AWARD WINNERS

For more than a decade, the Brevard Zoo has been getting results, and protecting the Indian River, through their Restore Our Shores program.

May is Mental Health Awareness month and this week’s Getting Results Award winner is making a difference for kids dealing with trauma following this past hurricane season in Florida.

The Brevard Zoo has always been about community—30 years ago, 16,000 volunteers gathered to build the park. Today, volunteers are still a huge part of the zoo’s success.

Jane Hepting has dedicated much of her time to preserving Lake County’s natural resources and those close to her thought she deserved to be recognized.

Jack Poirier is a grocery-getter who spends his retirement helping others.

Jack Poirier is a grocery-getter who spends his retirement helping others.

Every weekday morning a stream of buses pulls up under the carport at the Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation in Melbourne. The staff helps everyone make their way to Joe’s Club, an adult daycare program for people who can’t safely be left at home. Most have Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Sheryl Kurland’s mom once told her, “if you want to feel better, put a little lipstick on.”

Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works help to train and employ the blind and visually impaired.

Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works help to train and employ the blind and visually impaired.

This week’s Getting Results Award winner is helping to keep library programs funded in Flagler County.

We went to a gym in Titusville where this week’s Getting Results Award winner offers classes for people dealing with the disease and he isn’t pulling any punches.

The Conklin Davis Center for the Visually impaired in Daytona Beach offers a one-of-a-kind vocational program.

For many women dealing with a cancer diagnosis, the news can, of course, be overwhelming.Charlene’s Dream in Daytona Beach aims to help those women through their journey.

Florida is the fishing capital of the world. Our state holds more record catches than any other state or country and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded 2.4 million fishing licenses in 2020.

This year we traveled thousands of miles crisscrossing Central Florida to bring you stories as part of the News 6 Getting Results Award segment.

They’re not exactly elves, but this group of Getting Results Award winners may be the next best thing.

Steve Parker heard about the neighborhood from friends and knew he had to help.

It takes a special person to work with families in crisis, and coworkers say this week’s Getting Results Award winner is one of the best.

As an adult, Melinda Sparks found a way to keep her childhood passion for tackle football alive, and now she wants other women to know they can play, too.

Eddie Majewski has helped create the details that make Central Florida unique. You’ve seen his work at the Winter Park train station, Church Street Station, Casa Feliz and the theme parks.

When 15-year-old Daniel Sharkey walks up to a neighbor’s front door he’s not asking for candy he’s looking for cans. It’s all part of a project he calls Cans Over Candy.

This week’s Getting Results Award winner is making sure the UCF pantry stays stocked for the holidays.

When the rain finally stopped falling, Brian Alexander hitched his airboat to his pick-up truck and headed towards the back roads of Osteen to help.

The sound of applause filled the halls inside UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media Thursday for Allison McGinley, who we lovingly call Al.

Twice a week, Maggice Porter tutors an eighth-grade AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) class at Narcoossee Middle School. But it’s what she does outside the classroom that earned her this week’s Getting Results Award.

A World War II-era tugboat that was built in Deland is one step closer to returning home. ST 479 “Tiger” is moored at the end of Pier 1 at Green Cove Springs in Clay County, just south of Jacksonville.

Pastor Royce “Scooter” Morrison hosts Monday night bingo at the Titusville Civic Center to raise money for the community.

Anthony Wild has spent his life on stage. But he’ll tell you his greatest performance has been away from the spotlight.

Some of the best ideas happen in the spur of the moment and sometimes they don’t seem like much at the time.

School’s out, and while it’s great for kids to get a break from class, educators often worry about something they call the “summer slide.”

Behind the lawn art and tree line of his Port Orange home, you’ll find this week’s Getting Results Award winner.

At the height of the COVID pandemic, food pantries helped so many families make ends meet.

This week’s Getting Results Award winner went from typing to the tango.

Carla Cline runs the Flagler Surf Art and Stuff gift shop on 3rd Street, just steps from the ocean. The playfully-decorated store specializes in local art and beach themed souvenirs.

Willie Taylor turned his love of boxing into a community asset that is changing lives.

Lori Richards has always cared for the environment, but as she watched water quality in the river decline and proposed developments threaten her quality of life further, she decided to do something about it.

