[NLC] [ACTIVE BETHEL CITIZENS] Lorraine Kerwood: Eugene's Hometown Hero

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Lorraine Kerwood: Eugene's Hometown Hero


Link: http://activebethelcitizens.blogspot.com/2008/02/lorraine-kerwood-eugenes-hometown-hero.html

Don't miss your chance to meet Lorraine Kerwood, founder and executive director of NextStep Recycling! Lorraine is a national finalist in the 6th Annual Volvo for Life Awards; her work was featured in People Magazine last week; and this Wednesday (Feb. 20) she will be featured on CBS's The Early Show -- and Active Bethel Citizens have the honored privilege of presenting Lorraine as the featured guest speaker at our ABC General Meeting on Thursday, February 28, 7:00pm, at Petersen Barn. Please be sure to join us!







America Selects Eugene Resident Lorraine Kerwood as One of the Nation's Top Hometown Heroes

NextStep founder Lorraine Kerwood, who makes refurbished electronics available to disadvantaged communities, has reached the finals of the 6th Annual Volvo for Life Awards. Celebrity judges will select and unveil the top four winners March 19 at Volvo for Life Awards ceremony in New York.

Thousands of Americans have cast their votes online to decide the country's favorite hometown heroes in the 6th Annual Volvo for Life Awards. The polls are officially closed and Eugene's Lorraine Kerwood is among nine finalists for this prestigious award.

The final decision now rests in the hands of a distinguished panel of celebrity judges who are experts on care, conscience and character -- Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Mae Jemison and Edsel Ford. The judges will now review Kerwood and eight other finalists' nominations to select the program's top three winners in the categories of Safety, Quality of Life and Environment and the Volvo for life Awards grand award winner.

Kerwood, who created an electronics recycling and distribution center, NextStep, which brings refurbished computers to disadvantaged communities, is one of three finalists being honored in the Volvo for life Awards environment category. Kerwood is guaranteed to receive $25,000 in charitable contributions from Volvo and if she's named the winner in her category, her award will be $100,000. If named grand award winner, she will receive the added bonus of a Volvo car for life.

If Kerwood is selected as a category winner, Volvo will fly her and her fellow winners to New York to be honored at the world famous 42nd St. Cipriani's during the Volvo for life Awards ceremony on March 19, 2008. The program's grand award winner will also be announced that evening.

"I feel honored that my community nominated me for this prestigious award," Kerwood said. "With this help from Volvo our non-profit NextStep Recycling will continue to empower the most marginalized individuals in our communities both locally and internationally. Daily, recipients of our computers let us know how access to this technology has changed their lives. Our goal at NextStep is to level the playing field for all people through the tools of computers, Internet access and other electronic devices."

More About Lorraine Kerwood

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States generated 2.6 millions tons of electronic waste in 2005, only 12.6 percent of which was recycled. Lorraine Kerwood, 47, has set out to improve this statistic. Her computer recycling and distribution center, NextStep, brings refurbished computers to disadvantaged communities and benefits the environment by reducing electronic waste. While attending the University of Oregon, Kerwood taught herself how to rebuild computers, which she then gave to people who couldn't afford them. With her new skill set, and her passion for helping the disadvantaged, Kerwood established NextStep. The organization has recycled more than 800 tons of electronic waste and placed 11,000 computers in disadvantaged communities in the United States and abroad.

More than 500 computers have been shipped to rural Guatemalan schools, orphanages and non-governmental organizations. This has drawn the attention of corporate, government and academic institutions. Tulane University studied NextStep's computer labs built in partnership with rural Mayan communities. They determined that the labs improved the lives of more than 5,000 Guatemalan children.

About the Volvo for life Awards

Since 2002, Volvo Cars of North America has identified more than 18,000 everyday heroes in its annual Volvo for Life Awards and has contributed millions of dollars to their causes. Three individuals are recognized annually in the award program's Safety, Quality of Life, Environment categories. Each winner in these categories receives a $100,000 contribution to the charity of his or her choice. The program's grand winner receives an added bonus of a Volvo car for life. The remaining six Safety, Quality of Life and Environment finalists receive donations of $25,000 to the charities of their choice. 

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Posted By Active Bethel Citizens (ABC) to ACTIVE BETHEL CITIZENS at 2/17/2008 09:46:00 AM 

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