By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Elsie Storey died a year ago this month. But her giving spirit will be alive and well on Saturday, which is Make a Difference Day.

Five years ago, when she was 82, the resident of Seasons Retirement Community in Kenwood came up with the idea of "Seniors Helping Seniors." The result: 90 volunteers at Seasons, ages 75 to 96, collected two truckloads of shoes and clothing from their closets for elderly people in need.

The program has continued every year since.

`Loving person'

It's one of the stories the Enquirer found when we went looking for Make a Difference Day volunteers whose past efforts have made a lasting impact.

TO PARTICIPATE

Saturday is the 12th Make a Difference Day, America's largest day of volunteering. It is sponsored by USA Weekend magazine partnership with the Points of Light Foundation. In past years, millions have participated in thousands of projects. Again this year, 10 projects will be selected to receive $10,000 each from actor-philanthropist Paul Newman. For project ideas and to register, log on to makeadifferenceday.com, where you also can search for projects that need volunteers. Information: (800) 416-3824.

Ms. Storey was "a loving, giving person," says Brenda Lovich, activities director at Seasons Retirement Community. She had outlived her family, including a son who had cerebral palsy. So the folks at Seasons became her family.

"She rallied the other residents, her friends and neighbors, to make this a big (clothing) drive," Ms. Lovich says. "And now they look forward to it every year. They clean out their closets and somebody else gets help."

Near the end of her life, "She'd gotten pretty sick, but always wanted to know if (the project) was still going on, and wanted to make sure we were still helping other folks," Ms. Lovich says.

Signs announcing this year's drive at Seasons have been posted, and soon staffers will collect clothing and distribute items to people in nursing homes.

Additional efforts

Other efforts that continue to reap benefits:

Jeff Griffiths was among a small group of Miami University students (including his wife-to-be, Tina), faculty and staff, who helped plan Miami's first Make a Difference Day in 1997.

"Instead of one day, we decided to (do)... one full week of service events that would bring together every segment of the Oxford community," he says. Miami students, senior citizens, school children and permanent city residents pitched in to help organize a clothing and food drive, rake leaves for senior citizens, and raise money.

Over the next several years, with Mr. Griffiths' help, the effort grew. Projects included citywide cleanups of local parks; yard spruce-ups for residents who made requests through churches; parties and craft days at the Oxford Senior Center; a free clothing store open to the public on Make a Difference Day; and various fund-raisers.

"During my time at Miami, we raised at least $10,000 for local organizations," he says.

Mr. Griffiths, an August graduate of Miami, teaches seventh- and eighth-grade social studies in the Chicago Public Schools.

"This year my wife and I are planning on participating in a local existing effort here in the Chicago area. However, it is my ultimate goal to plan and organize a Chicago Public Schools-wide effort for Make a Difference Day. Just give me time."

At Miami, many of the activities begun by Mr. Griffiths continue to make a difference. Clean-up efforts and food drives are being held again, and fund-raisers will benefit United Way.

Several years ago, Sycamore High School decided to "adopt" Stepping Stones Center for two years. The United Way agency is dedicated to assisting people with disabilities. Several dozen students not only volunteered on Make a Difference Day, they came back to help with spring cleanups, Halloween and holiday parties, and to serve as summer camp counselors. The commitment ended, but some students remain involved.

"There was one young man in particular who started our involvement with Sycamore. He's quite a young man," says Theresa Ciampone, Stepping Stones development director.

He's Jeff Elkus, a 2002 Sycamore graduate. He was familiar with Stepping Stones because he'd participated in its summer camps. Mr. Elkus has muscular dystrophy and experiences life from a wheelchair.

Mr. Elkus, now 19 and a freshman studying electronic media at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, had made the transition from Stepping Stones camper to volunteer. He thought other Sycamore students would enjoy volunteering.

"(Students) do other projects, but this is different; it's more one-on-one with a person with special needs," Mr. Elkus says. "There wasn't really a doubt in my mind it would be successful."

It has.

"Because Jeff had been involved with Stepping Stones for such a long time, he was instrumental in bringing it to our attention and helping us carry it through and stay committed to it," says Marnie May, Sycamore's volunteer coordinator.

E-mail jjohnston@enquirer.com