Making a Difference: Volunteers with a Worldwide Impact

Across the United States and around the world, Walden University alumni, students, and faculty members are making a positive impact on their communities by volunteering on Walden’s annual Global Day of Service and throughout the year.

Evelyn Jossell, Student, EdD
Guardian Angel Community Hoop House Project, Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Inc. — Lambert, Miss.
“I volunteer my time to develop projects that have an impact on the well-being of students and their parents in my rural community. Youth and adult obesity are major health concerns here, and planting a community garden provided both access to fresh produce and much-needed exercise.”

Freida Pemberton, PhD in Health Services, 1996
World Wide Holistic Health Outreach, Inc. — Valley Stream, N.Y.
“As the volunteer administrator and healthcare provider, I have arranged and been an active participant in a health promotion and disease prevention program in Benin, Ghana, and Togo. Walden’s Global Day of Service was phenomenal in bringing volunteers together and keeping everyone energized to make a social impact and positive difference in the world. Six volunteers were able to tap into their networks to share the work of our organization, and our Web site received 514 hits on October 2 as a result.”

Jo Carney, Student, MS in Education
Project Coordinator, Mainland Regional High School/Support Our Troops — Linwood, N.J.
“Our project is about sustaining the warrior, regardless of personal feelings about the war. I did not set out to change the world, only to help out a few lonely soldiers by providing cards, letters, and supplies until they come home; we have wrapped, packed, and shipped more than 4,000 pounds of much-needed supplies and touched the lives of so many soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that it is unbelievable.”

Herzl Marouni, Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences (now PhD in Management), 2010
American Society for Quality — Houston, Texas
“As co-chair of the society’s community outreach program, I have been privileged to be a part of numerous activities that make a difference. The activity of which I am most proud is participation in the annual Science and Engineering Fair of Houston. This allows us to see the remarkable research done by local middle and high school students and to encourage their continued interest in these fields.”

Rhonda Neswald-Potter, Faculty Member, College of Social and Behavioral SciencesAge to Age Counseling, PC — Albuquerque, N.M.
“I own a for-profit business that offers a lot of free services to the community, including our participation in the National Depression Screening Day project. We offered information and support related to depression and mental health and wellness, and we had a Walden student work on this with us.”

Elsie Gaber, Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Sciences (now PhD in Management), 1994
Rotary Club of Kirksville — Kirksville, Mo.
“My Rotary Club partnered with the Kirksville Arts Association and Kirksville Interact, our high school Rotary club, to raise approximately $1,000 for two projects: Ray’s Reading Room in New Orleans and the Shelterbox international disaster relief project.”

Anthony Leisner,  Faculty Member, School of Public Policy and Administration
WorkNet Pinellas — Tampa, Fla.
“For 10 years, I have served as a volunteer member of the board of directors of WorkNet Pinellas, a nonprofit that moves people from welfare and unemployment into meaningful work. We also mentor youth aging out of foster care, train people in sustainability-related careers, help noncustodial parents reconnect with families through employment, and provide funding for job training.”

Susan Blesh, Student, MBA
Alzheimer’s Association — Williamsport, Pa.
“Alzheimer’s disease is prevalent in my area, but resources for family members and caregivers are not readily available. I am captain of our group in the Memory Walk. Alzheimer’s is an awful disease, and I am passionate about spreading the word, raising money, and finding a cure.”

James Afriyie, Student, PhD in Public Health
Hamashiah Aldersgate Orphanage — Kona, Ghana
“I was the key person who founded an NGO called Aldersgate Foundation, and the Hamashiah Aldersgate Orphanage became one of our main projects. We are catering to the education of the children, feeding and caring for them, and helping them develop spiritually. Our foundation’s regular volunteering services are putting smiles on the faces of needy people.”

Find or post volunteer opportunities at www.WaldenU.edu/servicenetwork.