped out. For those of you who could not join us, a copy of the Dinner Dance highlight video is at each station for your viewing pleasure. We hope that you will join us next year! "Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change. Kindness that catches us by surprise brings out the best in our natures." from an interview with Senator John Kerry Operation Yellow Ribbon Thank you to everyone who assembled a care package for the troops. When the staff from Operation Yellow Ribbon arrived to address the boxes at Station 27, they were overjoyed when they found 310 packages. One of their staff members has a son who is a Marine deployed in Baghdad. As she was addressing the boxes, she was touched when she noticed that 30 of the boxes were going to her son's unit. Oakland Firefighters are the first as a fire department to join with this national organization to send a little bit of 'home' to loved ones on the other side of the world. These boxes were filled with thousands of items that probably were enough to fill a small convenience store. In addition to items such as toothbrushes, razor blades, baby wipes, and stationary, the care packages included letters from children at Sobrante Park School and personal messages from individuals and the children of firefighters. Operation Yellow Ribbon wrote a check for almost three thousand dollars for the postage to ship the boxes to ten departure points where the Department of Defense inspected them and sent them on their way. They were addressed to company commanders who distributed them to soldiers who don't get much mail. Postal workers brought a scale and stamps to Station 27 to weigh the boxes and affix the postage. The boxes were loaded into a postal van at the fire station. A letter was placed in each box from Oakland Firefighters with a "Heroes" postage stamp pin attached. An envelope and stationary was inserted inviting each soldier to write back to let us know where the packages ended up. To this date, we have received 14 letters and e-mails back from the troops. Most of the letters came from Iraq and one came from Korea. They all expressed their thanks and appreciation for the care packages. We will be posting these letters on the Random Acts website. A lot of hands make a difference. Again, thank you to Operation Yellow Ribbon and all who participated. Recent Random Acts Letters To Santa Elisa and Hanna Miguel, wife and daughter of Captain Steve Miguel, threw a Christmas party and asked each attendee to bring a present to donate to Random Acts. The gifts were given to needy children in Oakland who wrote Letters to Santa. Postal workers also responded to the letters and bought requested presents. The packages were delivered to addresses that were randomly selected. The members at Stations 3,5,13,16,17,18, and 20 got to play Santa and mail carrier and surprised a lot of children who were thrilled that their letters were answered. Water Bottles for Alisa Ann Ruch Champ Camp For the second year, Random Acts donated 300 Water Bottles to the Alisa Ann Ruch Champ Camp that took place on June 14-20, 2003 at Wonder Valley Ranch, outside of Fresno. This wonderful event is a one-week camp for kids who have survived burn injuries. It provides an opportunity for friends to get reacquainted while they build confidence and self-esteem through social interaction with their peers. If you are interested in being a Champ Camp counselor, call the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation at (415) 495-7223 to request an application. De-Anté Charles De-Anté Charles is 12-years-old and has Duchene Muscular Dystrophy and Congestive Heart Failure. He wrote a letter to Santa and asked for a digital camera for Christmas and gifts for his two nephews, age 8 and 7 months. Random Acts answered his letter, and on Christmas Eve the crew from Station 10 made a surprise visit to De-Ante' and his family to deliver the presents. De-Ante' was frail and weak and slowly unwrapped the gifts. When he saw the digital camera, his face lit up in a big smile. The guys from Station 10 had fun playing with the toys too. Sadly, De-Ante' passed away in May. We will always remember the smile on his face the day we delivered the presents. Oakland Tech Trip to Washington, D.C. On February 21, 2003, Kathy Campbell of Station 19, phoned in a request asking Random Acts to assist students at Oakland Technical High School who were raising money for a trip to Washington D.C. In this program, students in the State Capitol are partnered with visiting students from other schools across the country. Random Acts donated $1000 to Oakland Tech, and Maria Sabatini of Station 5, presented the check to teacher Mary Ann Wolfe and one of her students. Random Acts received two post cards from the students thanking us for the contribution and telling us what a great time they were having visiting the sites. P.E. Equipment for St. Bernard School When St. Bernard School kindergarten teacher Megan Reese wrote an e-mail to Random Acts, she said, "I want my kids to really have a concrete understanding of what it is like to make a difference and to make their community a better place". She also told us that her school was in great need of P.E. equipment. "I am a one woman show, and we are only given $50.00 a year for supplies for the classroom. I buy kick balls and jump ropes with my own money. We virtually have nothing". Random Acts came to her rescue and answered her plea. On June 5th, during a fire drill at the school, 29 Engine drove onto to playground with