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William D. Young accepts the 2006 Heart of a Hero “Knowledge of the Heart” award. He has been a foster grandparent since 1995 along with serving as an active member of the Senior Legislature. —Photo by House of Photographic Arts
William
D. Young Receives 2006 Heart of a Hero Award
By
Stephen Baetge
Editor
Let’s
face it, it’s people like William “Bill” Young,
73, that make you proud to be an American. In a most
recent accomplishment, Young received the 2006 Heart
of a Hero “Knowledge of the Heart” award
for his active role in mentoring youth and serving as
a role model to local teens.
The Heart of a Hero award is sponsored by California Family Fitness and Florin
Road Consolidated Charities-Florin Road Bingo, and it honors people, programs
and companies helping kids in the four-county area each year to benefit the
North Area and West Sacramento Teen Centers, which helps fund the free-of-charge
after school drop in centers for kids and provides exceptional local role models.
In the company of elected officials, law enforcement and civic leaders, seven
other awards were given out to people who have made a significant difference
in the lives of youth in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties. The
recipients were also honored for their efforts by the North Area Teen Center
and the West Sacramento Collings Teen Center.
Young is a mentor and role model who has spent the last 11 years helping to
counsel, tutor and share with kids through the Sacramento Job Corps, and he
has been a foster grandparent volunteer since 1995.
Young participates in the annual Senior Legislature at the Capitol, and while
very active in senior issues, he also makes time to share his life experience,
education and outlook with kids five days a week at the Sacramento Job Corps.
Bill has donated somewhere around 27,000 hours of volunteer service to his
foster grandchildren in the last 11 years. “Five days a week, eight hours
a day,” he said.
But receiving awards for foster grandparenting and mentoring roles in the lives
of local children is nothing new to Young. He is an inspiring person who says
that working with youth helps him to stay active, and it gives him the best
reason to get up each morning.
“In April of 2005, I received the MetLife Foundation’s National Volunteer
award for the work I do with teens and the senior legislature,” he said.
“Being a foster grandparent is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever
done, and it means more to me than I can ever say. I’ve been doing it since
1995 when I saw an ad for foster grandparenting in Spectrum. I called and immediately
got involved. I spend five days a week with Job Corp youth in the 16 to 26 age
category,” said Young.
“I received the MetLife Foundation Award at the Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington
D.C.” said Young. “Karla Crawford, executive director of the foster
grandparenting program in Sacramento nominated me for the award because of my
foster grandparenting and my involvement in senior advocacy.”
“I was also given a J.C. Penny Golden Rule Award in 2000 for being a volunteer
foster grandparent.”
“And then,” Young added with a blush, “I received a commendation
from President Clinton in 2000 for receiving the Golden Rule award.”
“And in 2002,” he added, “I received a commendation from President
George W. Bush for volunteering more than 4000 hours.”
“Those kids I foster grandparent are the most important thing in my life.
They come from over 30 different countries, and they call me Grandpa,” he
said with pride.
This page and its contents ©2006
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
