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The
winners walked to the platform, had the wide, colorful ribbon with the
bronze medal on it placed around their necks, listened to the powerful,
inspirational anthems played over the booming sound system, saw
themselves reflected in enormous video screens and heard the cheers of
the crowd.
 ”I
felt like I was getting the Olympic ice skating medal,” says Camp
Rehoboth volunteer Joan Glass. “It’s amazing what a small effort can
blossom into.”
Well
it may have seemed like a small effort to Joan, but The Wireless
Foundation, a charitable non-profit of the Cellular Telecommunications
and Internet Association didn’t think so. The Foundation tapped Joan
as Delaware’s recipient of the 2002 VITA Wireless Samaritan Award.
Each
year, the wireless industry recognizes heroic efforts of individuals who
use wireless technology to save lives, stop crimes and summon help in
emergency situations.
In
Joan’s case, a program she began with CAMP Rehoboth won her the
award-and a lot of satisfaction for doing something to help people.
Back
in 2001, Joan logged on to “donateaphone.com” which described a
program where people could donate their old cell phones to be used to
assist abused women. She called CAMP’s Executive Director Steve Elkins
and asked if she could publicize the program through Letters.
According
to the program notes for the awards, the rest was history. Here’s what
the Wireless Foundation had to say about Joan:
”When
Joan Glass, a longtime volunteer of CAMP Rehoboth, first read about the
Donate-a-Phone program, she immediately knew she wanted her organization
to help. Joan, along with Camp Rehoboth’s help, then set out to
collect as many phones as she could, even working with local media to
run public service ads to help bring in phones. She was instrumental in
implementing the wireless phone drive for southern Delaware, which
collected more than 80 phones since spring 2001. These phones are
refurbished and programmed with emergency numbers and are then
distributed to organizations to combat domestic violence. Joan’s
initiative, along with the support of CAMP Rehoboth, has helped keep
over 80 victims of domestic violence safe.”
”We
did the collection, sent the phones off and that was it,” says Joan.
Then,
two weeks ago, Steve called and told Joan to expect a phone call within
a half hour letting her know that she’d won the Wireless Samaritan
award and inviting her to the award ceremony.
”You’re
kidding. You’re pulling my leg. I don’t believe you,” she told
Steve.
”It’s
true,” he said, and you’d better be nice to the lady who calls!”
She
was, and on June 4 and 5, Joan traveled to Washington, DC, joining
Wireless Samaritan winners from every other state in the nation, for the
awarding of the medals.
At
the dinner and ceremony at Washington, D.C.’s historic National
Building Museum, Joan got to hear the stories of all the other award
recipients across the nation-all 50 states were represented. Many of the
Good Samaritans used their wireless phones to call for help for crime
victims, summon fire departments, and assist with things like boating
accidents. The Good Samaritan from Alaska used his wireless phone to
call for help for a companion attacked by a grizzly bear.
In
addition, recipients of the award got to meet one-on-one with their
Senators and Congressmen at the U.S. Capitol.
For
her part, Joan used the time to chat with Senators Joseph Biden and Tom
Carper about ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, now collecting
sponsors on Capitol Hill.
”We
had a good conversation and both Senators support the bill,” says
Joan, who also asked the legislators about Route One congestion,
development issues and more.
Senator
Biden was especially interested in Joan’s award for the State of
Delaware, since he is very supportive of the cell phone program in
conjunction with his Women Against Violence Act. Senator Biden had been
involved in the program himself, helping to collect phones through a
local pharmacy chain.
Between
the pomp and circumstance of the award ceremony, the wonderful feeling
of being recognized for community service, and the chance to share some
personal opinions with her Senators in Washington, it was a rewarding
week for Delaware’s Good Samaritan Joan Glass.
”But
if even one woman was helped and kept safe by one of the phones we
collected, that’s what really makes me feel good,” says Joan.
So
good in fact, that Joan wants to remind everyone that the program is
still going and readers can still donate old cell phones by dropping
them off at the CAMP Rehoboth office.
In
the meantime, Letters says “Congratulations” to Joan for her
community-minded effort and thanks her for letting CAMP Rehoboth play a
role in the program.
Okay,
everybody, we’re waiting for those old phones!
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