sirens blaring. To the screams of many excited children, they unloaded basketballs, footballs, soccer balls and tetherballs. What better way to teach kids what it is like to make a difference and make their community a better place. Reuters Media Computer Donation In April, Reuters America, Inc. donated a dozen Dell Dimension Pentium II computers with monitors to Random Acts. We have, in turn, given a computer to St. Bernard School and Sports4Kids, a non-profit organization that creates sports and recreational opportunities for youth in the community. We will also give a computer to Sobrante Park School and Melrose School. Melrose has had three break-ins in which computers were stolen. Random Acts would like to thank Reuters for their generous donation that will have a far- reaching impact on the Oakland community. If your organization or school is in need of a computer, send a request to Random Acts or e-mail us at info@OFRandomActs.org Repair Door Lock When firefighters responded to a call at Arrealia Harrison's house, they had to break the lock on her door to enter the house. In response to a request submitted by Russ Earl, Random Acts repaired the broken lock on Ms. Harrison's door. Books and Balls for Melrose School On June 13th, Random Acts delivered its fourth Books and Balls Program to Melrose Elementary School in East Oakland. Financial advisors Michael and Dean Meniktas of The Meniktas Group and Riley Etheridge Jr. of Merrill Lynch funded this Books and Balls program. Captain Rick Padilla invited them for lunch and a tour of Station 18 before they participated in the presentation. Firefighters from Station 18 wrote inspiring messages on the inside covers and signed the books. As usual, when the engine door opened and the balls were released, pandemonium ensued as the kids rushed to retrieve the balls. Afterwards, the Firefighters and the donors read the books to the kids. Random Acts would like to thank The Meniktas Group and Merrill Lynch for their generous donation and wholehearted support of our program. Michael Meniktas was also instrumental in obtaining a $1500 grant donation for Random Acts from the Oakland Rotary #3, Community, Youth and Seniors Committee which we will use to upgrade our computer processor and purchase a digital camera and photo printer. Thanks Michael and Oakland Rotary #3! Firefighters Respond to Call for Help On May 23, 2003, Random Acts received a phone call from the Firefighters at Station 18. They had responded to a call where a father had been wrestling with his baby, 14-month-old Reginald Wyatt Jr. As a result, the baby died from internal injuries. In a newspaper article the following day, the baby's mother stated that she lacked insurance and the money for a coffin for her son and needed help with burial expenses. The Firefighters who responded to the call wanted to help. The paramedic on the crew received donations from the firefighters and Random Acts to help the family pay for a casket and funeral expenses. Random Acts would like to thank all the Firefighters who contributed to this effort. Mom Green Lends a Helping Hand Ethel Howard lost everything in a two-alarm West Oakland apartment fire that displaced almost two-dozen residents. She wrote a letter to the Oakland Fire Department to ask for assistance for her and her three children. With the help of The American Red Cross, the family was provided with alternative housing that was located near Mom Green's house. Mom visited Ms. Howard to see what she needed. Soon, Mom had gathered clothing, blankets, food and toiletries. 18 Engine delivered the goods to a very thankful family. Homeless Man Reunited with Family On June 14th, Random Acts received a request from Susan Hayes, Community Services Coordinator of the Oaklanders Assistance Center. Larry Butler, who is homeless, had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was not expected to live past July 4th. He had not seen his family in years, and his family had not been able to locate him. His friend, Paul Betterton, found Mr. Butler's family members in Nashville, Tennessee, but they did not have the money to send him to come there. Since time was of the essence, the Random Acts Board of Directors quickly approved the amount of money that was needed to pay for his one-way airfare to Nashville so Mr. Butler could spend his remaining days with his long lost family. Red Cross Volunteer Assists Firefighters Wes Truex and his family are Red Cross volunteers who show up at higher alarm fires with the Red Cross van, sometimes at 2:00 a.m., to assist firefighters by providing coffee and snacks. Recently, it was the Firefighters who assisted Wes when 17 Engine responded to a call to his mother's house. Unfortunately, she passed away at the hospital. Random Acts, The International Association of Firefighters Local 55, The Oakland Black Firefighters Association and The Oakland Firefighters Sports Association made a combined contribution to help the Truex family with funeral expenses. Thank you to all the organizations that partnered with us for this Random Act. Dreams Do Come True Andy Noble is a 13-year-old boy from Roseville, Michigan. Like many 13-year-old boys Andy dreams of one day becoming a professional firefighter. But, he will have considerable challenges realizing that dream. Andy is wheelchair-bound, has cerebral palsy and is oxygen and ventilator dependent due to progressive lung disease. Andy collects patches from police and fire departments and has amassed a collection of over 10,000 patches from all