THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 30, 1995 TAG: 9506280121
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REBECCA A. MYERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Duke, Higgins and Ivory were three of the most pampered pooches in Portsmouth at a luncheon last Friday honoring volunteers of the city's Community Services Board.
The canines, registered therapy dogs with extensive obedience training, and their owners were recognized for volunteer work at The Shop, where adults with mental retardation are employed.
The dogs help to increase the employees' feelings of self-esteem and well-being by providing companionship and unconditional love.
The therapy dogs were among 100-plus individuals, organizations, businesses and clubs - and animals - honored at the event held at the Holiday Inn-Portsmouth Waterfront.
During the two-hour program, ``Volunteerism Is Ageless,'' adults in the program heard from volunteers of all ages, including preschoolers who are also working to increase self-esteem.
Travis McClenny and Adrian Johnson participate in Jumpstart, which focuses on self-esteem, violence prevention and parental involvement.
As Jumpstart volunteers, the preschoolers have taken part in collecting and distributing Christmas gifts for the homeless in Portsmouth.
Erica Brown, a rising junior at Churchland High School and a member of the Community Service Board's PRIDE program, represented teenaged volunteers. And Al Eure, board chairman, spoke on behalf of Joseph Wright, a well-known senior volunteer who was unable to to speak due to illness.
Carolyn English, a volunteer program administrator, praised all the volunteers, saying ``there are people here today who give up beautiful spring weekends to cut the grass and clean the gutters at our group home.
``There are people here today who teach other people how to read and how to interview and get jobs. There are people here who paint apartments for people who live every day with a disability. . .
``There are people here who work with small children and teenagers to inspire in them the belief that they're beautiful, that they count and that they can create a good and meaningful life for themselves.'' by CNB