Oprah’s Angel Network

Call Me MISTER | Clemson, SC

“The profession the ‘Misters’ seek as teachers is one of dignity and honor. They will be valued for the rest of their lives by the many students whose lives they touch from year to year, day by day.” —Jeff Davis, former director of the Call Me MISTER program

Through the Call Me MISTER program, young African-American men are learning that, by becoming teachers, they have the power to change children’s lives. (MISTER stands for Men Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models.) Jeff Davis, former director of the program, grew up without a father but found a male role model in his high school football coach. Jeff went on to play football at Clemson University and then to play professional football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But even after his success, Jeff still felt like there was something missing from his life. That’s when he heard about Call Me MISTER, a program to recruit, train, certify and place African-American males as elementary school teachers in South Carolina.

The program is a collaborative effort between Jeff’s alma mater, Clemson University, and four historically black colleges in South Carolina: Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris College and South Carolina State University. The “Misters” are paired with mentors who are already teachers, and help out in their mentor’s classroom during their first year. This early interaction benefits both the young men training to be teachers and the children in the classroom. Jeff says children have the opportunity to see an African-American male in a positive light, and the young teacher feels adoration from the children that look up to him and call him mister. “The profession the ‘Misters’ seek as teachers is one of dignity and honor,” says Jeff. “They will be valued for the rest of their lives by the many students whose lives they touch from year to year, day by day.”

Camp to Belong | Highlands Ranch, CO

“[The campers] know that there is somebody who has really cared about them. I don’t see this as a lot of work. I see this as a lot of love.” —Lynn Price, founder of Camp To Belong

Lynn Price knows firsthand what it’s like to be a foster child separated from family. When she was eight years old, Lynn learned that she was a foster child and that she had a sister who lived on the other side of town—and as an adult, Lynn discovered that she and her sister weren’t the only siblings to be separated by the foster-care system. According to Lynn, 75 percent of foster children are separated from a brother or sister. Understanding the importance of the sibling bond, Lynn founded Camp To Belong.

Camp To Belong is an annual week-long gathering in the Colorado Rockies where foster children are reunited with brothers and sisters they haven’t seen for months, sometimes years.

“When you’re at Camp To Belong, it just fills your heart up,” said a camp participant. “It makes you want to cry and say, ‘Wow. I have brothers and sisters that love me.’”

Camp Harmony | Beverly Hills, CA

“Some of the things we really try to do are build up their self-esteem and let them know they can take control of their lives and be someone.” —Robin Segal, founder of Camp Harmony

To help homeless children escape their harsh realities and reclaim their spirits, Robin Segal started a summer camp called Camp Harmony. For about one week in both the summer and winter, children from a variety of shelters come to Camp Harmony, where the main objectives for the children are to have fun, receive lots of love, food and attention and to learn the importance of staying in school.

Some of the children only come with the clothes on their backs, making it difficult for them to participate in the activities at camp, like swimming. So, the camp provides each child with items that they need. Many of the children leave camp with new clothing, toiletries and any extras the camp can provide.

The counselors at the camp are high school students who actually pay to be there, pay for the experience of helping their community and those less fortunate. “We can give these teens something money can’t buy—the opportunity to give of themselves. The impact it has on the campers is fantastic, and the impact it has on the teenagers can change their perspectives on life forever. It’s changing lives at both ends of the spectrum, and we help people come together that would ordinarily walk by each other without even thinking about it,” said Robin.

Camp Heartland | Milwaukee, WI

“I have no doubt personally that programs like Camp Heartland give children a taste of hope, a taste of freedom and increased self-confidence help them live longer lives.” —Neil Willenson, founder of Camp Heartland

Neil Willenson had wonderful memories of summers spent at camp as both a camper and as a counselor. But one summer he returned to his hometown and was outraged by a newspaper headline about a little boy with AIDS. “It sounded as if a monster was on the loose,” Neil said. “I was heartbroken that my well-educated community was treating this boy with such cruelty and with no compassion.”

Neil befriended the little boy’s family and was inspired to create a safe haven for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Neil also wanted to make sure the campers’ medical needs were met while experiencing all the fun of summer camp.

So, Neil founded Camp Heartland, which welcomes children year-round who either have HIV/AIDS or who have a loved one who is infected. Camp Heartland is a place of love, acceptance and openness where children are allowed to talk about the disease. “And for the first time they’re hugged without someone fearing them,” said Neil. “A child will put an arm around another child and is able to say, ‘I have AIDS’ or ‘I have a father with AIDS’ or ‘I lost my mother to AIDS’ … And that is a powerful and emotional experience.”

Cesar Chavez High School | Washington, D.C.