over the world. His mother, Laurie, wrote a letter to the Oakland Fire Department requesting patches and memorabilia. But, what started as a simple request for a patch, turned into a weeklong, all expenses paid trip to Oakland. At Chief Gerald Simon's invitation, Andy and his mother were flown to Oakland to meet the Oakland Fire Department. It was Andy's first airplane ride. Andy's adopted grandparents, Bill and Marge Barnes of Novato, accompanied them on the trip. Andy's visit included a ride on the Fireboat Seawolf, an apparatus demonstration at the Airport Fire Station, a tour of the Emergency Operations Center and the Training Division Drill Tower, and visits to many Oakland fire stations for lunch and dinner and rides on fire engines. Other attractions on Andy's visit included The Chabot Space & Science Center, The Oakland Zoo, The Jelly Bean Factory, and a Golden State Warriors basketball game. The members of the Oakland Fire Department believe that dreams do come true. It is our responsibility to help make those dreams come true. Citizen Heroes Woman Rescued From Fire Steve Armijo, Steve Armijo Jr. and Gilbert Montez entered their neighbor's burning house to rescue Mamie Washington who was found lying on a couch unconscious. She was not breathing when they carried her out, but paramedics were able to resuscitate her. Ms. Washington survived due to the swift response of these three men. Members from Station 29 presented Steve, Steve Jr. and Gilbert with Citizen Hero Awards in front of their house. Hotel Manager Contains Fire Harrison Porter, Manager of "The Ridge Hotel" in downtown Oakland, attempted a search, alerted other tenants, and attempted to extinguish and hold a fire in place by discharging four, approximately 81 lb. dry chemical fire extinguishers on a room fire. During his efforts, Mr. Porter suffered cuts and bruises to his hands and arms. Due to his fast actions and commitment to life and safety, many people were able to vacate the building and fire crews found a much smaller fire that potentially could have been dangerous. Lieutenant Kevin Nuuhiwa requested this formal recognition of Harrison Porter. The members of Station 1 invited him for lunch and presented him with the Random Acts Citizen Hero Award. Random Acts Opportunities Random Acts of Reading Firefighters: Random Acts always welcomes new volunteers to our Random Acts of Reading program. This year, during basketball season, volunteers can receive one ticket to a Warriors basketball game each time they volunteer to read to the schoolchildren. If you would like to be a Random Acts of Reading volunteer, contact Engineer James Smith (congratulations Gravy Pockets!) or call the Random Acts Office. Alisa Ann Ruch Champ Camp Camp Counselors Needed The Alisa Ann Ruch Champ Camp takes place annually during the month of June at Wonder Valley Ranch outside of Fresno. If you are interested in volunteering to be a Champ Camp counselor, contact the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation at (415) 495-7223 to request an application. Applications are available in January. Check out their website at www.aarbf.org. Muscular Dystrophy Association Counselors and Paramedics Needed Come spend a week in the Santa Cruz Mountains for MDA's Summer Camp. Counselors are needed from August 18th through August 22nd. Counselors must be available for the entire week and be at least 16 years old. If you can't make it for the entire week, Paramedics are needed for day and evening shifts. Contact Rena Peek at (415) 673-7500. For more information about MDA go to www.mdausa.org. Habitat for Humanity Attention Firefighter Construction Workers East Bay Habitat for Humanity will begin building 12 homes in West Oakland this August 2003. Eight 3-bedroom homes and four 4-bedroom homes will be built. The two-story wood framed homes will be located at 10th and Union. Random Acts is coordinating Firefighter construction crews who would like to volunteer to spend an eight-hour workday building houses at the Habitat construction site. Firefighters with construction experience are especially welcome. We would like to form three work crews of 12, one crew for each shift. If you are interested in being on a crew, call or e-mail Random Acts. For more information about this project, log on to www.eastbayhabitat.org and click on Where We Build. Books and Balls Program Recommend a School in Your District Firefighters: If you would like to recommend a school in your Fire Station District to be a recipient of the Books and Balls Program, we'd like to hear from you. Random Acts will donate the books, and firefighters from your station will write inspiring messages to the children on the inside covers of the books. Random Acts will purchase the balls that are loaded into the cab of the fire engine. Your crew will drive onto the playground field with sirens blaring and surprise the kids when they open the door and you toss the balls out to them. To recommend a school, call or e-mail Random Acts. Corporate Sponsors: If your corporation would like to sponsor a Books and Balls Program at an Oakland Public School, call or e-mail Random Acts. Computer Donation If you know of a school or organization in need of a computer, call or e-mail Random Acts. Request A Random Act of Kindness Nominate A Citizen Hero Firefighters: We encourage you to submit a Request for a Random Act of Kindness if you are out in the community or responding to a call and encounter someone who needs a helping hand. You have the opportunity to create a