Jim Warford

Jane Wiley has been an active servant in her community for several years. As a member of Teens United Florida Chapter, she organizes and leads various volunteering activities throughout the Orlando community twice a month.

These activities include delivering up to 250 pre-packed lunches and hygiene bags to the homeless, organizing and operating drive-thru food drives, and maintaining and facilitating communication among members. Jane has also been a volunteer at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando since December 2019, where she organizes, hosts, and manages pet supply drives to accumulate donations for the Pet Alliance.

Jane collects pet supplies such as food, collars, etc. and delivers them to the organization. Since February 2020, Jane has also volunteered her time at Second Harvest Food Bank. Here, she examines, sorts, and organizes food donations to be distributed to those in need throughout the Orlando community. Jane has made community service a part of who she is. The various organizations and social issues that she helps to address display her caring spirit and well-roundedness.

Luke Barner has served as a Capernaum Volunteer since 2018. Capernaum volunteers give young people with disabilities the chance to have fun, make friends, develop self-esteem. Luke has befriended many teens with developmental disabilities and helped them make it through the pandemic.

As a Capernaum Volunteer, Luke has been a Mentor, Camp Counselor and Group Leader. He not only works as a “buddy” but also collaboratively plans and facilitates group events for Capernaum. He aids students in academic tutoring and social development. He was the first high school Group Leader since 2020. Overall, Luke is just a fantastic student and always willing to lend a hand to those around him!

I’m proud to announce I’ve been named a MasterMind and joined the team of educational visionaries at KP Publishing! KP stands for, putting Knowledge into Practice. Using gamification and Artificial Intelligence, KP does just that while making learning more engaging and effective.

20 years ago, when KP Started, content in education was flat and little innovation had occurred.  There was little evidence of innovative thinking related to instructional practices and materials. Even as the world continues to dramatically transform, very little has changed in the way teachers teach and students consume education materials.

KP believes There is a great opportunity for innovation! I’m proud to now be a part of the MasterMind team making that happen! KP Visionary Team — KP Publishing Universe (kppubu.com)

Jayden Acoba of Farrington HS in Kalihi, HI is an outstanding student who was recently accepted to attend Harvard University! As a member of Malama Mentors, he meets with elementary school students once a week to provide moral support and offer guidance to the young students. He enjoys being a positive role model to disadvantaged youth in Kalihi.

Jayden also takes part in Youth Leaders in Training, where he models servant leadership. During the pandemic, he passed out thousands of masks to the community. He visited one of the local elderly clinics to deliver the care packages, which he helped make.

When the pandemic first hit, through the Waiwai program he worked with the local YMCA to distribute free meals to the community. He also helped to maintain a local farm which was used to provide for needy people at Kokua Kalihi Valley clinic.

In school, Jayden serves as the Class of 2022 Class Council President. He was also Class President the last two school years – his sophomore and junior years in high school He is also HOSA Vice President and National Honor Society Vice President. Last but not least, he is a member of our FHS Cheer squad! The Peter Marsh Foundation is proud to recognize Jayden Acoba with a 2022 Student Silent Servant Award!

Hailey Stanford of Wilburton HS in Wilburton, OK is widely recognized as a leader within her school, and local community. Since 2018 she has served with the Wilburton Community Food Pantry providing food for needy residents. Her service became particularly important during the pandemic.

Hailey also enjoys working with community leaders on the Wilburton Youth Advisory Board, where she also represents YAHL (Youth Action for Health Leadership) and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). In addition, she has also been actively involved with many FFA (Future Farmers of America)​ community projects. 

Hailey is recognized as a strong, quiet leader at Wilburton HS, where she has had many leadership roles: FFA President, FFA Secretary, FCA President, Softball Co-Captain, Basketball Co-Captain. The Peter R. Marsh Foundation is proud to recognize Hailey for her selfless community service.

At the Peter R. Marsh Foundation, we do not ordinarily give the Silent Servant Awards to a group. But Kristin Jung, Hannah Lui, and Abigail Jung of the Dreamcatchers Club at University HS in Tucson, AZ are no ordinary high school students. And the Dream Catchers are no ordinary club. The Dreamcatchers do extraordinary things!

The Dreamcatchers are an amazing group of high school students who have dedicated their time and talents to, “granting the wishes” of elderly Tucson citizens, most of whom who are in nursing homes or Hospice care. 

Founder Kristin Jung is a senior leader and during a home visit, she learned from an Agape’ Hospice patient that her one wish was to have her home decorated for Christmas, just as she had done for many years, but could no longer do for herself. Kristin and the Dreamcatchers granted this patient’s wish by closely following the patient’s direction and completely decorated her home inside and out, just as she wanted and had always done.

When asked why this was important to her, Kristin said that she believed, “Having the connection between the younger and older generation will make our society a better place”.

Hannah Lui and Abigail Jung are current Co-Presidents of the Dreamcatchers Club. As club leaders they have helped organize many fund-raising activities and projects. Their Dreamcatchers have worked to provide hairstyle and makeup sessions, manicure appointments, and musical entertainment for many elderly patients. She once organized a Disney-themed Tea Party for a group of nursing home patients, and a Mexican-themed party with a live Mariachi band for others!