The Lake County Quilters Guild is used to donating items and supporting local nonprofits and charities. Now, their quilts are being sent across the globe.

The Citizen Science program lets everyday people take part in university and FWC research.

The group needs little instruction, they work diligently and in no time, the classroom is transformed.

When Tasha Hurst was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018 her life changed forever.

ELEVATE Orlando employs full time teachers/mentors who take a “holistic” approach to teach life skills.

Human trafficking continues to be a major concern in Central Florida as the Sunshine State stands near the top when it comes to the number of cases.

The ocean brought Tennile Maher and Wood Belcher together.

The Volusia County Manatee Watch program teaches volunteers what to look for when observing manatees.

Dave Klein has always wanted to ride his bike across the country, but the timing was never right. Things changed this year when his motivation transitioned from a personal challenge to one with more meaning.

This wek's Award Winner, Gavin Sisk, has dedicated his time to volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

There are times in life when many of us will need the help of an attorney, but those services can come with a hefty cost.

Members of the Rotary Club of St. Cloud meet every Thursday before sunrise to plan projects that will benefit their community.

We met one group who bond over food and football. They root for their native city - but continue to give back right here in Orlando.

The Central Florida coastline provides plenty of million-dollar views, but in some cases, just blocks away, people are struggling.

Every week as part of the News 6 Getting Results Award segment, we highlight people in Central Florida who are going above and beyond — and making a difference for their neighbors.

The Navy veteran has collected hundreds of uniforms to keep them out of the hands of people who didn’t serve.

High school can be a tough time for many kids. But every holiday season, one high school teacher tries to make it a little easier.

A historic Brevard County home is about to add a new chapter.

When Bruce and Beth Chambers opened Combat Café, they had no idea it would become a popular community destination for veterans.

Special Hearts Farm is tucked away behind a neighborhood in Winter Garden, offering job skills for students with intellectual disabilities.

Last year, the pandemic took away so many of the things we took for granted. But it also taught us what was important.

Every weekend school-aged children in Central Florida struggle with food insecurity.

The Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Brevard County is the final resting place for thousands of local veterans. Rows of headstones line the rolling hills. American flags flutter in the ocean breeze.

A woman started a nonprofit called Central Florida Home For Good and she’s using her savings to build 10 affordable housing units in Sanford.

Shereece Mitchell changed her life through fitness and now she wants to help others do the same.

Every neighborhood association needs a champion. Someone needs to organize, plan, and keep residents up to date on the comings and goings.

Nicole Duslak is living her dream. The artist and educator stood at the front of a classroom at CREATE Conservatory in Leesburg. The K-5 nonprofit school she runs is the result of years of study, experience and what she calls “a perfect storm of circumstances.”

Paddle with a Purpose is a nonprofit founded in 2017 by Robert Figueroa, a New York City native who moved to Fort Lauderdale and quickly realized that there was a pollution problem in our waterways.

Beard has been working in the nonprofit field for eight years doing outreach, case management, and housing navigation.

During Hurricane Irma went house to house checking on his neighbors who didn’t want to leave their homes and go to shelters.

A group of seniors with dependent children who have special needs meet every Saturday at Spanish Springs Lanes.

When this week’s Getting Results Award winner was looking for a mentorship program for her daughter, she couldn’t find one that felt right. So she started her own.

The Rose Garden Apartments in Cocoa look like they’re stuck in time. The exposed cinder block and a flat roof are telltale signs of the era in which it was built.

They’re cute, they seem like fun and thanks to social media, mini pigs are very popular right now.

An 11-year-old boy is providing his neighbors help with lawn care.

The Russell Home for Atypical Children became the first of its kind in Florida in 1951, a licensed home for kids with special needs.

The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia has a mission: to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and prevent homelessness.

Deryl Ames and his family were looking to downsize, they knew they wanted to be near the water.

Linda Sutherland describes herself as the public face of the Healthy Start Coalition of Orange County.

Adams is the founder of Streetside Showers of Florida and nearly every Saturday morning you can find him on the side of Port Malabar Blvd. setting up his two stall shower trailer.

August Tholen has used exit 289 in Palm Coast countless times but on a recent trip he noticed a man with his dog panhandling near the stop light.

