Voting Has Closed For April
April Kindness Awards
Nancy Schiff - Our Winner!
NOMINATION:
Nancy has dedicated her life to helping generations of underserved youth from throughout the East Bay get a leg up and succeed in high school, college and life. She has done this through her 24 years leading the Center for Youth Development Through Law. Working with a demographic which typically sees 15-20% of youth graduate from high school, Nancy has led a program that has seen approximately 90% of its students go on to college. Nancy’s kindness goes far beyond her job duties. After students graduate from the program, Nancy continues to act as a mentor, supporter, and advisor as they face life’s challenges. As one program graduate states: “Outside the program, Nancy continues to remain committed to extending her hand to help. She has been a valuable resource to me as I’ve navigated through UCLA as a first gen student. She is absolutely committed to community, mentorship, and passing the torch for diverse communities. As I prepare to graduate from UCLA and begin my law school application process, I am comforted by having a mentor like Nancy in my life.” As a former Board Chair noted: “The thing that sets her apart is that once you’ve joined the CYDL family you are one of Nancy’s kids for life. Nancy is there for you to listen, advise and mentor. Former students have come back to teach in the program, joined the board, and shown up to volunteer entirely because of the personal relationship they have with Nancy.”
Jeffrey Jue - Runner-Up!
NOMINATION:
“Coach Jue is the kind of coach we all wish we had. As the coach of the Berkeley High boys’ tennis team, he takes a sport that usually celebrates the individual and makes it a true team effort. He prioritizes and teaches the core skills we all would have benefitted from in high school such as teamwork, grit, and good attitude over forehands and volleys. He celebrates the team’s wins on the court, and also is always the first to hold the kids up high when they succeed off the court. He encourages the kids with a smile and a nudge, but is firm in his expectations of good sportsmanship and teamwork, always. He coaches for the love of the game, and his commitment to all kids’ development within sport. He not only effectively volunteers his time for several months every year, 5+ days a week for the Berkeley High team, but he also supports, organizes and volunteers in other communities around the bay area on his weekends and the balance of his year. He’s the kind of coach our kids will remember after they leave Berkeley, and hopefully one or more of them will come back to become the Coach Jue for the next generation, inspired by the coach that helped define their high school years, but also taught our kids skills they will carry with them for life.”
Miranda Crumm - Runner-up!
NOMINATION:
“Miranda founded Miranda’s Summer Book Event, where over the past four years she has collected and donated over 8,000 books to her community. She collected books from neighbors, family, and even several published authors for the past 4 years. The book distribution events that she organizes have allowed her to serve over 500 families who have attended. After moving to Berkeley, her mission is to bring Miranda’s Summer Book Event to Berkeley in order to give back to the local, underserved community. She has donated 300+ books so far to organizations in Berkeley such as the Berkeley Youth Alternative and Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center. This project has given her the opportunity of fostering meaningful connections with members of her community while also promoting education. She is passionate about taking action to ensure that everyone has equal access to education, no matter their circumstances. She believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and excel in their academic career, so she strives to make this possible in underserved communities.”
Community Reactions
