AUBURN - From the Booker T. Washington Center to the YMCA to the Human Services Coalition, the four honorees at Thursday evening's Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes of Cayuga County, Works of Love awards dinner, all shared a common thread.
Barbara Bowen, Jill Fandrich, Fred Richardson and Marsha Smith, have all demonstrated a deep and unending passion for the community they all call home.
The awards dinner, which celebrated its seventh year Thursday evening, is an offshoot of a similar celebration held annually in the charity's home base of Geneva.
“Every year they have the Shining Light Dinner,” said Laurie Trojnor, director of the Cayuga County office. “We wanted to create more of a presence in Cayuga County and we wanted to expand on that idea within this community.”
The annual awards are designed to recognize people who have made a commitment to serve their community every year, that service can take on a new theme based around the idea of a passage from the Bible, Matthew 25: 35-36, reflects on those that care for others by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, caring for the sick and welcoming in strangers and making new people feel at home.
“This year, we decided to recognize people that work behind the scenes,” said Ellen Wayne, executive director for Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes. “People that serve on boards and committees and are always working to help make the community better. This award recognizes people of all different faiths and walks of life. It is for the people that make this community better and people that the community couldn't get along without their efforts.”
Jenny Haines, planning and economic development director for the city of Auburn and 2005 award recipient, served as the keynote speaker.
In many ways, Haines had a lot in common with those she was recognizing.
“She is a kindred spirit with them,” Wayne said. “Like them, she has worked for the good of this community and to help make Cayuga County a greater place to live.”
Reflecting on the verse from Matthew, Haines said that all four honoreesrepresented the spirit of volunteerism and the unending commitment to help those in need face their struggles, reflecting the spirit of the words and example set forth by Jesus Christ.
“And they do this kindly and humbly,” Haines said. “They do this work quietly and they have every right to say 'hey look at me,' but they don't. They do their work quietly and humbly and they are doing an awesome job.”
Through their collective work with organizations such as HUD, the NAACP, Leadership Cayuga and Habitat For Humanity, these four honorees have set an example, that can serve not only as something that deserves recognition, but perhaps most valuably as something that can inspire others to carry on what they have started.
“We are here to celebrate the work of these four members of the community,” Haines said. “But we can also follow their example. We can look at the community in need and we can make our own efforts. It is through the work of people like this that we can take Auburn from a good place to live and make it a great place to live.”
The winners
For more about the Works of Love award recipients, read Monday's Lake Life section in The Citizen
The awards dinner, which celebrated its seventh year Thursday evening, is an offshoot of a similar celebration held annually in the charity's home base of Geneva.
“Every year they have the Shining Light Dinner,” said Laurie Trojnor, director of the Cayuga County office. “We wanted to create more of a presence in Cayuga County and we wanted to expand on that idea within this community.”
The annual awards are designed to recognize people who have made a commitment to serve their community every year, that service can take on a new theme based around the idea of a passage from the Bible, Matthew 25: 35-36, reflects on those that care for others by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, caring for the sick and welcoming in strangers and making new people feel at home.
“This year, we decided to recognize people that work behind the scenes,” said Ellen Wayne, executive director for Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes. “People that serve on boards and committees and are always working to help make the community better. This award recognizes people of all different faiths and walks of life. It is for the people that make this community better and people that the community couldn't get along without their efforts.”
Jenny Haines, planning and economic development director for the city of Auburn and 2005 award recipient, served as the keynote speaker.
In many ways, Haines had a lot in common with those she was recognizing.
“She is a kindred spirit with them,” Wayne said. “Like them, she has worked for the good of this community and to help make Cayuga County a greater place to live.”
Reflecting on the verse from Matthew, Haines said that all four honoreesrepresented the spirit of volunteerism and the unending commitment to help those in need face their struggles, reflecting the spirit of the words and example set forth by Jesus Christ.
“And they do this kindly and humbly,” Haines said. “They do this work quietly and they have every right to say 'hey look at me,' but they don't. They do their work quietly and humbly and they are doing an awesome job.”
Through their collective work with organizations such as HUD, the NAACP, Leadership Cayuga and Habitat For Humanity, these four honorees have set an example, that can serve not only as something that deserves recognition, but perhaps most valuably as something that can inspire others to carry on what they have started.
“We are here to celebrate the work of these four members of the community,” Haines said. “But we can also follow their example. We can look at the community in need and we can make our own efforts. It is through the work of people like this that we can take Auburn from a good place to live and make it a great place to live.”
The winners
For more about the Works of Love award recipients, read Monday's Lake Life section in The Citizen
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