Want something done? Call Michelle Tiberio

Michelle Tiberio, 17, a senior at Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, has grown up in a family that has participated in voluntarism since she can remember, and her school requires 60 hours of community service over four years before students can graduate.

Michelle took that goal and multiplied it; she has accumulated 650 hours at Sunnyview Hospital and Rehabilitation Center alone.

When she includes other hours at additional organizations, she has amassed more than 1,000 service hours in four years.

Pitching in

Michelle is matter-of-fact when she describes her hours at Sunnyview, where she's been going for four years. During the school week, she spends a few evenings there, helping the nursing staff by doing recreational therapy with patients.

"I play cards or board games with them," she said. "It's actually pretty relaxing for the patients, as well as for me."

During the summer, she was at the center from 8 a.m. until noon several days a week, helping receive patients into the center. She also assists with mail delivery, which includes bringing flowers to patients. In addition, she walks with patients and keeps them company during quiet times.

Parents' example

Michelle said that she has always been "community service-oriented" because both of her parents are involved in many organizations.

"My dad has been involved in our local Rotary Club for years, and he got me involved as well," she said. He also got her involved through Schenectady 2000/GE, an annual event.

"We basically clean up the city one day each year," she explained. "Student volunteers on work teams tackle a range of projects -- painting bridges, pulling weeds, removing graffiti, planting flowers and removing trash. I've done most of that and then some."

Helping poor

She also helps with Concern for the Hungry around Thanksgiving. Volunteers collect bags of donated food for distribution to the needy.

"I always enjoy doing this," she noted. "It is a very much-needed volunteer effort for our needy families. A lot of people get involved in this."

Around Christmas, Michelle also takes part in the local Toys for Tots and Shots for Tots programs, which help disadvantaged children receive free toys and immunizations.

Own charity

Michelle was so moved by the plight of one Sunnyview resident that she founded the Richie Fund.

"Richie was a 13-year-old patient I met at Sunnyview," she recounted. "He had a brain tumor from an accident. He was a patient for quite a while. After four or five months, his parents were struggling to pay bills that their insurance wouldn't cover.

"I made up a flyer asking for donations and distributed it to all Sunnyview volunteers and around school. I put donation cans in the lunchroom at school. Several days a week, I'd go to each classroom looking for pocket change, whatever anyone could give."

Her campaign grossed $1,500 to help Richie's family.

"It felt good to give them that money. It was around Christmas time, and I know they really appreciated it," she said.

Giving back

Michelle hopes to major in fashion design in college but plans to continue community service.

"I began to volunteer in order to give back to my community," she said. "You don't have to be specially trained to be a volunteer, and you don't have to be educated to participate in community service. All you need is the incentive to improve your community.

"You can help your community in many ways, even if it's simply picking up a piece of trash."

(Because of her dedication to Sunnyview, the staff presented Michelle with their Junior Volunteer Leader award when she was a sophomore. She was also the recipient of her school's Christian Service Award in tenth and eleventh grades for her service at Sunnyview. She has a heavy extracurricular schedule that includes peer ministry, Eucharistic ministry, the Yearbook Club, music ministry and Ski Club.)

(11/10/05) [[In-content Ad]]