“It’s important for the schools to offer [students] a place that is safe haven … where [students] can be and develop and try hard and see that they can achieve, that they have potential, that they have skills, that they have people that believe in them.” —Irasema Salcido, founder of Cesar Chavez High School

Irasema Salcido grew up in Mexico, the daughter of migrant farm workers. When she came to the United States when she was 14 years old, she knew what she wanted for her life. “I had a dream—I wanted to be someone,” said Irasema. Determined to succeed, she got a master’s degree in education from Harvard. But after becoming a high school administrator in Washington, D.C., she was frustrated that many students were graduating without knowing how to read, write or multiply.

In 1997, she decided to take a huge risk—she opened her own school, the Cesar Chavez High School. Many of the students at the school come from situations where their home lives seem out of control, their neighborhoods are filled with poverty, drugs and violence and they’ve lost hope. Through courses that teach students about public policy and require them to take action on issues they care about, Irasema shows these students that they have the power to take control and make an impact in their community.

Cops-N-Kids | Racine, WI

“Usually when children see the police come into the community it’s for something bad. Now when they see the police, it’s books for them!” —Julie Witherspoon, founder of Cops-N-Kids

As a veteran police officer, Julia burney-Witherspoon knew the people of her Racine, Wis., neighborhood, and when her work took her into neighborhood homes, she says she always identified with the children. She also noticed something when she was at their homes—that there were rarely any books. “A lot of parents can’t afford to buy books for their children … buying books is a luxury,” said Julia. “But I also know that in order for these children to have any chance at life, they have to know how to read.”

Julia didn’t know how she could bring books to kids until she answered a call to a burglar alarm at a book warehouse. She asked the owner to donate just a few of his supplies—and he donated all 10,000! “I thought, we can give them out from our squad cars … we can just put them in a bag and give them out,” said Julia. “Usually when children see the police come into the community it’s for something bad. Now when they see the police, it’s books for them! They want to see us. They look for us.”

Since forming the original Cops-N-Kids program in Racine, Julia has helped open more than 70 programs throughout the world.

Cool Girls, Inc. | Atlanta, GA

“The thing that we give them the most is the power to dream and the power to know that they can achieve those dreams.” —Michele Reiner, former Executive Director of Cool Girls, Inc.

By promoting leadership, increasing access to technology and exposing girls to the world outside of their neighborhoods, Cool Girls, Inc. is dedicated to breaking the cycle of teen pregnancy and poverty and helping girls achieve academic success.

What makes the program unique is that it introduces girls to everything from business and technology to travel and the arts. Former Executive Director Michele Reiner noted, “We reach the whole girl, not just a piece of the girl. We are looking at her brain, her emotions. The thing that we give them the most is the power to dream and the power to know that they can achieve those dreams.”

Since its start in 1989, Cool Girls has expanded into a unique and effective organization that empowers girls to succeed in academic, social and professional arenas.

D.C. Central Kitchen | Washington, D.C.

“I don’t want to just give away free food. I want to see how food can make a real difference in our community.” —Robert Egger, founder of D.C. Central Kitchen

More than 20 years ago, Robert Egger was a nightclub manager leading what he thought was a full life until one night when he reluctantly volunteered to help pass out food to the homeless. To Robert, the system of passing out food every night to the same people wasn’t solving the problem. “It just seemed so endless and frankly pointless. I thought, ‘I work in a business that throws away so much food and I work in an industry that has jobs. There’s got to be some way to put these two things together.’ The idea was so incredibly simple. The restaurants could donate food and we could use that food to teach homeless people how to cook.”

Robert tried to get other social agencies to consider his idea, but was asked over and over again, if he thought it was such a good idea, why didn’t he do it himself? So he did. Robert started the D.C. Central Kitchen in 1988 he said, “to make a difference. I don’t want to just give away free food. I want to see how food can make a real difference in our community.” The D.C. Central Kitchen serves homeless and low-income individuals, families and children.

Robert said, “We’re always trying to think about how can we use food so it’s not just a band-aid but a way that’s really helping someone in a permanent way.” For example, the Culinary Job Training Program teaches men and women living in shelters or on welfare certified food-handling techniques and life skills, effectively preparing them for work in food service jobs. As a result of the training, D.C. Central Kitchen is able to supply food to homeless shelters, senior programs, after-school programs and drug clinics.

Update: Oprah’s Angel Network followed up with Robert recently. Piggybacking on the success of D.C. Central Kitchen, he helped start the Campus Kitchens Project, a program where universities donate their kitchen space and leftover food. Read more.

D.C. Children’s Health Project | Washington, D.C.

“In the eyes of every child is a pool of potential, and all you have to do is reach into that child’s heart and that potential just unlocks.” —Gloria WilderBrathwaite, former Medical Director of the D.C. Children’s Health Project

Since becoming a doctor, Gloria WilderBrathwaite fought to provide not only medical care, but compassion and self-respect for hundreds of families in Washington, D.C. And as the former Medical Director of the D.C. Children’s Health Project, that’s just what she did.

