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The 10th Anniversary Making A Difference Awards for 2008/2009... and the winners are...
By Lynn Stadler-Hawkins
The 10th Annual Making a Difference Awards were sponsored by Bonnie Schultz, past president of POMBA Canada. The awards were presented during the banquet on Saturday October 17th, 2009 at the annual MBC Conference and AGM in The Town of Blue Mountains, Collingwood, Ontario.
Local Category
A first for the Local MADA award! This year two individuals were nominated together, as a team, and won! As their sale co-ordinator for 5 years, Shelley’s marketing skills gave new life to the sale. Gerlinde came on board two years ago and has led the charge in re-designing the sale area and creating and enforcing the  “rules”. Together these ladies have changed the entire concept of the chapter’s bi-annual clothing sale. The chapter has received much positive feedback from the public on how well-run and organized the sales are. Revenues increased from $2,000 to over $15,000. This enables the chapter to assist local charities and needy families in the community. As an example, the chapter donated over $3600 to the local NICU.
Their involvement with the chapter is changing. Shelley has plans to return to teacher’s college this fall and is also expecting her 4th child. Gerlinde moved to Oakville this past August. She was also the chapter’s newsletter editor for the past three years and had been working on the chapter’s website, clothing rack production and advertising. The Windsor Essex chapter appreciates all that these ladies have done for them and would like them to know that they will be truly missed.
Responses from Shelley and Gerlinde:
I just wanted to send a note of thanks for the wonderful award given to Gerlinde and I. We were so honoured to receive it and genuinely feel there are probably 3-4 other member names we should add to the plaque. So many have worked so hard and added such great contributions to growing our “ALL 4 KIDS” yard sale over the years that we truly share this award with our entire local. Personally, the greatest sense of accomplishment I get from the success of our sale is seeing the number of charities it supports in our community and the benefits it generates for our chapter and families with multiples in our community.
On a funny note, I was surprised on “multiple levels” with this award. I’m on hospital bed rest with our fourth child and was shocked to see my POMBA girls come in to visit me in hospital (Gerlinde having driven 3 hours to see me!). They shared the video clip and presented the award to me in hospital. You can imagine the surprise when I found out we were nominated let alone won.
Thanks again for sharing this award with our local chapter. We hope to continue making a difference in Windsor/Essex County.
Shelley Ryan
I feel honored to have been nominated and a little embarrassed to receive this award that should have gone to the amazing team that Windsor/Essex POMBA truly is. For me the work I have done over the last few years is just a way to give back to the members who have helped me in difficult days. In my chapter I found true understanding for the problems we face having multiples, support in any decisions I made and friends I will treasure for the rest of my life.
The chapters are the foundation of Multiple Birth Canada and the work they do is important for the families and communities they serve.
I thank everyone for nominating me and share this honour with a bunch of Moms who meet once a month to make the world a better place for families who have been blessed with Twins, Triplets or more.
Gerlinde Rup
MBC is honoured to present Shelley Ryan and Gerlinde Rup with the Making a Difference Award in the Local category!
National Category
This year’s recipient in the National Category is someone who despite many  challenges to overcome on a daily basis, is also an avid volunteer for her local chapter and national association. Theresa Meininger Sanders is a member of Barrie Parents of Twins & More in Central Ontario. She has five-year-old twins, Alexander and Jessica. With a special needs daughter, going back to work was not something she could do right away. Instead she volunteered – first with Barrie Parents of Twins & More, as Secretary, then as Co-Chair, then Chair. Theresa also runs the Prenatal Information Sessions that the Barrie Chapter holds four times a year and helps out in other areas as well.
But, that's not why she was nominated for this National MADA award! After co-organizing a very successful silent auction and instant raffle for MBC's 30th Anniversary National Conference, Theresa was asked to consider taking on a new challenge... Chairing MBC's Special Needs Support Network. Without hesitation, Theresa said yes!
Theresa has developed an atmosphere of discussion and support for its members by creating a Facebook page where Special Needs multiple-birth parents can safely share their challenges and accomplishments. Theresa has also started producing a monthly e-newsletter, "All Children are Special", for members of the Special Needs Support Network which has been well received and is filled with wonderful words of encouragement and honest dialogue.
Having a special needs child can be overwhelming, exhausting and isolating – which may be why Theresa is doing such a great job for this important network. Theresa is the kind of volunteer we all aspire to be - energetic, creative, optimistic, and a true leader.