positive difference in the life of an individual and create a positive memory for yourself. Nominate a Citizen Hero when you encounter someone who performs a courageous and selfless act to help another person. It is important that we recognize our silent unsung heroes who would otherwise go unnoticed. Random Act Request Forms are available at every fire station. Call our office at (510) 465-8422, 465-8422, send us an e-mail, or contact a Random Acts Board Director. For those of you who have asked, "Who's on your Board ?" Board of Directors Douglas Abram Randy Kirchner Melvin Andrews Stephen Miguel Cynthia Chin Ernest Robinson III Madge Gates Maria Sabatini Larry Hendricks Wayne Takahashi David Holsberry Frank Tijiboy To Our Donors and Sponsors In light of recent publicity that has raised questions and concerns about the non-profit sector, we would like to reassure our many donors and sponsors that your donations go directly towards funding our Random Acts of Kindness requests. As a small non-profit organization, there is no middleman between you and us. We have an all-volunteer support staff that includes an attorney, tax accountant, technical assistant, graphic artist, printer, photographers, and videographer. All generously donate their time. Our office space, storage space and labor is donated. Our overhead expenses include office supplies, postage, photo developing, printing, and administrative fees. The way our program works, very simply is, we receive a Random Act Request from a Firefighter. Our Board of Directors reviews and approves the Request with a majority vote. Then we just go do it and create a lot of smiles, hugs and warm fuzzies. If you would like to visit our Random Acts Office, give Cindy a call at (510) 465-8422. E-Mail Database Random Acts is compiling an e-mail database so that we can better inform our donors and supporters about upcoming events and projects. If you would like to be on our E-Mail Database, log on to www.OFRandomActs.org and send us an e-mail or call our office at (510) 465-8422. "Greats Chefs of the Oakland Fire Department" It's not too late to get your recipes into the Great Chefs of the Oakland Fire Department Cookbook! We have postponed the production schedule so you can still submit your recipe. This book will consist of recipes created by Oakland Firefighters and include photos and stories of the firefighters who created them. Do you have a specialty recipe to share? One that people are always asking for? Or, one that you enjoy cooking? Then be one of the cooks featured in the first cookbook combining favorite dishes eaten in Oakland firehouses. All proceeds from this book will go to Oakland Firefighters Random Acts. Your contribution will help promote goodwill to the community through 'Random Acts of Kindness' and encourage the youth of Oakland to reach their potential. For more information, please contact Ken or Tina Norris at (925) 736-5876, or fax your recipes to (925) 736-9112. Recipes can also be given to any Random Act Board of Director. Please don't delay. You can make a positive difference in the lives of many children. Upcoming Events... The Federation of Fire Chaplains will present the 25th Anniversary International Conference of Fire Chaplains on October 18th through October 23rd, 2003 at the Holiday Inn in Emeryville, California. "Celebrating the Past and Preparing for the Future" will be hosted by Emeryville Fire Chaplain Rufus Watkins and the Emeryville Fire Department This is the first time this International Conference is being held on the West Coast, and it will be attended by Fire Chaplains and Firefighters from across the nation and other countries. Oakland Firefighters Random Acts has been requested to make a presentation of our program and will be one of many sponsors promoting the event. The Federation of Fire Chaplains is seeking other Sponsors to help promote this conference. Sponsors are needed for 300 T-Shirts and 300 Mugs. A $3000 sponsorship is requested for a Tour of the Bay Area for the fire chaplains. If you would like to make a financial contribution, an account has been set up at Alameda Bank in Emeryville in the name of "Federation of Fire Chaplains". For further information, log on to www.ffcfirechaplains.org and click on 'Events'. If you have any questions, contact Rufus Watkins, Emeryville and Host Chaplain, at (510)428-4977 (h), (510)596-3750 (w), (510)599-6344 (c). Miscellaneous Thank You Oakland Public Library On January 31, 2003 at the Lake Merritt Garden Center, the Oakland Public Library presented Random Acts with a check for $1000 from their Silent Auction proceeds. Thank You Oakland Public Library! Wish List Secure Storage Space (for our donations) Digital Camcorder (to record our Random Acts) HP Printer Cartridges (#45 & #78) Tent Awning 8' Folding Table Folding Chairs Random Acts T-Shirts Random Acts T-Shirts are on sale for $15 and available in Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large. Colors are Dark Blue, White and Gray. Vehicle Donations If you would like to donate a vehicle and have the net proceeds support Random Acts, call Volunteers of America at 1-800-559-5458 and designate the proceeds of your vehicle to Oakland Firefighters Random Acts. Let Us Know If… You would like to be added to or removed from our Mailing List and E-Mail Database You would like to be on our Volunteer Database You have any Questions, Comments or Suggestions Special Thanks A special thank you to East Bay Blue Print & Supply Co. for once again printing the Good News Newsletter.