When asked why the Dreamcatchers Club was important to her, Hannah said that she believed, “We’re not just giving to these patients, we’re learning life lessons”. We can all learn something from Hannah’s selfless service to others. Abigail said that she believed, “A lot of students my age don’t really think a lot about what senior citizens are going through”.

Kristin, Hannah, and Abigail are always the first to think of others. They, and their Dreamcatchers, actively and outwardly demonstrate what it means to have a true Silent Servant’s heart!

You can learn more about them from this story that ran on the CBS Evening News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arizona-high-school-students-make-dreams-come-true-for-elderly-hospice-patients/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab

You can learn more about the Peter R. Marsh Foundation here: https://www.prmfoundation.org/

In the middle of the night of November 29th, 2021 Tyler Baldwin proved himself to be a real life hero. Upon being alerted that his elderly neighbor’s home was on fire, and knowing that the gentleman could not walk very well, Tyler ran across the road and into the burning house to help. Tyler ran into the flames and was able to carry the gentleman to safety.

This heroic young man saved a life that morning while sustaining an injury to his hand and neck, even though he has no recollection of how he was injured. Tyler is very humble when asked about the incident or his bravery. He remains the calm and collected student known and loved by all at Braxton County High. He is a true Silent Servant. ​

Tyler is a dedicated member of the Law and Public Safety Career and and Technical Education pathway at Braxton County High School. He has an interest in joining the workforce as a community servant as either a DNR officer or fire fighter. Tyler is also a stellar baseball player and plays for the BCHS Eagles as the second baseman and pitcher, while also playing on a travel team year round. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys all activities that include hunting and fishing.

In school, Tyler is respected among his peers as he is always positive and willing to lend a helping hand. He can always be found hard at work no matter what environment or activity in which he is taking part. His teachers and coaches report that he is not only an excellent student in the classroom but is an all around good guy. The type the world needs more of.

After an effort over several weeks last year to help book coronavirus vaccination appointments for his Grandparents, Benjamin Kagan, a 9th grader at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago founded ChicagoVaccineHunters.com. The website now has a waitlist of 250 people asking for his help. “The vaccination system is just so complicated,” Kagan said. “If you don’t understand the technology, you are just going to lose out and not be vaccinated. And that’s difficult. People were sending me private messages saying ‘Benjamin, I can’t figure this out — can you book it for me?’”

Kagan realized many elderly people, his grandparents included, were not familiar with the “refresh” button on an internet web page, which allows the browser to reload online content for new updates. “Plus, every country, state, even pharmacy has its own online maze,” Kagan says. Kagan first joined the “Chicago Vaccine Hunters Facebook group, but was inspired to create his own group called “Chicago Vaccine Angels,” where he and a team of 50 volunteers respond to a Google form to assist a growing list of senior citizens who are asking for help.

Thousands of people have joined the group on Facebook where members share information with one another about where they might be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Chicago using leftover doses that presumably would have to be otherwise discarded.

Riley Stuttz truly represents the model of a empathetic Silent Servant. Riley attends Deer Park High School-South Campus in Deer Park, Texas. During 2020’s pandemic-filled summer, Riley worked a part-time job and used the money he earned to purchase 24 backpacks filled with school supplies and personal items.

Riley’s backpacks were then given anonymously by school counselors to needy students at Deer Park High School. When Riley was asked why he did this, he stated that he, “…wanted to promote kindness in our society”. To present the award Deer Park created a video presentation on being kind to each other that was shown to the student body during their in-school broadcast, Deer Time.

Through the Peter R. Marsh Foundation’s Silent Servant Award, we recognize and reward students like Riley across America who unselfishly provide empathetic service to their communities. We provide students a tax-free $500 check and beautiful crystal award that schools can use to help improve their school culture by rewareding and encouraging selfless service in all students.

Do you know a Silent Servant? Any member of a high school’s staff many nominate a student for our award. It’s not a contest. Schools choose the student and, if they meet the simple guidelines, we send the award. Ususally within 2-3 weeks. To nominate a student go to: https://www.prmfoundation.org/student-nomination-form/

The Peter R. Marsh Foundation was proud to add our new Middle School Music Grant program this year, and we’re particularly pleased to now introduce Jan Greco as the Program Director.

Embarrassingly shy and self-conscious as a young girl, terrified of being in the spotlight, Jan avoided many of the childhood experiences that develop social and emotional intelligence at all cost. Common events such as delivering an oral report from the front of the classroom, performing at piano recitals or challenging for “first chair” in junior high band were far outside her comfort zone and she refused to participate, receiving little to no encouragement from her teachers or peers.

Unfortunately, bowing out of these opportunities fed the fears and hampered her personal growth and development for many years. Now a grandmother, Jan understands and appreciates the distinct life-value of those educational moments and is delighted to serve the Peter R. Marsh Foundation as Middle School Music Grant Program Director.

Jan is particularly inspired by the Foundation’s quest to aid in the social and emotional development of children and greatly encouraged by the focus on community service and relationships, particularly between students and the oft-neglected senior citizens across the country.

If you want more information about the Middle School Music Grant, please see our website at: www.prmfoundation.org or email Jan at: jgreco@prmfoundation.org.

Here’s Jan and her husband, Joe…