Birthdays should be a fun, exciting occasion but for kids in foster care, turning 18 could be a frightening reality check.

This last year has brought change, uncertainty and self-reflection for so many but for one Central Florida businesswoman it also meant a chance to make a difference.

Victor VanLancker has always had a big heart and a desire to help others but when he saw a viral video depicting the city he loves, he knew he had to do more for Daytona Beach.

Neighbors Saving Neighbors program connects CPR/AED trained volunteers to the local 911 dispatch using ReadyAlert.

This week’s Getting Results Award goes to Shaniqua (Shan) Rose. Rose can best be described as a community organizer, advocate and founder of the nonprofit Change For The Community.

The Coronavirus Mutual Aid Network of Brevard started as a hyper-local way for people to get answers during the early days of the pandemic.

AdFreedom Ride Executive Director Marianne Gray said the location has served them well. His father, Carlos Mancilla, watched as his son made his way around the Freedom Ride arena. We need more places like this.”For all their success, Gray said Freedom Ride’s days are numbered at the Lee Road location. Trotters Park is right next door and plans have been in the works for years to expand onto the Freedom Ride parcel. “The location is paradise for what we do.”Freedom Ride is in the middle of a capital campaign to raise funds for property improvement.

Steele has been helping residents make appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations. Steele, also a resident of the park, comes to work early and on her days off in order to help. The couple was so impressed with Steele’s success and dedication to the Nova Campground residents that they nominated her for the News 6 Getting Results Award. “People in the campground, anyone that needs one, she’s gotten it for us,” Richard Griffing said. “She has a very good heart and soul.”Steele said she’s still being asked to help and she enjoys doing it.

MELBOURNE, Fla. – There’s a positive vibe at Greenwood Place Assisted Living in Melbourne, and a feeling that things may be getting back to normal. “It’s been a tough year,” Greenwood Place Executive Director Cynthia Cooler said. Over the last year, Greenwood Place Assisted Living relied on video conferencing, drive by parades, doorway karaoke and bingo and even a hugging booth made of plastic sheeting. Ball nominated Cooler and the staff of Greenwood Place Assisted Living for the News 6 Getting Results Award. She pointed out photos of her parents enjoying the activities Greenwood Place had to offer.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The pandemic has left many out of work and struggling to pay rent and court filings for evictions continue to rise, records show. The rent on the three-bedroom home in Orlando, that she shares with her mother, was about to go up by 20%. Ad“I guess the best way to put it is being priced out of your home,” Picarelli said. “I said ‘okay, let me see what I can do for you.’”Love oversees around 300 properties for ALICA Property Management. “He’s compassionate and even empathetic which is rare for a property manager,” Picarelli said.

[TRENDING: Injunctions filed against girl slammed by deputy | SpaceX launches satellites | OK to dream: Snow in Florida?] [TRENDING: Injunctions filed against girl slammed by deputy | SpaceX launches satellites | OK to dream: Snow in Florida?] That extension ladder is where he goes up and down.”Scott Peterson says he’s grateful to pastor Rice for providing a safe environment. He says pastor Rice helped him through the challenging time. “When you go through a situation that your life changes it’s a lot of adjustment and he helped,” Peterson added.

You can find Cartledge most nights at Layer Elementary School in Winter Springs where he runs a mile in tribute to fallen first responders. During every tribute, Cartledge is accompanied by his family and at least one off duty officer. “Every time he runs he’s gaining more support he’s reaching more people,” Nazzaro said. As a result, last year Running 4 Heroes was able to award $85,000 dollars in grants to 13 first responders injured in the line of duty. “It feels great knowing that I’m healing thousands of people just because of a tribute mile that I’m doing,” Cartledge said.

Bonnie Westerveld sits at a desk in her East Orange County home and fields calls all day and night from people who are trying to help injured and orphaned wildlife. Westerveld is a full time volunteer for Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge. Westerveld was a volunteer at Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge until illness made it difficult for her to work on site. “She’s the voice that people hear when they call and she’s, oftentimes, the person that calms them down.”Helsel gave News 6 a tour of the Back To Nature clinic. You can reach Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge at: 407-568-5138 email: info@btnwildlife.orgDo you have someone you would like to nominate for a News 6 Getting Results Award?

