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Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Sam Gil
Camillus House
305-374-1065 ext. 328 (office)
samgil@camillus.org • www.camillus.org
CAMILLUS HOUSE TO RECOGNIZE CHRISTIENNE SHEROUSE FOR OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERISM
MIAMI – For attorney Christienne Sherouse, the road to professional success runs parallel with the path of community service.
In recognition of her exceptional dedication and community spirit, Camillus House will present Sherouse with an award for outstanding volunteerism during a ceremony to be held on Saturday, April 19 at the Camillus House Somerville Residences. She is one of 23 local residents who will be honored at the Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, which begins at 1 p.m.
A resident of Coral Gables, Sherouse and her husband Thomas, started making contributions to Camillus House as a way to give back to the community. Soon, Sherouse realized that Camillus House was much more than a provider of a warm meal and a clean bed for the homeless.
“I learned about the rehabilitation programs available to clients and decided to help push these efforts forward,” said Sherouse about getting more involved as a hands-on volunteer at the organization.
Since then, Sherouse has served as the Chair of board of the Camillus House Young Leaders (CHYL), where she strives to instill in young professionals the importance of community service.
“Early on in our careers, it is easy to get wrapped up in working harder and longer to be successful, but it is equally important to share the benefits of our experiences with those less fortunate,” Sherouse said.
Sherouse is a partner at the law firm Gaebe, Mullen, Antonelli, Esco & DiMatteo of Coral Gables, where she maintains a general civil-litigation practice, focused on corporate and insurance defense, premises liability, negligent security, personal injury, employment discrimination and civil rights.
As head of CHYL, she supports Camillus House’s commitment to solve the problem of chronic homelessness. Sherouse spearheads efforts to hold fundraisers, networking events and hands-on volunteer activities, such as painting shelters, serving meals and tutoring.
“When new volunteers collaborate with us, they learn what I call the secret of volunteer work,” Sherouse explained. “The volunteer gets as much -- if not more -- out of it than the recipient. It is a great feeling to help someone out.”
Some of the CHYL projects have included buying an ice machine for the Camillus House meal site, and collaborating with the Humane Society to raise funds for a kennel serving Camillus House clients with pets.
In addition, Sherouse started a tutoring program to help the homeless advance their educational skills. The program is currently available twice a week and it has succeeded in helping eight Camillus clients earn their GED degrees, while many others are brushing up on their basic reading needs. Whenever possible, Sherouse also volunteers as a tutor at the shelter.
"Camillus House is blessed to have volunteers like Christi, whose passion for our mission and commitment to our clients will make our goal to end chronic homelessness in Miami a reality," said Dr. Paul R. Ahr, President and CEO of Camillus House.
An active community volunteer since 1997, Sherouse has collaborated with Hands on Miami and the Children Home Society, mentoring students in programs such as Horizons, the Dade County Bar E-mentoring Program and the Florida International University’s first year law students. In addition, she is a member of the Miami-Dade Planning Board, the Florida Defense Lawyer’s Association, the Cuban American Bar and the Florida Association of Women Lawyers.
The Camillus House Somerville Residences are located at 400 NW 3rd Court Miami, FL 33128.
Camillus House has provided humanitarian services to the indigent and homeless populations of Miami-Dade County for 47 years. Established by the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd in 1960, Camillus House has grown steadily over the years from a small overnight shelter into a full-service center for persons who are poor and homeless.
