Series: The American Spirit

Katie Couric Reports On Progress In Critical Issues Facing America

(CBS)  In February, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric began "The American Spirit," a series that reports on extraordinary people whose unique solutions to America's problems have had a major impact on the communities in which they were started, and are now also being echoed across the country.

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Do you know someone who embodies "The American Spirit?" Let us know by e-mailing us your ideas.

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Some of these reports include:

Monday, March 5: Byron Pitts profiles a Christian non-profit organization called ACTS - "Active Community Team Services" - founded three years ago, and making a big difference in hard-hit areas. Volunteers go directly into disaster zones, right away.

Monday, Feb. 5: Kalamazoo, Mich. school superintendent Janice Brown explains how she has provided free college tuition to more than 350 students after starting the "Kalamazoo Promise" program last year.

Tuesday, Feb. 6: Couric profiles Don Berwick, a Harvard-trained pediatrician, who is trying to make American healthcare safer. To date, Berwick's new, wide-reaching program has helped 3,100 hospitals become safer, possibly resulting in many lives saved.

Wednesday, Feb. 7: In 2004, James Simons founded Math for America in an effort to keep American students competitive. By increasing the number of America's teachers that are properly trained, the organization has made significant inroads in addressing a simple but profound problem.

Thursday, Feb. 8: Former Wall Street executive Janet Hanson is the founder of 85 Broads, a first-of-its-kind organization to help women get ahead in the workplace by creating mentoring network. The groundbreaking program has reached thousands of women worldwide and become the success model for other business networks.

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Do you know someone who embodies the "American Spirit"? Let us know by e-mailing us your ideas. We may feature your story idea on a future CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

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Add a Comment

by billzor February 9, 2007 9:56 PM EST

This is so much more important than all of the hype about celebrities and their relationships, (Especially Donald and Rosie,) or American Idol. There are good people all over this country doing good things day in and day out. The media circus that mesmerizes some of us with celebrity soap opera hype/drama in real life form is usually just the fuel that keeps itself going. If no one paid attention, it would quickly go away. But the people who are doing good things day in and day out would still be doing what they do. They don't do it for millions of dollars, ratings, scandals and sensationalism. They do it because they want to help people, and that's what needs to be done.

Reply to this comment

by khgoodnews February 9, 2007 7:18 PM EST

I am so glad I caught Katie's report on Thursday, 2/8/07 about Conchy Bretos and her new program to help seniors get assisted living services rather than nursing home care. With aging parents, this issue has been on my mind.
Thank you for airing such a great story.

For those who want more information about the program, as I did, see more about her story on http://www.leadwithexperience.org/prize/finalists/bretos.cfm.

Reply to this comment

by plingan-2009 February 9, 2007 2:12 PM EST

I watched the segment of the in home care for the elderly and would like the name and contact information for the founder. I live in the Northern Virginia area and would like to see if there is any such program as I would be interested in providing support for such a program.

Reply to this comment

by mba200614 February 9, 2007 1:00 PM EST

Hello,
I saw the segment on The American Sprite on February 8, 2007
This was regarding elderly seniors living in retirement home and the founder
Of the new organization created a new program to help senior citizen
Become self sufficient, I%u2019m requesting the transcripts and the contact
Information of the founder. I have an elderly grandmother that needs
Assistance immediately she lives in Macon, Georgia. Please advise?

Antonio Baldwin
678-538-5878
[e-mail]

Reply to this comment

by lstewart27 February 8, 2007 10:40 PM EST

RE:your piece on Assisted Living in Florida. The 78th legislature in TX approved SB1055. One sentence in that bill affected the lives of rural elderly who do not wish to move 65 mi. to the city for the "entitlement" of Community Based Alternative Program "CBA". I operate a licensed 70 bed assisted living facility in rural TX. It takes a co-pay from the elder's SSI check and is supplemented by the state. The monthly rate is still well under $1500 per month per resident. We were finally approved because the region agreed that it was a service desperately needed since there were and still are no facilities in the area to provide the program. The facility qualified at every criteria but one. Because one sentence in this bill stated that if the facility was at one time licensed as a nursing home it would immediately disqualify. What do bricks & sticks have to do with the level of safety & care? What are we doing to our elders/challeged "citizens". There is so much more...

Reply to this comment

by wallacejohns February 5, 2007 2:18 PM EST

Triumph of the Human Spirit

http://www.draft.org/draft3/ SEGS4Vets

TO CBS NEWS TEAM
I was pleased to se the brief clip regarding Kimberly Dozier and her return to the CBS Newsroom following her rehabilitation at Bethesda Hospital. It is remarkable and heartwarming to see what can and is being accomplished by medical intervention on behalf of the wounded.

You may not be aware of the activities of a non profit organization %u2013 Disability Rights Advocates For Technology (DRAFT) %u2013 which has become active in providing Mobility Assistive devices to members of the armed forces who have lost limbs or experienced severe burns which limit mobility.

