Rock and a Heart Place: Documentary Celebrates Volunteerism

Rock and a Heart Place a christmas holiday documentary with Holiday Express


Michael Sodano, Producer; Diane Blocker & Roz Stevenson, Volunteer Center Madison County, Huntsville Alabama

Roz Stevenson, Youth Volunteer Coordinator, asks the class a question in the Leadership Seminar

Service Leadership classroom participants, prior to documentary screening in Huntsville Alabama

Nancy Sabino, Producer with Olamide Dawodu, Youth Corps Coordinator at VolunteerLEON, Tallahassee, FL

Nancy addresses class in Tallahassee

Attentive students watch documentary in the Service Leadership Ambassador Camp

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA - My Alabama participation was a prime example of "southern hospitality" at its best. I was treated to first class guest speaker conditions from the very start. Roz Stevenson - Youth Volunteer Coordinator - picked me up at the airport, drove me to my hotel to check in and then took time out of her day to give me a tour of Huntsville (home of Space Camp, military facilities, an important part of US history and an incredible building boom). The tour ended at the offices of the Volunteer Center where I had the opportunity to meet the staff - who all expressed excitement in using ROCK and a HEART PLACE during their summer Leadership program. Taking hospitality to the next level, I was invited to dinner with Sheila McFerran - Executive Director of the Volunteer Center - and her family. It was truly a delightful evening getting to know Sheila and brainstorming with her about additional applications for the film. Next morning on the campus of the University of Huntsville, the documentary was scheduled to set the tone of the Wednesday session. While the film was screening, you could hear a pin drop in the room. Roz was impressed with how attentive the students - aged 13-17 - were throughout the film. According to their comments, the documentary truly affected them and their thinking about volunteering, leadership and taking part in their community. You can read about how the film worked into the course here. According to Roz, "In my experience, there's no resource available for Volunteer Centers like ROCK and a HEART PLACE. It adds a level of understanding of volunteering that goes beyond the surface, and that's what we needed. Now our students understand the work involved in forming a community based organization." Roz's thoughts summarize our goals for the educational and community use of the film. Generally speaking, when a filmmaker creates a film, connecting with an audience and stirring emotions are some of the best possible results. But if we can move an audience to action - that's the ultimate compliment. And from the results in Alabama, I think ROCK and a HEART PLACE is doing just that. Roz summed it best by saying "We were thrilled. It was everything we wanted, and more." - Michael Sodano
Purchase a copy of ROCK and a HEART PLACE for your group, school or organization.
TALLAHASSE, FLORIDA - I arrived at the Service Leadership in Ambassador Camp in Tallahassee on a warm June day to participate in the screening of our documentary, ROCK and a HEART PLACE. Assembled in the Tallahassee Community College classroom were 65 students, aged 12-18, who were learning about volunteering while they earned 40 hours of community service which would be counted toward scholarship and academic programs. Olamide Dawodu, Youth Corps Coordinator, thought the 35-minute film was a perfect fit adding to the field trips to non-profit agencies, teambuilding activities, guest speakers and hands-on participation in a service project. The students watched intently and quietly as the film showed the dedication and fun Holiday Express brings to their audiences –the forgotten homeless, handicapped children and elderly nursing home residents. The discussion afterwards focused on who the students most identified with - Tim the founder and leader of Holiday Express or Amy - the operations director and go-to person for the organization. Their thoughts, written up and handed in on questionnaires, reflected how they were touched and empowered by the film. Statements, like those below, made clear that the benefits of volunteering were obvious. *“Small, heartfelt actions profoundly affect people’s lives.* *Fun plays a role in attracting new volunteers and energizing current volunteers. Leadership comes from everyday people* *I’m really excited to get started."* I was glad to have been a small part in what could be the beginning of many Tallahassee projects that look to change the community for good. - Nancy Sabino