Catholic Charities USA Names Finalists for 2002 National Volunteer of the Year Award

Catholic Charities USA
Tuesday, 2 April 2002

A 92-year-old foster grandmother and a husband and wife team who provide support for those living with HIV/AIDS are among the 10 finalists for Catholic Charities USA's 2002 National Volunteer of the Year Award.

The annual award recognizes the important contributions of tens of thousands volunteers who provide the heart and soul of the Catholic Charities movement. The extraordinary work of these finalists illustrate the breadth and depth of services performed by Catholic Charities volunteers.

"The dedication and service of volunteers who give so much of their valuable time, talent, and energy enable Catholic Charities to fulfill our mission," said Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, president of Catholic Charities USA. "The work of our volunteers epitomizes God's love for the poor and vulnerable in our society."

This year's finalists are:

- Alice Wright Belknap, Goshen, KY, for her many years of service to refugees and refugee children.

- Earlene Berry, Pontiac, MI, for her care and companionship of older adults in need of assistance.

- Don Decker, Stony Point, NY, for the development and management of the Food Pantry

- Tom and Kathy Gess, Baton Rouge, LA, for their prison ministry and advocacy, as well as countless acts of kindness.

- Ronald Laurent, Chicago, for 30 years of service and involvement in dozens of projects and committees within his community.

- Ray Lenarcic, Herkimer, NY, for his extensive contributions to the emergency feeding programs in his community.

- Dr. Harry Murray, Rochester, NY, for his emergency housing research and fundraising.

- Goldie Pangburn, Sauk Centre, MN, for her 20 years of service as a foster grandparent to children within her community.

- Inez Peterson, Superior, WI, for her 24 years of service as a tutor, mentor and friend through the Foster Grandparent Program.

- George and Sharon Rose, Houston, for their HIV/AIDS ministry and advocacy and for making a difference in the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.

Nationally, an estimated 168,000 volunteers provided more than 6.5 million hours of service to Catholic Charities agencies, according to agency statistics from 2000.

The 10 finalists were chosen from nearly 30 nominations from local agencies for exemplifying the spirit and mission of Catholic Charities in reducing poverty; supporting families; empowering communities.

The 2002 award recipient will be announced during National Volunteer Week, April 21–27, and will be honored at Catholic Charities USA's Annual Conference and Sections Meetings on Aug. 3 in Chicago.

About The Finalists

This year's finalists include eight individuals and two couples. Here is a look at the valuable contributions they have made to help their neighbors and their communities.

Alice Wright Belknap of Goshen, KY, is an exceptional volunteer who has been committed to helping others all of her life. She has been volunteering since 1988 with Migration and Refugee Services of Catholic Charities of Louisville. Her first volunteer job was in a pre-school for refugee children, where she helped the children learn English. She eventually became the school's director and was later asked to supervise a transitional housing unit for newly arrived refugees. Alice currently teaches English to adult refugees; acts a mentor to an Afghani family of 12 and a Sudanese mother with two children; assists refugees with the complicated process of obtaining driver's licenses; and serves on the Community Development Council.

As a Senior Companion for Catholic Charities of Oakland County, MI, Earlene Berry of Pontiac, MI, has been caring for older adults since 1996, including those with special needs. As the number of seniors in need of assistance began to grow, she helped to recruit and train new senior companions. For the last two years, Earlene has cared for two frail homebound seniors with dementia who are both in their mid-90s. With her attention, encouragement, and love she has made their lives less lonely and enabled them to live out their lives with dignity, while remaining independent and in their own home. Earlene's goal is to make a difference in at least one person's life each day that she volunteers.

Following a successful real estate career, Don Decker of Stony Point, NY, joined Catholic Charities the Archdiocese of New York in founding the Food Pantry of Rockland County, NY, which serves nearly 400 working-poor families a month. To get the pantry opened, he secured a pro bono architect, helped supervise the volunteer union group that renovated the facility, and a volunteer group that established the direction of the pantry. Today, he is the Food Pantry's volunteer coordinator: recruiting volunteers; managing the Pantry's food procurement, inventory, and budget, organizing food drives; and managing the building. Formally, Don is known as the Volunteer Coordinator but informally he is known as the backbone of the Pantry's efforts.