To date, DRAFT has provided three such devices to Bethesda (where Kimberly Dozier was first taken from Germany,) two to Walter Reed and two to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. REBECCA S. HOOPER PT, PhD, COL(R) Program Manager, Center for the Intrepid
[phone]

In addition, DRAFT has obtained permission to provide %u2013 at no cost to the recipient %u2013 a mobility assistive device to active service persons upon application and demonstration of need and potential for benefit.

I was pleased to be asked to attend a training session for Physical and Occupational therapists at BAMC on November 6, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas.

This is routed to your attention in the hope that CBS will consider a feature on the human interest side of this worthwhile effort.

Reply to this comment

by tonytric February 5, 2007 12:44 PM EST

Three cheers for Katie!! There are so many agencies and news people bashing this great country, it's nice to see you give good news for a change. And I could not think of a nicer person to convey those thoughts. Keep up the good news and remind the rest of our nation what a truly great place we really live in.

Reply to this comment

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[billzor]

This is so much more important than all of the hype about celebrities and their relationships, (Especially Donald and Rosie,) or American Idol. There are good people all over this country doing good things day in and day out. The media circus that mesmerizes some of us with celebrity soap opera hype/drama in real life form is usually just the fuel that keeps itself going. If no one paid attention, it would quickly go away. But the people who are doing good things day in and day out would still be doing what they do. They don't do it for millions of dollars, ratings, scandals and sensationalism. They do it because they want to help people, and that's what needs to be done.

[khgoodnews]

I am so glad I caught Katie's report on Thursday, 2/8/07 about Conchy Bretos and her new program to help seniors get assisted living services rather than nursing home care. With aging parents, this issue has been on my mind.
Thank you for airing such a great story.

For those who want more information about the program, as I did, see more about her story on http://www.leadwithexperience.org/prize/finalists/bretos.cfm.

[plingan-2009]

I watched the segment of the in home care for the elderly and would like the name and contact information for the founder. I live in the Northern Virginia area and would like to see if there is any such program as I would be interested in providing support for such a program.

[mba200614]

Hello,
I saw the segment on The American Sprite on February 8, 2007
This was regarding elderly seniors living in retirement home and the founder
Of the new organization created a new program to help senior citizen
Become self sufficient, I%u2019m requesting the transcripts and the contact
Information of the founder. I have an elderly grandmother that needs
Assistance immediately she lives in Macon, Georgia. Please advise?

Antonio Baldwin
678-538-5878
[e-mail]

[lstewart27]

RE:your piece on Assisted Living in Florida. The 78th legislature in TX approved SB1055. One sentence in that bill affected the lives of rural elderly who do not wish to move 65 mi. to the city for the "entitlement" of Community Based Alternative Program "CBA". I operate a licensed 70 bed assisted living facility in rural TX. It takes a co-pay from the elder's SSI check and is supplemented by the state. The monthly rate is still well under $1500 per month per resident. We were finally approved because the region agreed that it was a service desperately needed since there were and still are no facilities in the area to provide the program. The facility qualified at every criteria but one. Because one sentence in this bill stated that if the facility was at one time licensed as a nursing home it would immediately disqualify. What do bricks & sticks have to do with the level of safety & care? What are we doing to our elders/challeged "citizens". There is so much more...

[wallacejohns]

Triumph of the Human Spirit

http://www.draft.org/draft3/ SEGS4Vets

TO CBS NEWS TEAM
I was pleased to se the brief clip regarding Kimberly Dozier and her return to the CBS Newsroom following her rehabilitation at Bethesda Hospital. It is remarkable and heartwarming to see what can and is being accomplished by medical intervention on behalf of the wounded.

You may not be aware of the activities of a non profit organization %u2013 Disability Rights Advocates For Technology (DRAFT) %u2013 which has become active in providing Mobility Assistive devices to members of the armed forces who have lost limbs or experienced severe burns which limit mobility.

To date, DRAFT has provided three such devices to Bethesda (where Kimberly Dozier was first taken from Germany,) two to Walter Reed and two to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. REBECCA S. HOOPER PT, PhD, COL(R) Program Manager, Center for the Intrepid
[phone]

In addition, DRAFT has obtained permission to provide %u2013 at no cost to the recipient %u2013 a mobility assistive device to active service persons upon application and demonstration of need and potential for benefit.

I was pleased to be asked to attend a training session for Physical and Occupational therapists at BAMC on November 6, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas.

This is routed to your attention in the hope that CBS will consider a feature on the human interest side of this worthwhile effort.

[tonytric]

Three cheers for Katie!! There are so many agencies and news people bashing this great country, it's nice to see you give good news for a change. And I could not think of a nicer person to convey those thoughts. Keep up the good news and remind the rest of our nation what a truly great place we really live in.