Twice a month, the couple creates up a pop-up farmers market in front of VFW Post 10139 in Chuluota. “Would you like some spinach?” Zielke asked one of the nearly 70 people who make their way to the fresh vegetable food bank. “That gave us an idea that we could go there and help them by purchasing some of the food they couldn’t sell,” Mike Zielke said. “It’s something we thought would be very short term,” Mike Zielke said. Friends suggested he stop by the Chuluota food bank.

She said it’s worth it because her efforts have allowed the roughly 500 members to make 37,000 masks since March. “I don’t sew,” Laverty laughs. Brevard Mask Makers initially made masks for health care and front line workers. Marsha Plog is one of the Brevard Mask Maker volunteers. “If the people who sew want to continue to sew then I’ll continue to deliver them, Laverty said.

ORLANDO, Fla. – This year may be a year we’d like to forget but there were plenty of moments in 2020 worth remembering. They’re the stories of your neighbors making a difference in our community and we brought them to your screen every week in our News 6 Getting Results Award segment. Nominate Someone TodayIf you know someone who you would like to recognize, you can nominate them here. Every winner receives a personalized plaque and $100 to commemorate their efforts. Simply fill out the form and you may see them featured in the coming weeks.

“They take their mask off their ear, the hearing aid gets tangled and usually goes flying,” Holt said. A set of hearing aids can range between $2,000 to $6,000. “People were making them for nurses but we adapted them to be made for our hearing aid patients.”Mask mates are small bands with buttons sewn on the ends. “Wearing hearing aids changes your whole quality of life,” Sharp said. “I never like to hear that someone has lost a hearing aid because your hearing is your lifeline.”

Thomas is here as a volunteer, but the people he’s looking out for will most likely be on bikes or walking. Thomas teamed up in 2006 to create the nonprofit Welcome Home vets, Inc. Thomas co-founded the nonprofit, Welcome Home Vets Inc. (WKMG-TV)Welcome Home Vets assists veterans living in Brevard County with medical, financial and spiritual aid, along with options for vocational skills training. Thomas took a position at the front of the line and helps guide the drivers with military precision. “Some of these veterans, they don’t even know they have benefits or they’ve given up on society and don’t want anything to do with government.

APOPKA, Fla. – As Central Florida was in the first stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Dave Sanders thought his neighbors could use a pick-me-up. They say, ‘I like your sign,’” Sanders said proudly. “In the beginning of quarantine in February, he put this really sweet sign out and it was on cardboard. “He’s a special man and he deserves to have some recognition.”News 6 wants to recognize the people in Central Florida who are Getting Results and making a difference in our community. Click here to submit a Getting Results Award nomination.

He says seeing the gravesites in such terrible condition gave him the idea to find other neglected cemeteries where veterans are buried and help clean them as well. The African American cemetery established in 1919 had fallen into disrepair as well, 157 veterans are buried there. The J.S Stone Cemetery is maintained by the community and the family members of those buried there. When Stone heard about the work Veterans Cemetery Restorations Inc. was doing nearby, she gave them a call. They did a wonderful job.”Rothschild says that between the two Brevard County cemeteries, Veterans Cemetery Restorations Inc. and their volunteers have removed 20 tons of trash and debris.

Tori Taylor loves arts and crafts. The 9-year-old girl has boxes of markers, clay, paper and popsicle sticks. Taylor is the founder of Sun Stori motivational bracelets and she’s donated hundreds of her handmade pieces to local hospitals, charities and nonprofits. Tori said she hopes to inspire other children to join her and create bracelets for their communities. If you would like to support Tori or purchase your own Sun Stori bracelet, she has an Etsy store.

I’ve never worked for myself.”Bilyk is the founder of State of Gratitude USA, a t-shirt and apparel company whose corporate headquarters resides in a closet in the spare bedroom of his home. Not bad when you consider the company was started just a few short months ago using Bilyk’s government stimulus check. Chris Bilyk, Founder of State Of Gratitude USA, is this week's Getting Results Award winner. “I used to tell people to live in a state of gratitude as I was getting sober myself,” he continued. “You don’t have to be in recovery to live in a state of gratitude.”