Lynchburg Business

Unsung Local Heroes: The Fantastic Four

Issue: March 2010 by Chris McCune in Inside The Magazine, Non-Profit

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes; some have a cape and some are invisible. We all have our ideas of what a hero is or looks like but, without referring to Hollywood magic, can we really define what a hero truly is or even say that we know one?  Would anyone describe you as a hero?

Over the past few weeks, I have been searching for some of the areas “unsung” heroes to reveal their true identity. I looked in phone booths, searched for a light in the sky and listened for the bionic sound of a magic lasso. I didn’t find any true heroes, though, until I called upon four local non-profits that, to most, are a little off-the-radar themselves.

When we think of non-profits, our minds usually center in on the main ones that we all know by name and that are in the news the most often. However, there are so many other important and amazing ones in our area that may not get the attention they deserve. So, this is their song and the song of our unsung heroes.

Harry Sowers – Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together Lynchburg is a non-profit organization that rehabilitates the houses of low-income home owners, particularly those who are elderly or have disabilities, so that they may continue to live in warmth, safety and independence. Sandy Walton, Executive Director is entering her fourth year in this position and says she could not be prouder of what the organization is doing.

“We aim to make the houses meet three qualifications: safe, warm and dry,” Walton said.

With a list of qualifications that must be met in order for someone to qualify for their program, those receiving a rehabed home must also meet HUD standards for low income. Step two involves finding a volunteer or group of volunteers, depending on the project, that is skilled in the trade or trades needed to do the work required. When you ask Walton about what makes the organization tick, one name keeps popping up.

Meet Harry Sowers, volunteer extraordinaire and the man that Walton says is the unsung hero of Rebuilding Together.

“He has given thousands of hours of his time to the organization, and he is so good at explaining to the youth that come out to volunteer why and how to do something,” Walton explained. “His consistency of working every week makes him stand out, and his heart makes him shine to all those he comes in contact with.”

Sowers first got involved with Rebuilding Together when his church was looking for people to sign up for their outreach programs. Larry, Sowers’ twin brother, signed them both up for the task.

“We are fixer-upper type guys, so it was a perfect fit,” Harry said.

Over the past 18 months, Sowers has volunteered three to five days each week (sometimes more), and has worked with more than 100 volunteers on approximately 25 homes. If you think that a holiday would slow this repair warrior down, think again. On Christmas Day, he received a call that someone was in need, and you guessed it, Sowers went to their rescue. The reward?

“It is fantastic, people are grateful, it is the Lord’s work and it is in my heart to do it,” he explained.

He says that he feels blessed to be needed and to have the skills that enable him to be able to help those that can’t do it themselves, for what ever reason.

“What better way to be needed than to be out there and be helping?” he said.

Brenda Dixon – Alzheimer’s Association

Cindy BonDurant is another local volunteer that knows what it is to be needed. She has been the Program Outreach Director of the Alzheimer’s Association in Lynchburg for five years now. Their mission is to help those in the chapter area who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementias, as well as their caregivers and families. This assistance comes in the form of Memory U, a toll-free help line, support groups and care consultation in each region, lending libraries, MedicAlert and Safe Return, an annual education conference, as well as many other programs and services.

“We have two major fundraisers a year; our annual memory walk in the fall and our annual Gold Tournament,” BonDurant explained.

As is common with non-profits, they often depend on interns, college students and those involved in community service to make the organization successful. One such volunteer who has made a mark on the organization is Brenda Dixon.

“She is so dedicated…she is like my right-hand person,” BonDurant said, who added that Dixon is very energetic and caring for those that she helps and has a grasp on the organization as a whole.

Dixon has been with the Alzheimer’s Association for almost five years now and she helps out in all facets of the organization. This is all done in her spare time as she also has a full-time job.

“The reward is helping caregivers connect with resources that will assist them in providing care for their loved one dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia,” explained Dixon.

She also feels that, by being a support group facilitator, she is blessed to be a resource for them to meet others in similar situations. This allows them to relate and help each other cope with the everyday challenges they face as caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s.

Howard Hall – Lynchburg Grows

Michael Van Ness, Executive Director of Lynchburg Grows, understands the vast importance of providing a resource for people in need. Lynchburg Grows is an organization centered on giving people with special needs a space to share their talents and skills while acquiring new ones.

“We have, on average, 38 disabled youth and 20 to 30 at-risk youth a week participating,” Van Ness said.

Before Lynchburg Grows came into existence five years ago, the nine greenhouses that currently adorn the grounds used to produce up to 20,000 roses a day or 1.3 million a year and were sent to such places as The White House, the Rose Bowl and the Kentucky Derby.

It is in one of the greenhouses that we meet our next unsung hero. Howard Hall has been a volunteer with Lynchburg Grows since almost the very beginning.

“People like Howard form the backbone of volunteer organizations, as they are more like a staff person,” Van Ness said.

When Hall was told that he was being honored in Lynchburg Business as an unsung hero, he said that he was not in it for the accolades and that he wanted the honor to go to one of the disabled volunteers who may not do as much as others, but does as much as he or she can.

Van Ness also mentioned that Hall has vision and is not scared to tackle any project. Hall started work on a greenhouse in August 2009 and just finished this past October, and he did all the work himself.

“It took a lot of work to restore and bleach the building and then paint what felt like 4,000 windows in temperatures up to 130 degrees at times, but I knew it was the right thing to do so I did it,” explained Hall.

If that kind of back-breaking work sounds like a tough job for those who are getting paid, then you get a clear idea of the sacrifice involved with doing it as a volunteer. But Hall says there are many rewards for the time and sweat equity spent.

“Not only do you get to work with good people, but you get to see people finding acceptance, such as the children who are autistic or have Down Syndrome that come in. It’s gratifying to see that happen,” he said.

Ron Cheatham – Crisis Line of Central Virginia

We find our final member of this year’s fantastic four at the Crisis Line of Central Virginia. The Crisis Line works to help people find happier, healthier lives and decrease the incidences of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, family and community violence and other destructive or desperate behaviors. They depend on volunteers to make this happen.

Lorie Beneke, Executive Director at the Crisis Line, sung the song of Ron Cheatham, who works on two different programs—the inbound hotline calls and the telecare program. He comes in every Friday to answer calls all day and is in the office on a weekly basis working 13 to 15 hours a week.

“Ron makes a connection with every person that he speaks with on the phone. He builds a report immediately and the clients look forward to his call and ask about him if he is absent, as he makes them feel comfortable,” Beneke said.

Cheatham doesn’t come alone though; his seeing eye dog, Tilton, is right by his side. He started volunteering to stay busy, and has continued because he says it makes him feel good to help people in need.

“The reward is when I pick the phone up and the person is crying and I get them the help they need. At the end, they thank me for being the person that answered the phone and for helping them. It is an unbelievable feeling,” Cheatham said.

In true hero style, not one of these volunteers claimed to be a hero or seem to even know that they are. After hearing what each organization and volunteer had to say, the words of Sandy Walton seemed even more appropriate.

“Find the non-profit that fits your skills as a business, a family or an individual; one that you connect with and then donate your time,” she said. “If everyone did this, we could take care of Lynchburg one volunteer at a time.”

Just imagine a city full of heroes. What sort of impact could we all have on Lynchburg if each of us strived to be unsung heroes?