Mayor Tom Weisner presents recipients with a certificate thanking them for their generosity and a tiny pin that reads "volunteer"



Dee Basile, who works for the Aurora Economic Development Commission, displayed the tokens proudly.
For the past three years, Basile has tutored immigrants in English at the Dominican Literary Center. "I realize how difficult it was for my father to go to school here when the only thing he could speak was Spanish," said Basile, whose grandfather came to Aurora from Mexico in the 1920s. "So that's how I want to help others." Tom Weisner, elected mayor of Aurora, IL in 2005, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Solomon Islands.

Mayor Tom Weisner presents recipients with a certificate thanking them for their generosity and a tiny pin that reads "volunteer"

Aurora honors 300 volunteers

By Heather Gillers
STAFF WRITER

AURORA — When a permission slip goes unsigned, when a child lacks school supplies, when a pre-teen acts out in class, baffled teachers can always call the student's home.

But what if he or she is homeless? Then who do they call?

If the child is one of Lincoln Elementary School's nine or 10 homeless students, they call Sue Fitzsimons, who since 1995 has been the unofficial liaison between Lincoln and Hesed House.

"I don't get paid to do it," she said. "I just do it because I think it needs to be done."

Fitzsimons is one of some 300 Aurora residents honored Tuesday night at the Aurora Transportation Center with the city's annual Community Volunteer Award.

Mayor Tom Weisner presented each recipient with a certificate thanking them for their generosity and a tiny pin that read "volunteer."

Dee Basile, who works for the Aurora Economic Development Commission, displayed the tokens proudly.
For the past three years, Basile has tutored immigrants in English at the Dominican Literary Center.

"I realize how difficult it was for my father to go to school here when the only thing he could speak was Spanish," said Basile, whose grandfather came to Aurora from Mexico in the 1920s. "So that's how I want to help others."

Sister Ann Clennon, one of three nuns who run the program, praised Basile's enthusiasm. Indeed, Basile managed to teach her first student three years' worth of English in only one year, enabling the woman to enroll in Waubonsee Community College.

Hesed House Director Ryan Dowd had similarly glowing words about Fitzsimons, who works in the library media center at Lincoln and served for many years on Hesed's board.

Fitzsimons compiles materials that help teachers understand the unique needs of homeless children, who may lack a good night's sleep or a quiet place to study. She even brings teachers to the shelter to play board games with kids and reach out to parents.

"It's easy for homeless children to slip through the cracks, Dowd said. "An advocate like Sue ... really gives them a fighting chance to get a good education."

As she waited to receive her certificate, Fitzsimons glanced around the packed transportation center.

"I'm honored, but I'm just one person," she said. "There are so many people involved."

When this story was posted in October 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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'Celebration of Service' a major success The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

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PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident" The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger.

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Top Stories: October 10, 2005 Carl Pope says the looting of America has only begun 2 Oct Report of PCV Misconduct in Zambia 7 Oct Chic Dambach speaks in Oklahoma 6 Oct Murphy to give papers to Heinz museum 6 Oct Mike Honda speaks out on Katrina 5 Oct Kinky Friedman could be the next governor of Texas 5 Oct Peter McPherson urges new nuclear weapon designs 5 Oct Doyle and Green in dead heat for Wisconsin Governor 5 Oct NPCA Membership Directory ready in late November 5 Oct GOP hopefuls avoiding Taft 4 Oct Ask not 4 Oct Russell Carollo wins journalism prize for "The Toll of War" 4 Oct Mark Gearan says provision was a mistake 4 Oct Mike Tidwell says Bayou has been sinking for years 3 Oct Carl Pope writes: Preparing for Global Warming 3 Oct Director Vasquez Meets with Volunteers in Gulf Coast 3 Oct John McCain's call to service 3 Oct Joshua Berman wins Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award 2 Oct Operation Offset proposes freeze in Peace Corps Funding 1 Oct

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Returned Volunteers respond to Hurricane Katrina First and foremost, Give. Then volunteer with the Crisis Corps. Carol Bellamy says "In situations such as this one, money is needed the most" and added that Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans is comparable to last year's tsunami. Thailand RPCV Thomas Tighe's Direct Relief International has committed an initial $250,000 in cash to assist hurricane victims. Mayor Tom Murphy (RPCV Paraguay) says Pittsburgh is ready to embrace refugees from devastated areas. Brazil RPCV Robert Backus is among the first Vermont doctors to volunteer to travel to Louisiana to treat victims. Latest: FEMA requests RPCVs to assist in recovery efforts through the Crisis Corps and the Peace Corps hopes to send 400 RPCVs to the Gulf Coast for short term assignments to assist victims with their applications for federal aid.

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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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