Response from Theresa:
Winning the National Making A Difference Award from MBC means so much to me. I have worked very hard to make sure that I continue the support that MBC provides for its families and feel that those with special needs children are amongst the most vulnerable in our organization. Having the incredibly dedicated people that are a part of MBC, recognize my accomplishments is an honour and very humbling. I can't wait to do so much more for all of our members across the country and any more out there needing to be supported.
Theresa Meininger Sanders
MBC is honoured to present Theresa Meininger Sanders with the Making a Difference Award in the National category!
International Category
Jane Denton is a nurse and midwife in England. She was awarded a Fellowship  of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to fertility nursing and genetics, and promotion of the nursing voice in these fields. She was Nursing Director at the Hallam Medical Centre and participated in the development of one of the UK’s first in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs. As a founding member of the RCN Fertility Nurse Group, Jane contributed to ethical debates in, and lobbied for regulation of, IVF and embryo research which resulted in the current Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Act.
In 1992 she became the first nurse appointed to the HFEA, which regulates and inspects all UK clinics providing IVF, donor insemination and the storage of eggs, sperm or embryos.
In her current role as Director of the Multiple Births Foundation in the UK, she has contributed to significant change in public and professional perception and attitudes towards multiple births. She continues to support and inspire nurses to work as part of a multi-professional team and to give the very best care to couples going through assisted reproduction and multiple births, as well as raising awareness and educating professionals about their special needs. She also contributed to the World Health Organization’s 2002 report on the scientific and ethical issues surrounding assisted reproductive techniques.
Jane presented "Helping Families to Prepare for Multiple-Birth Children" to nearly 50 health professionals as part of the Professionals Program at the 2007 MBC National Conference in Kitchener-Waterloo. Jane was asked to join the MBC Advisory Board that weekend and kindly agreed. Over the past two years Jane has been a superb advisor providing guidance on IVF, multiple-birth programs and more.
Jane is internationally recognized as an expert in the multiple-birth field, and gives willingly and liberally of her time to the multiple-birth community.
Response from Jane Denton:
I am deeply honoured and touched by this award and would like to thank you all at MBC for your most generous words.
Working with MBC is a great pleasure and I am constantly impressed by your tremendous achievements, enthusiasm and unstinting dedication to improving the support and care for multiple birth families. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to contribute as an advisor to MBC and look forward to continuing to do so as we meet the challenges together.
With my thanks and best wishes to the Board and all members.
Jane Denton
MBC is honoured to present Jane Denton with the
Making a Difference Award in the International category!
Media Category
This year’s Media award goes to the Windsor radio station  AM 800 CKLW.
AM 800 has been a tremendous supporter of Windsor Essex POMBA over the years but over this past year their support has been amazing! AM 800 has done many interviews with the local chapter regarding multiple birth issues and awareness of chapter events.
They stepped up to provide no cost public service announcements in support of the chapter’s clothing sale at a time when they found that new city bylaws meant they couldn’t advertise their sales using street signs. They aired their PSA’s at least 40 times through the week preceding the sale and also did a lunch time interview with the sale co-ordinator. Windsor POMBA had one of their most successful sales ever. When the chapter was doing a fundraiser for the local NICU, AM 800 donated an $1800 trip as a prize. With AM 800’s publicity at this and other events, the chapter was able to raise and donate over $3600 for the NICU. This meant a lot to the members, as over 35 babies of their members have needed the NICU over the years.
As a follow-up: Windsor/Essex POMBA Chapter Reps presented this award to AM 800CKLW following this conference and were invited on air to once again talk about their chapter's purpose and events and to present the award. Thank you AM 800 for your generous support of the multiple birth community!
The multiple birth community wishes to say thank you and honour AM 800 CKLW with the 2009 Making a Difference Media Award.
Media Award - Honourable Mention
Runner Up: MBC would also like to recongize talk show host Jeff Goodes, and CBC Radio One.
Jeff contacted MBC to locate fathers of higher order multiples to do a special Father’s Day show on the challenges of being a multiple-birth dad. The show was enlightening and gave a voice to the dads of multiples! And Jeff is also a father of multiples! At the end of the show, Jeff credited MBC with bringing the show together and promoted MBC on his CBC web-page.
Thank you Jeff Goodes and CBC Radio One.
Please take a moment next year to nominate someone. We all have strengths and together we all make a difference. Once again, thank you to everyone from the nominators to the nominees and all those who make a difference.
A special thank you to the Making A Diference Chairperson, Lynn Stadler and the Making A Difference Committee - THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!!
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