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Bert Boeckmann has become a beacon of hope for people around the world. Bert has personally organized and led humanitarian missions to Russia, Lebanon, and West Africa, delivering medical and agricultural aid.
In Russia, he led an effort to lessen infant mortality rates after hearing about a lack of medical supplies for newborns and their mothers. The result? Two 40-foot sea containers filled to capacity with donated items. He then traveled to Moscow to receive the containers, inspect the goods, and oversee distribution. He also worked closely with the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta to provide her charities with similar support.
Closer to home, Bert has also worked with legions of needy organizations across America through the Boeckmann Charitable Foundation, an organization that he and his wife established more than 15 years ago. “We’re not just directing giving efforts. I’m looking to provide remedies to problems,” Bert said. “I’m just trying to give back to the community that has provided me and my family with so much.”
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Before getting involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF), Don Chalmers was very familiar with diabetes and its effects on people’s lives. “I watched my father die from diabetes,” Don said. “And New Mexico has twice the national rate of diabetes among its population…this cause really hit home with me.”
So when Ford Motor Company decided to become a major sponsor of the JDF Walk to Cure Diabetes, it was an easy decision for Don to become involved. The JDF’s mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through research.
Don became the local site manager for the 2000 Ford Global Walk Team for the JDF and enlisted the support of his employees and other local Ford dealerships. Under his direction, the race exceeded its targeted dollar amount. It also raised the largest corporate contribution in the Albuquerque JDF’s history. “Beside exceeding our targeted goal, we were able to raise the local level of awareness about diabetes,” Don said. “I’m convinced that we’ll see a cure in the near future if we’re able to continue with these strong efforts.”
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When Stan and Pat Kujawa traveled to El Salvador to adopt a child in 1991, they had no idea that their trip would mark the beginning of a better life, not just for their new daughter, but for thousands of children. “After our initial trip, we decided to return to help others seeking to adopt children from the country and also to begin helping the country that brought our beautiful daughters into our life,” Stan said.
The Kujawas formed the Children’s Wishing Star (CWS), a group that works with the Benjamin Bloom National Hospital in El Salvador to provide funds for food, beds, clothing and medicine for children. The Kujawas have also spearheaded efforts to provide the capital city of El Salvador with an ambulance and improved drinking water.
Their continued efforts include an on-going donor drive at Stan’s dealership to collect products for delivery to the CWS facility and working with Slavadoran First Lady Elizabeth DeCalderon on nutrition education and children’s rights issues. “We see our efforts paying off for the children of El Salvador and we will continue to try to improve their lives,” Stan said.
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Rich
Liebler wasn’t about to sit back and watch as drugs and violence
deteriorated his community. “I knew right away that I had to
get involved,” Rich said. “So we worked with a local organization
to create the Youth Automotive Training Center (YATC).”
The YATC is a partnership between the New Community Corporation, a Newark-based community development corporation, and the Hillside Auto Mall. Through this partnership, the YATC provides city residents between the ages of 18 and 24 with training for service-related jobs in the automotive industry. In addition to these marketable skills, the organization also provides residents with life skills training where students learn how to deal with conflict and how to make intelligent decisions.
According to Rich, more than 17,000 individuals have participated in the YATC program since its inception in 1996. The program’s success can also be measured by its duplication at home and around the world. “The Peace Corps contacted us,” Rich said. “They’re working with 20 European countries trying to duplicate our efforts. Ford’s Automotive Consumer Services Group (ACSG) is also using the YATC model as a global initiative and has since started similar programs across America.”
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More than a decade ago, Bill Schicker made an unexpected decision that changed his family’s life and the lives of the St. Louis homeless community. “It was very close to Christmas and my dealership had an overabundance of appreciation gifts,” Bill recalls. “Not wanting to see all the gifts go unused, someone recommended that we donate them to the Guardian Angel Settlement House. So I unexpectedly went to the mission.” Upon his arrival, a nun who had worked at the mission greeted him at the door.
“I announced my intentions and she broke down into tears,” Bill added. As he would soon find out, the mission had run out of gifts for its residents and Bill’s timing was perfect. Was it divine intervention? The answer is unknown but one thing is certain: Bill’s first contribution to the Guardian Angel Settlement House would not be his last.
Bill and his family have donated countless hours to supporting the Guardian Angel Settlement House. In addition, Bill also opens the doors of his own house, providing those in need with a place to stay. “Whatever we can do, we must do,” he said.
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During the last seven years, Bill Williamson, Jr. has dedicated himself to community endeavors by using his private plane to fly more than 45 medical-related missions. He transports needy patients – free of charge – to hospitals that they would not otherwise have access to due to financial and distance-related constraints. “I just want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity regardless of where they live and their economic status,” says Bill.
Bill is a volunteer for Angel Flight, a national organization dedicated to ensuring that “no financially-needy patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation for lack of a means of long-distance medical air transportation.” Bill donates his time, plane and related expenses to needy patients around the country. “In some cases, I’m on call 24 hours a day for a patient because of the nature of organ transplant availability,” he added.
The Angel Flight Motto, “we don’t let transportation stand in the way of medical health,” embodies Bill’s rationale for participating. “I try to do whatever it takes to support this cause,” he says. “To see smiles and actual results is really gratifying to me.”
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