ARTICLE: “Rotary Honors Residents: HHH Volunteer Services Director recognized with Vocational Services Award”, Tacoma News Tribune
Congratulations to our very own Lisa Heintz, Volunteer Services Director, for being recognized with the SH Rotary’s Vocational Excellence Award for Non-Profit/Non-Governmental service. Others recognized include Puyallup City Manager Ralph Dannenberg, teacher Amanda Kraft, and business owners Ken and JoAnn Scholz. You deserve it!
Rotary honors residents
By Andrew Fickes
Five exceptional people doing good things in the Puyallup, South Hill and East Pierce community were recognized for their contributions at the 2011 Puyallup South Hill Rotary Community Vocational Awards luncheon.
On Thursday, May 12, the South Hill Rotary presented awards in the areas of business, education, government and non-profit to Ken and JoAnn Scholz, Amanda Kraft, Ralph Dannenberg and Lisa Heintz, respectively.
“I was extremely impressed with the recipients,” said Karen Hansen, chairwoman of the South Hill Rotary awards selection committee. “They truly exhibited the qualities we were looking for in these awards.”
The Scholzes were recognized for their Snowshoe Evergreen choose and cut Christmas tree farm business based in McMillin, between Orting and Sumner. The farm is on Ken Scholz’s parents property, which he and his wife purchased in the mid-1970s.
“Ken and JoAnn are steadfast, community supporters with a commitment to supporting youth and truly believing in giving back and doing so on an annual basis,” said Jerome O’Leary, the Scholz’s son-in-law. “You could not ask for a better success story for two people who have worked hard and been successful and remained humble.”
Ken Scholz said he and his wife farm about 350 acres for Christmas trees, which includes land they lease to others. The wholesale cut tree business sells about 35,000 to 50,000 trees each season. The Scholzes are strong believers in education and contribute regularly to the Western Washington Fair Scholarship Foundation.
“We appreciate (this award) very much,” Ken Scholz said. “We will continue to uphold exactly what this award means.”
Kraft, who received the education award, was introduced by one of her longtime mentors, Guy Kovacs, principal at Edgerton Elementary School. Kraft is a fourth grade teacher at Edgerton.
“I have worked in the district for over 20 years and I can safely say that Amanda is one of the best educators I have had the privilege to work with,” Kovacs said. “She is the type of teacher that students remember for their entire lives for all the right reasons.”
While at the same time teaching, Kraft is also the Edgerton elementary assessment coordinator, student council coordinator, track coach and math relay coach. During the past five years, she has also helped bring Edgerton curriculum to state standards in the area of math.
Kovacs also touted Kraft for her extraordinary ability to organize school events targeted at raising money for the fight against lymphoma. Her hard work, he said, has made Edgerton the top fundraising school for lymphoma in the Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska region.
“I don’t teach to be recognized,” Kraft said. “I became a teacher to impact lives. I appreciate Guy for always pushing me and inspiring me. I appreciate my husband and my mother is my biggest cheerleader.”
Dannenberg was introduced by Councilmember Rick Hansen.
“He filled a breach (at the city) when we really needed help,” Hansen said. “(The city) has moved light years ahead and that is owed to Ralph.”
Dannenberg, an employee of the city of Puyallup since 1998, was hired as city manager in October 2010.
“I feel blessed to be in Puyallup,” Dannenberg said. “I thank the council for selecting me as city manager. I look forward to coming to work every day.”
Heintz, a highly organized and take-charge leader, received the non-profit award for her active role as the director of volunteer services at Helping Hand House. Heintz said she helps connect individuals to different projects that they may want to work on.
Heintz has been in non-profit work for 11 years following eight years in the dental profession. Despite no four-year degree, Heintz said she has relied on hard work and talent to succeed in the non-profit field.
“I’m truly humbled to win this award and to know that hard work truly pays off and sometimes you don’t always need a college degree to succeed,” she said.
Reach Puyallup reporter Andrew Fickes at 253-841-2481 Ext. 313 or e-mail at andrew.fickes@puyallupherald.com.
Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/18/v-lite/1669081/rotary-honors-residents.html#ixzz1MjCbTc5r
Friends make all the difference
When we were growing up, we had friends that cared about the same things that we did and happened to live near enough for it to matter. Sometimes they were smarter and more athletic, sometimes they weren’t – but if they didn’t play nice, they couldn’t come over anymore. Some of those friends were lifelong relationships, and others were those that we stopped talking to after they moved out of the neighborhood and felt awkward seeing in the grocery store. New friends, old friends – it just mattered that we had friends…and it was our friends that made adventures possible and dreams come alive.
Helping Hand House turned 26 this year – 26 years of growing up in east Pierce County. Life is a lot bigger and more complicated than it was in the early days. But we have amazing friends, so many of whom have been with us through thick and thin over the last decades of economic ups and downs in Pierce County.
Some of our friends
We have friends like the Puyallup Valley Quilters (PVQ) – one of several quilting groups who provide a beautiful handmade quilt to every member of every family who comes into one of our housing programs. Whether a person is 4 or 54, there’s nothing like a warm quilt made with care and a little message attached to the corner: “Made with love just for you by the Puyallup Valley Quilters.” It’s one of the touches that help our families understand how much we honor them and want to see them succeed – and it wouldn’t be possible without friends like the Puyallup Valley Quilters. “I think Helping Hand House does wonderful work in our community,” says Patty deCamp, a longtime friend of HHH and PVQ member. “Our members enjoy gathering to make these quilts that they know will be on each family member’s bed when they first move in after being homeless. Those of us who have attended the breakfasts and open houses have been very touched by the stories of homelessness to hope and want to continue to help in additional ways.”
Then there’s the South Hill Rotary, who purchased a duplex over 13 years ago to house homeless families with children. Their investment so many years ago has provided a home to nearly 115 families who would otherwise be living in a car or tent, their children cold at night and hungry on the way to school. They’ve heard the stories and seen the difference that they have made – so much so that they are in the midst of purchasing a second duplex, providing the means and opportunity to help even more families.
Then there are the countless groups of friends from businesses, churches, and community groups who do yard projects, provide extravagantly for families over the holidays, bake birthday cakes, paint homes, wrap gifts, host food and supply drives (and so much more…). It is the Key Bank‘s and Milgard’s of the world – employees giving selflessly with fantastic attitudes in project after project. Milgard even ‘adopted’ all the kids who have birthdays in July.
Insert your name here – for the times you stepped up when the need was great and you had a hand to give. It is people like you that make hope and safety possible when every option looks bleak and it is raining again.
None of what we do could be done without our friends – the volunteers and partners that give themselves away day after day or a weekend a year. It’s a labor of love to serve families in crisis, and a joy to do it together with you.
From all your friends at Helping Hand House, thank you.
Help Rotary give 8+ families a home through Helping Hand House
What is it?
Save the date for Saturday, April 17th and come to the South Hill Rotary Auction – benefiting Helping Hand House, by purchasing a new duplex to house 8+ families every year in our Emergency Housing Program. This is a WORTHY cause, folks.
It’s a cowboy theme and will be so much fun, in addition to raising a huge amount of money for the mission with families.
Details:
Date/Time: Saturday, April 17th from 5:00-9:00pm
Cost: $30 per person – contact Shan at s_vipond@msn.com
Check out the Facebook page on the event here…
Thanks so much for your support of the work of Helping Hand House!!!
As job losses increase, more families looking for a place to sleep at night…
Anyone else confused about whether America is gaining or losing jobs? The newspapers have conflicting articles in the very same issues sometimes…what we know from Pierce County, however, is that more families are on the edge – and off the edge – than has happened in a very long time. The result of this? Family homelessness increases, and with it, calls for help. If you’ve ever answered a call from someone who needs a safe place for their 9 year old daughter to sleep at night, rather than a tent or a car in the WalMart parking lot…it’s absolutely heartbreaking, all the moreso when you have no good news about an open home. People are stepping up all around the County in this time – South Hill Rotary is raising money for a duplex that will house 8+ families a year in our Emergency Housing program (more on this in a blog posting to come).
But the community needs more help – if you want to step in and play a role, click here to check out volunteer opportunities, or join us for a House Warming Tour.
Tough times, folks.
