The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Mayor urges volunteerism in State of the City address

By Lester Chang

Residents who volunteer their services to community groups will help support Sunnyvale's healthy economy and help ensure that government services continue to run efficiently, Mayor Stan Kawczynski said.

Those who volunteer will only help make the city a better place for all, Kawczynski told about 400 community-group representatives and residents in his State of the City address given at the Community Care Fair held at City Hall May 31.

The fair was held to help nearly 100 community groups recruit volunteers to augment their services to residents.

Laticha Hill, newly arrived from Washington, D.C., heeded the call and signed up with Sophie Horiuchi and the city's Volunteer Services Department to do cleanup or administrative work in any city department.

"I like this place," she said. "Sunnyvale seems to be open. It is clean and well-planned. It has everything I want in a city so far. Volunteering is a way to make it better, I think."

Representatives from such groups as the American Red Cross, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Sunnyvale, the Rotary Club of Sunnyvale and Christmas in April, a nondenominational, community-based project to help the poor and elderly by repairing their homes, manned booths at the event, passed out information about themselves and signed people up for projects.

Among a score of volunteer jobs, residents had opportunities to work at the Sunnyvale Library, clean up rural areas, repair homes, help distribute food to the poor and counsel battered women.

Sunnyvale could become a city with people who care only about their jobs and their families, Kawczynski said, but that won't happen if residents and government work together to "deliberately make a choice to support and renew a culture of caring. To choose to put community first, in our hearts and in our minds."

A healthy community requires "engaged citizens--people who take on the responsibility for assuring the quality of life in their neighborhoods, their schools and their physical and social environment," Kawczynski said.

Sunnyvale has people who care about their community, and whatever help they muster will benefit government, he added.

The city of Sunnyvale, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate financial strength, and has a wide range of excellent city services, he said.

The city's well-being is tied to Silicon Valley's economic boom, good government planning and an operating construction budget of $173.5 million for fiscal year 1996-97, said David Vossbrink, the city's community relations officer.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo said communities benefit from residents who volunteer and praised those who did.

During the event, city officials presented awards to residents who made outstanding contributions to Sunnyvale.

Kel Rabon won an award for valor. Despite having both arms broken in an unrelated accident, Rabon dragged his neighbor from a burning couch to safety and saved his life.

Sue Barbieri was named the city's "Distinguished Citizen of the Year." As a staff member and volunteer for Sunnyvale Community Services, she developed the organization's volunteer program. She has enlisted, trained and guided more than 700 volunteers each year.

Betsy Doss, principal at Columbia Middle School, won an excellence award for helping in the development of the Columbia Neighborhood Center, which benefits children and families in north Sunnyvale.

Ken Leonard, of Amdahl Corp., won an outstanding business person award. Leonard launched the company's "Read to Succeed" program three years ago, and it now reaches 50 schools in South Bay cities, including Sunnyvale.

Ray Mion was named the city's outstanding community volunteer. Although he has no children and is blind, Mion has tutored children at Ponderosa School in Sunnyvale.

Deborah Schapira of Menlo School, located in Atherton, and Amy Yan of Wilcox High School, located in Santa Clara, were named outstanding high school seniors for the year.

Besides maintaining an outstanding academic record, Schapira founded the school's United Nations program and led it for three years, and co-chaired a holiday food drive at the school that netted two tons of food.

Yan, who also excelled academically, tutored elementary school students, led public service activities and served as a computer instructor at Santa Clara University.

Also attending the ceremony were Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist, county supervisors Pete McHugh and Joe Simitian and members of the Sunnyvale City Council.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 11, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.