The Children’s Health Project is a clinic on wheels that brings medical care, compassion and respect to some of the most impoverished communities in Washington, D.C. While working as the Medical Director, Gloria noted, “My approach to patient care is respect: total respect for the struggle that mothers and fathers have in raising their children. We primarily serve uninsured families. A lot of people assume that our families are only folks who receive public assistance. They forget about the families who work everyday and struggle to meet their health care needs.”

Gloria has since moved on from working at the Children’s Health Project, but the objectives of the clinic are the same—to deliver the same level of service that patients would receive at the best hospitals. To achieve this objective, the clinic travels to different neighborhoods throughout the week, bringing much-needed health care to families.

Dance Institute of Washington | Washington, D.C.

“We happen to use dance as our vehicle, but the philosophy of what we do here is bigger than just a dance class, it’s about the whole child.” —Fabian Barnes, founder of the Dance Institute of Washington

The youngest of 10 children, Fabian Barnes grew up in a single-parent home. Although his mother’s strength and love compensated for their lack of money, dancing changed his life forever. “If I hadn’t had dance, I would have ended up like so many of my peers—on drugs, in jail or dead. It set my life course.” Fabian discovered his passion for dance at age 11 when he followed his brother to a dance studio. By the time he was 18 years old, he was dancing with the world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem. “I’ve just experienced life in a way that would have never happened for me had I not danced. Now as a result of that I have a responsibility to also give something back.”

As a way to give back, Fabian founded the Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) in 1987 to give inner-city children the opportunity to get off the streets. “We happen to use dance as our vehicle, but the philosophy of what we do here is bigger than just a dance class, it’s about the whole child. There’s a need for these children to learn discipline, work ethics, tenacity—all of the things a dance program can give them.”

In addition to dance classes, DIW also offers a number of education and outreach programs. “There’s drugs, there’s gangs, there’s crime, there’s alcoholism, that’s what’s out there, and it’s important that we have our program to offer these kids something better,” said Fabian. “When I see dance and the power it has in my children’s lives, how it’s able to turn their lives around, it makes it all worthwhile.”

Faith House | St. Louis, MO

“With the nurturing, the nutrition, medical follow-up, and a good safe, secure environment, these children can bounce back.” —Mildred Jamison, founder of Faith House

Guided by her abundance of faith, Mildred Jamison is giving neglected and unwanted children a place to call home—Faith House. Faith House serves children ranging in age from newborns to 12-year-olds who were born exposed to drugs, HIV-positive, physically abused, sexually abused or neglected by their parents. Faith House is also licensed to recruit and train foster and adoptive parents.

A former Missouri State inspector of residential facilities and day programs, Mildred designed Faith House much like her own home, which helps the children feel safe and nurtured. “We serve our meals family style where the food is on the table and the children can eat as much as they like,” Mildred said. “With the nurturing, the nutrition, medical follow-up, and a good safe, secure environment, these children can bounce back … I get love from being with the children. These children have definitely made a difference in my life … it’s really been a blessing.”

Family House | Milwaukee, WI

“I needed to make a decision whether I was going to remain there and tolerate these things or whether I was going to try to make a difference.” —Cordelia Taylor, founder of Family House

As a former nursing-home administrator, Cordelia Taylor “saw people who had a sparkle in their eye when they came into the nursing home but after being restrained in chairs, they lost the motivation to live. I needed to make a decision whether I was going to remain there and tolerate these things or whether I was going to try to make a difference.”

With the support of her husband, Cordelia sold her suburban home and returned to the heart of inner-city Milwaukee to establish a residential long-term care facility. “I came back and found a whole different world than when we left,” said Cordelia.

Although Cordelia was frightened, she was determined to rebuild her community. She started by purchasing an old house and converting it into a medical center. She then went on to purchase several more buildings on her street in order to expand Family House’s long-term care facilities and to add youth-focused programs, including gang-resistance initiatives and computer-skills training. Once filled with abandoned houses and criminal activity, this inner-city community has been changed for the better by Cordelia and Family House.

Food From The ’Hood | Los Angeles, CA

“The garden became important because it was a way for us to give back to our community.” —Former student participant in the Food From the ’Hood program

In one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by the Los Angeles riots of 1992, a group of students at Crenshaw High School found a way to revive their community right in their own backyard. By converting a weed-infested, quarter-acre of dirt behind the school, Food From The ‘Hood was born. From the beginning, students donated most of the produce from the garden to shelters or to people who didn’t have any money to buy fresh vegetables. “The garden became important because it was a way for us to give back to our community and show them that what they saw on TV during the riots wasn’t really us,” said one student.

Once the students started selling the food at farmer’s markets, they realized they could turn their profits into college scholarships. They created their own company to make and sell salad dressing made from all-natural ingredients. Soon, the students became successful entrepreneurs, doing everything from creating recipes to designing labels.

Now a thriving student-owned business, Food From The ‘Hood still donates its harvest to the needy and still awards scholarships to the program’s graduates.

Read about more Use Your Life Award recipients: A–B | G–L | M–R | S–Z