WORKING CONDITIONS:

 Works in an office environment. Potential exposure to biohazards during infant / child care (diapering) or household maintenance.

 May work independently (alone) at any visitation location during any operating hours.

LEVEL OF SUPERVISION:

 Moderate.

AUTHORITY:

• Limited authority and under the direction of a Team Lead and Program Supervisor

National Volunteer Week, April 21-27, is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change — discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation.

Casa de los Niños will honor its volunteers at a reception to be held on Thursday, April 26th, from 5 to 7pm, on the patio of Kelsch Administration Building. The theme of the event is a “Happy Hour” because Casa de los Niños is so happy to have so many wonderful volunteers! In fiscal year 2012, 205 volunteers donated nearly 20,000 hours of volunteer service to the children and families served by Casa de los Niños. Based on the value of a volunteer hour by the Independent Sector, those hours total a value of more than $430,000 to the agency.

Sponsored by Points of Light—National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and has grown exponentially each subsequent year, with literally thousands of volunteer projects and special events scheduled throughout the week. With the fourth year anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the creation of the Volunteer Generation Fund and the resonant call to serve from the President, this year will be even more energizing and inspiring.

Vincent J. Felitti, MD, Co-principal Investigator of the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study presented his findings in Tucson on Wednesday, April 10th as part of the Casa de los Niños Focus on Families: A Community Conversation lecture series.

The ACE Study is an ongoing collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente, led by Robert F. Anda, MD, MS, and Vincent J. Felitti, MD. The ACE Study is perhaps the largest scientific research study of its kind, analyzing the relationship between multiple categories of childhood trauma (ACEs), and health and behavioral outcomes later in life.

Involving more than 17,000 study participants, Dr. Felitti’s work documents the strong correlation between adverse childhood experiences including abuse, neglect, other traumatic events such as loss of a parent or major household dysfunction, and some of life’s most common health problems such as heart disease, liver disease, obesity, alcoholism, illicit drug use, unintended pregnancy or smoking.

Those who attended the lecture learned more about this important connection between traumatic experiences as a child and health as an adult.

Learn more about our Focus on Families lecture series ›

This week’s recipient of Ben’s Bell is Michael Stewart.

Stewart, 67, was nominated by his Green Valley neighbors Carmen Towns and John Jacoby, who called him the “perfect candidate” for a bell.

For the last four years, Stewart has been buying fabrics, sewing children’s clothes and donating them to Casa de los Niños.

“He has created some adorable dresses, great pants and shirts for boys, and last Christmas he made and donated 80 pairs of flannel pajamas in all sizes,” Towns wrote in her nomination letter. “He does not expect any compensation or accolades.”

Stewart was humbled and “totally stunned” by the nomination, which he learned about at a neighborhood luncheon.

The retired attorney moved to Tucson in 2003 from Idaho. Four years ago he taught himself to hem his own pants with the help of the Internet and a cheap sewing machine. He grew to enjoy it so much, he began making his own clothing and bought a better machine.

“I knew I couldn’t keep making clothes for myself. I didn’t need them,” Stewart said.

It dawned on him there were children in need, so he began making clothing for them. He now makes close to 500 items a year, Stewart said.

“It makes me feel good,” Stewart said.

Ben’s Bells promote kindness and community. Each week a person who betters Tucson is “belled.” Go to bensbells.org/Belling to submit a name.