Over the past 20 years, Tom and Kathy Gess of Baton Rouge, LA, have been bringing hope to those who have no hope. At Catholic Community Services' Joseph Home—a transitional shelter for male ex-offenders—they interview and screen candidates, talking with them about goals, rules, and family support. They are working with CCS' Prison Ministry on a resource book for newly released inmates. The couple often testifies before the legislature on issues such as the death penalty, prison reform, and criminal justice. They also attend regional and pardon parole hearings and helped organize a children's corner for visiting families at a local correctional facility. The Gesses routinely perform small acts of kindness, such as sending birthday cards to senior prisoners and other activities that help the public see prisoners as human beings.

Ronald P. Laurent of Chicago has served on the Board of Advisors for Catholic Charities for more than 30 years, wholeheartedly giving his time, energy, business acumen, creativity, and personal resources to dozens of projects and committees. In his many leadership roles, he has helped to provide food for seniors and their families; job skills and transitional housing for the homeless; counseling for families in crisis; and safe residences for low-income seniors. In 1997, he undertook his toughest task—reestablishing Catholic Charities Annual Mother's Day Appeal, which provides major funding for the agency's programs for the poor. Ronald's life work has been seeking to procure fair and just treatment of all those who are suffering from poverty, job loss, crisis, addiction and other family problems.

Ray Lenarcic of Herkimer, NY, became a volunteer for Catholic Charities in 1999 and promptly set about the work of raising funds, attracting volunteers, and helping area food pantries deal with the increasing numbers of hungry people in his community. He began educating the public on the needs of the working poor by writing articles in the local newspapers, appearing on radio and television programs, and meeting with state legislators. He has made a permanent impact on all emergency feeding programs in the county, thereby increasing the number of meals served fivefold in only three years. Food pantries have expanded their hours or days of operation. And the quality and quantity of the food served has significantly increased.

With a personal interest in the issue of homelessness, Dr. Harry Murray of Rochester, NY, created a sociology internship at the Catholic Family Center for students at Nazareth College. His students have conducted several studies that have provided invaluable information to area policymakers and funders. These studies were used to support the basis for CFC's opening of a second shelter for homeless women and their children in 2002. His other contributions include participating on CFC's Homeless and Housing Services Department, serving as a residential counselor during a staffing crisis, working as a fund developer, and even mowing the lawns outside shelters.

Goldie Pangburn of Sauk Centre,MN, known as "Grandma Goldie," has been a foster grandparent for Catholic Charities of St. Cloud for 20 years, working with the children one-on-one or in small groups. Goldie is now legally blind, but the children don't care. Instead of Goldie reading to them, they read to her, and those who can't read yet tell her the stories by looking at the pictures. At age 88, Goldie attends workshops to learn Spanish for help her with the Spanish-speaking children in her care and gain knowledge about children's issues, such Attention Deficit Disorder. Grandma Goldie teaches the children that she works with that everyday is a lesson and that they should enjoy every minute, as they go by too fast.

After the loss of her husband in 1978, Inez Peterson of Superior, WI, joined the Foster Grandparent Program sponsored by Catholic Charities Bureau. For the past 24 years, "Grandma Inez" has given more than 24,000 hours of service as a tutor, mentor, friend, and compassionate adult role model for more than 1,000 pre-school children who have been in her care. She has a reputation as especially effective with children who suffered abuse, neglect, or other emotional trauma. At 93 years old, Inez is considered a friend, confidante and comforter to those she assists.

For the past 12 years, George and Sharon Rose of Houston have been making a difference in the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. As volunteers of the AIDS Ministry of Associated Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, the Roses advocate for those with HIV/AIDS, speaking publicly to seminarians, parishes, and schools, and also serve on educational panels. They are Eucharist ministers to those who are homebound and dying with HIV/AIDS. For the last four years, the Roses have hosted a gathering at their family ranch for inner city children with HIV. They have also implemented many personal outreach programs such as the Christmas Angel Adopt a Family Program, holiday baskets, and a volunteer relocation and moving service.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Charities USA, see their website at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org