People of all ages and abilities, from all walks of life make a difference everyday. We would like to hear about everyday heroes! Nominate someone (or a group of people) who are making a difference in your community and share their story. Make A Difference Today will select 2 winners periodically and surprise them with a special award, cake and flowers.

Send an email with your nomination details to: info@makeadifferencetoday.ca Please include the following details in your email: Name: Address: Phone #: School/Organization/Business: What did/does that person do to make a difference? How did they improve things for your community? Your name: Phone# Email address: If you do not know the nominee’s name, address and phone number, but if you know where to find them, we’ll track them down and surprise them.

Pat Jarosz It is our pleasure to select Pat Jarosz as the first recipient of a Make A Difference Today Award of Recognition. Thank you Pat, for making a difference in the lives of young people in the modelling industry by educating, coaching and mentoring individuals throughout Southwestern Ontario for over 25 years! Pat Jarosz continues to be a powerhouse in the model and talent industry. She started out at age 17 as a model. Like most women, keeping to the industry weight standards proved difficult. Her love of the fashion industry , coupled with her insiders knowledge of what it is like to be in front of the camera, led her to become a booking agent. She has worked with Ford, Sherrida, Judy Welch, Giovani and the distinguished list goes on and on. She booked such famous faces as Monika Schnare, Dale Haden, Carrie Ann Moss. After a 10 year struggle with infertility, Pat and her husband John were blessed with Justina, and Pat decided to take a break from the fast paced modeling world to enjoy her lovely little girl. However, the modeling world kept calling her back so she agreed to work on a part time basis. Her prime goal has been to provide new models with the same contacts and opportunities afforded to the industry elite, while making sure their families did not fall prey to the many illegitimate and immoral modeling schools and scam artists. But Pat has not stopped there. She has taken a personal interest in each of her families, she considers her models "her kids" and has housed, clothed and mentored thousands of new models. She makes no profit from her efforts and says the only payment she needs is to see "her kids" succeed in an industry where many fail. Adolf & Josie Solomon Owners of Dollar Discount Centre, 5636 Glen Erin Drive , Mississauga Adolf & Josie Solomon demonstrate lots of heart and are an inspiration for us all. They continually make a difference in the lives of residents in the Mississauga community through ongoing acts of kindness. As owners of a small retail business, they openly share hugs with each other and close friends who visit their store. They mentor and encourage young men who work/volunteer with them - they affectionately call the teens their "adopted sons". The friendly couple of Lebanese decent immigrated to Canada from Nigeria four years ago, and became Canadian citizens in March 2008. The couple was very surprised, grateful and deeply moved to be recognized for their actions. This couple gives us a good reason to support small retailers, the "mom and pop" stores with a heart - don't give all your business to the big box stores :) Mr. and Mrs. Solomon offer exceptional customer service. They will be celebrating 40 years of marriage in April 2008!

Dr. Sabrina Adat and Isabel Nowak Hurontario Dental Centre, Mississauga, ON This dentist and dental assistant have worked together for several years. In May the pair are embarking on a voyage of mercy – literally! Sabrina and Isabel will be sailing abroad a medical ship docked in Liberia, Africa to provide free dental care for patients in the impoverished nation. Mercy Ships Canada is a Catholic outreach mission which provides exceptional medical care to the world’s poorest. Volunteer doctors, dentists, cooks and skilled trades with a generous spirit and desire to help others around the world, pay their own way to participate in a work-vacation trip to transform lives! We thank Sabrina and Isabel in advance for their courage and personal sacrifice to make a difference in the lives of the residents of Liberia by assisting in meeting the overwhelming needs of dental patients at their own expense. Each skilled volunteer has to pay the cost of airfare, accommodation, meals, insurance, criminal checks and incidental expenses. In return, they get the privilege of offering world-class medical care to those who await medical intervention. Sabrina and Isabel’s acts of kindness to those truly in need demonstrate the best of the human spirit.

David & Margaret Wilson Barbados I am proud to dedicate this award to my parents, David and Margaret Wilson, who have spent their lives in service to others.   Mum and dad have been married for 39 years, are parents to four children and proud grandparents to seven.  They have taught us to be kind, to share with others and not to take life for granted.  We grew up in Barbados and our parents were always involved in various charities.  They founded Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter in Barbados, in addition to ongoing volunteering and fundraising support for school fairs, church activities, donations of clothing to an orphanage in Guyana, collection of used stamps for the poor.  Most recently, they have been involved with the Christian charity Living Waters, through which mum assists other women in collecting and distributing items for 25 food hampers for poor families each week.  Meanwhile, dad and his group provide a hot dinner to over 100 homeless men each Tuesday night. On behalf of everyone whose lives you have touched throughout the years -  THANKS -  for continuing to teach us important life lessons and make a difference!  Bravo!

Dr. Thomas Mark Turay and Mary Hawa Turay The Turays founded the Centre for the Development and Peace Education (cd peace) in Sierra Leonne, as a registered, non-profit, non-governmental organization. They are in the process of raising awareness and funds to rebuild the Centre as well as building schools for the rural community. The original Centre was destroyed by the rebels in the war. The primary function of this rural community-based development centre has been to enhance the capacity of its learning partners to build sustainable cultures of peace, non-violence, justice, self-reliance, participatory governance and human security both locally and globally. The Centre’s programs include community education, research, youth, women’s and leadership programs, outreach and consulting. Logan MacGillivray Logan is an 10 year old boy who lives in Halifax, Canada. He is making a documentary on the connections between youth in Canada and in Sierra Leone. Logan has been working with CDPeace and Peaceful Schools International (PSI) in collaboration with the ViewFinders International Film Festival for Youth to seek donations of items and money to help with the construction of schools and the cdpeace centre for the education of young people in seven northern communities in Sierra Leone. Logan’s enthusiasm and ability to get donations from youth, families and companies has been overwhelming! Logan’s family is very supportive and proud of Logan’s accomplishments. Luke MacDonald (back row) from Aerobics First, Halifax, donated 25 shoes to Logan MacGillivray (front row) who is gathering supplies to send to Sierra Leone Green Solutions Green Solutions North America Inc. has an innovative program – Revive – which affordably relieves companies of no longer needed (NLN) facility assets (furniture, supplies, equipment) and avoids traditional landfill destinations by redistributing those assets to schools, non-profits and health facilities that are in need of additional resources to conduct their work. Green Solutions Mississauga has generously agreed to donate a range of supplies for the furnishing of the CDPeace Centre and 7 schools and rural Sierra Leone, West Africa. Green Solutions also supports the School in a Box program in Belize.

Carolyn van Gurp We honour Carolyn for her ongoing contributions to making a difference to communities around the globe through her work with Peaceful Schools International and volunteering with the Centre for the Development of Peace Education in Sierra Leonne. Carolyn has been an invaluable asset to CDPeace and is beloved by the many local residents of the rural area.