Volunteers honored

The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban Chicago celebrates its 2008 Caring Hearts Award winners.

Arnstein & Lehr, attorneys at law

Winner: Corporate category

The Chicago-based law firm of Arnstein & Lehr, with offices in Hoffman Estates, provides free legal services to The Bridge Youth & Family Service in Palatine. Because of the firm's help, Bridge has spent less than $130 in legal fees in the past 20 years. Attorneys also serve as consultants, and one is a member of the Bridge board of directors. Pictured is attorney Bill Anaya of Palatine.

Brandeis University National Women's Committee, North Shore chapter

Winner: Community Group category

After running the Brandeis Used Book Sale for 47 years -- much of that at Old Orchard Shopping Center -- the committee (average age 75) passed the fundraiser to the Little City Foundation this year. Still, they spent more than 100 hours a month helping Little City learn how to run it. Pictured are Babette Henschel, Nancy Levi, Lois Ringel, Claire Smith, Joan Starkson and Judith Weintraub.

Steve Dodge, Cary

Co-winner: Adult category

Steve Dodge has volunteered with the Bridge Youth & Family Services for 13 years, first as a youth mentor for one boy for 7½ years. He has since been assisting in several leadership capacities: planning activities, including mentoring and training other volunteers, and helping with fundraisers.

Georgiana Duffy, Park Ridge

Co-winner: Senior category

Since 2000, Georgiana Duffy has worked with Rainbow Hospice in Park Ridge, doing one-on-one outreach to widowed people and following them through that crucial first year of mourning. In addition, she has run several of Rainbow's programs and now volunteers at The Ark, Rainbow's new inpatient care unit in Park Ridge.

Lee and Shirley Eilken, Des Plaines

Co-winners: Adult category

For more than a decade, Lee and Shirley Eilken have worked at the Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry. In the office, she organizes schedules, places volunteers and is secretary for the board. He takes donations, stocks shelves, checks inventory, shops and guides other volunteers and clients. Estimated hours? More than 60,000 between them.

Gil Fergus, Morton Grove

Winner: Volunteer Leadership category

Gil Fergus has had a long volunteer association with Little City Foundation. He's been on the board of directors since 2001, he formerly chaired the program committee, he chairs the parent family guardian group and the golf outing. He has volunteered at virtually every event in seven years and has recruited others into volunteer service.

Ann Grant, Skokie

Winner: Education category

Ann Grant has volunteered 13 years and 2,000 hours at Oakton Community College's Volunteers in Teaching Adults program, where she helps prepare students to enter college level classes or to become better employed.

Karen Hanson, Rolling Meadows

Co-winner: Corporate category

Karen Hanson runs the Giving Tree holiday gift program for Zurich in Schaumburg, where more than 5,000 gifts have been bought for more than 2,500 needy children and adults. She helped advance the program so now more than 20 other Zurich locations nationwide do it. She's also involved with Shelter's Charity Ball Committee and the NWSRA Fun Fair. She also recruited 60 Zurich volunteers for Clearbrook's participation in the Western Open.

Katelyn Jo Hofstetter, Glenview

Co-winner: Youth Category

Katelyn Jo Hofstetter is a member of the Glenbrook South High School Interact Club, which chose Katelyn as its outstanding member of the year. She has been involved with the community paint-a-thon for disadvantaged seniors, the Adopt-A-Beach cleanup program, the Glenview Rotary fun run, the Helping Hand Yard Cleanup and more. The Interact Club has 225 members and has sponsored more than 30 events this year.

Alan Lifchultz, Prospect Heights

Co-winner: Senior category

For 10 years, Alan Lifchultz has volunteered at Resources for Community Living 25 to 30 hours a month. He has been on the board, chaired several major fundraisers, drives clients to functions and taught others how to successfully solicit. One particular achievement stands out -- he negotiated with condo owners to provide space for two more RCL clients to live independently at no cost to the organization.

Maine East Gifted Lyceum Program

Winner: Youth Group category

Teacher Judy Tyler and 26 Maine East students in the high school's Gifted Lyceum Program -- including Falguni Rana and Veena Vijayakumar, pictured -- volunteered to help the dying. Through Rainbow Hospice in Park Ridge, they provided personal care packages to dying patients, raising the money by asking hotels for donations, holding bake sales and collecting computer printer cartridges and cell phones for recycling. Now they help with administrative chores and personally assist patients and family members at The Ark in Park Ridge.

Carol Murray, Mount Prospect

Co-winner: Senior category

Carol Murray has volunteered at the CEDA Northwest food pantry since March 2006. She is credited with re-structuring and redesigning the pantry's processes for storage, sorting and packaging, and has led groups of volunteers in various projects. She volunteers daily to make sure that there are always bags available for the needy.

Christine Ninchich, Palatine

Co-winner: Youth category

At 16, Christine Ninchich has volunteered with the Justice and Service ministry at Holy Family Parish in Inverness for three years, but has been volunteering overall for nearly nine. Her causes include homelessness, breast cancer awareness, elderly abuse and domestic violence. She organized a cookie decorating event for the residents of the Little Sisters of the Poor and recruited other teens to help so each senior citizen had a buddy.