For immediate release — April 27, 2001

(DALLAS) — One student walks to raise money for cancer research and volunteers to help with literacy efforts. Another student balances college and family with a nursing home ministry and a ministry to homeless people in Dallas. Others have helped children at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital; encouraged young people involved in the West Dallas Boys and Girls Clubs; distributed 911 information to children and helped rewire a local elementary school; and volunteered for the Caring and Sharing Ministry by sorting clothes, distributing food and assisting families in need.

As a group, seven students from the Dallas County Community College District have — through their volunteer and community service efforts — helped countless children and families. They typify the spirit of Dallas leaders Max and Rosa Goldblatt, whose legacy is honored annually by presenting DCCCD students with the Max and Rosa Goldblatt Award in Community Service. Award winners – nominated from among DCCCD’s seven campuses — each received a $600 annual scholarship ($300 per semester) during an awards ceremony on Fri., April 20, from the DCCCD Foundation, which administers the Max and Rosa Goldblatt Endowment for Community Service.

The seven recipients who participated were: Kay Aven of El Centro College; Lamontry Lott of Mountain View College; Mamta Kothari Mehta of Brookhaven College; Ralph Patterson of North Lake College; Krystle Lynn Singleton of Cedar Valley College; Brenda Tusie of Richland College; and Kathy Lynn Wagener of Eastfield College. Although Max and Rosa Goldblatt both are deceased, their son and daughter — Joe and Leah — represented the family and celebrated the students’ community service, as well as the giving spirit of their parents.

Max Goldblatt, the son of Russian Jews who immigrated to the United States, grew up in poverty and moved to many locations during his early life. He eventually settled in the Pleasant Grove community of Dallas with his wife, Rosa. Both their hardware store and their home became centers of community discussion and activities because both believed in giving back to the city through service to others. A three-term city councilman, Goldblatt was actively involved in Kiwanis, the Southwest YMCA, local PTAs and chambers of commerce. He later was named the Southeast Citizen of the Year in Dallas.

“My father truly was concerned for underprivileged citizens,” said his son, Dr. Joe Goldblatt, a university professor. “He was passionate about education and passed those beliefs on to us.” (His sister, Leah Goldblatt Lahasky, is an elementary school teacher.)

When the idea to establish a community college system for Dallas was no more than a seed, Goldblatt volunteered to chair the city’s speakers’ bureau to promote what would become the Dallas County Community College District. Organizers used the Goldblatt home for meetings and strategy sessions and, when citizens voted on the issue, Goldblatt’s district had the highest returns.

“Max Goldblatt was a man of the people, and he had great credibility,” said R.L. Thornton III, who chairs the DCCCD Foundation. “We honor Max and Rosa Goldblatt’s lifelong dedication to serving the Dallas community with the scholarship award that DCCCD and its foundation present annually to seven extraordinary students.”

More than 70 DCCCD students of all ages have received the Max and Rosa Goldblatt Award for Community Service since it was established in 1986; many have pursued advanced degrees and continue to serve their communities in a variety of ways.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a personal commitment to community service by agreeing to volunteer at least 10 hours of each semester. They must submit an application form and a one-page essay that describes their community service philosophy and experiences. Recipients must enroll in at least six semester hours, along with their 10 hours of volunteer community service. Applicants – one per campus – must demonstrate financial need and an aptitude in her or his field of study. Recipients are selected by the director of student programs and resources (SPAR) on each DCCCD campus.

For more information, contact Betheny Reid, executive director of the DCCCD Foundation, at (214) 860-2474 or Eddie Miranda, the foundation’s communications manager, at (214) 860-2160.

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Editors’ note: A list of students and brief descriptions of their community service activities is attached.

DALLAS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Max and Rosa Goldblatt Award Recipients
April 2001

Kay Aven, Dallas – El Centro College – Aven began her community service activities at age 13; volunteers at Scottish Rite Hospital (started as a credit project for school and continues to volunteer); her father, a 33-year Scottish Rite Mason, got her involved in helping children; the children she helps motivate her to continue daily life and school.

Lamontry Lott, Dallas – Mountain View College – Known as “Killer” on the basketball court, Lott is the Dallas Housing Authority’s sports coordinator; among his many activities is a midnight basketball program that keeps kids off the streets and occupied; he also counsels them about staying in school, going to college and being successful; he has been a volunteer at the West Dallas Boys and Girls Clubs since 1992.

Mamta Kothari Mehta, Dallas – Brookhaven College – Mehta became involved in community service starting with her father and grew with her love for animals; she volunteers at Operation Kindness, visits the Austin Street Shelter regularly to feed the homeless, sponsors four orphans in India, volunteers at church and for the American Red Cross, raises funds for several charitable organizations and is a bone marrow donor.

Ralph Patterson, Irving – North Lake College – As president the North Lake College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (an international honor society for two-year colleges), Patterson has participated in numerous service projects, such as assisted in rewiring an elementary school; distributed safety pamphlets and 911 information to children and adults at July 4 celebrations in Irving; and volunteered at the city’s Family Festival.

Krystle Lynn Singleton, Dallas – Cedar Valley College – Singleton has served a variety of causes; she participated in walks to raise funds for breast cancer and general cancer research; has volunteered for Camp Jubilee at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas (preparing children with sickle cell anemia for their annual camp trip); has assisted with DCCCD’s African-American Read-In; and has helped the elderly.

Brenda Tusie, Dallas – Richland College – Tusie, who grew up in a small community and was involved in her church for many years, volunteers at her daughter’s elementary school and continues to be involved in her church through the Caring and Sharing Ministry; she sorts and distributes clothing, distributes food, shelves groceries and helps families find financial assistance when they are in need.

Kathy Lynn Wagener, Mesquite – Eastfield College – Wagener balances spouse, family and school responsibilities with community service; she is involved in a nursing home ministry through her church, as well as a ministry to homeless people and an emergency aid center at Lakeside Baptist Church; her activities have compelled Wagener to consider pursuing a career as a social worker.

For more info:
Contact: Ann Hatch, , DCCCD Media Relations at 214-860-2478