The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) is proud to recognize the following individuals as Fraternal MVPs (Most Valuable Participants) for the week of October 23, 2006. Fraternal MVPs are "Fraternalists-in-Action" who volunteer their time, energy and compassion to strengthen their communities through participation in local lodge activities and other charitable endeavors.

Kathy Wendling
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Southeast Louisiana Chapter
Prairieville, Louisiana
Some people talk about the importance of helping others. For Kathy Wendling, it’s a way of life—supported by opportunities provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The help she provided last year as youth director for the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of Thrivent Financial is just one example. She worked closely with volunteers, advising them and ensuring Care Abounds in Communities® and Care in Congregations® activities succeeded.

To mobilize youth for various activities, she worked with the congregational service team director to set up an information network, so they could easily be contacted. She also led a successful Thrivent Financial membership drive at Christ Lutheran Church, and she recruited eight members of the congregation to participate in a Habitat for Humanity home-building project.

And, there was Hurricane Katrina. The storm all but demolished the community of Chalmette, Louisiana, destroying Kathy’s home and property, and forcing her family to relocate 70 miles away. Once there, Kathy quickly turned to help others. Kathy set up a service on the district’s Web site to connect families with needs to those wishing to help. She created and coordinated a relief office and has been hired by the district to continue managing its recovery programs. Last fall, to help New Orleans-area residents, Kathy coordinated Thrivent Financial Feeds the Hungry, providing turkey dinners to thousands of displaced people over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Kathy also was a member of the St. Bernard Parish Drug Awareness Committee, which brought together 6,000 children for drug-awareness events. She has served her congregation as Sunday school teacher and director, vacation Bible school director and music teacher, and as a member of the church council and altar guild. She’s also been an active volunteer in the school district and with the Southern District, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Karin Sullivan
Catholic Family Life Insurance
Bridgewater Chapter MA-278
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Even though Karin has been a member of Catholic Family for a relatively short time, she already has been elected to serve as her chapter’s president. She was drawn to join a fraternal society because of their charitable and volunteer efforts.

Karin is a dynamo in mobilizing people and in raising funds through her local chapter. She is very active in the Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) Alliance, a national organization conducting research for tuberous sclerosis complex. Karin knows the illness too well, since one of her young sons was diagnosed with TS, which causes brain tumors, epilepsy, autism, kidney failure and even death. In 2006, the TS Alliance recognized Karen’s dedication with their Volunteer of the Year award. She recently traveled to Washington, D.C., and met with 13 elected public officials from Massachusetts, including two U.S. Senators and 11 U.S. Representatives to help increase awareness of the disease, and gain their support for a $4.3 million grant.

Dorothy M. Buckner
Order of the Sons of Hermann in the State of Texas
Lockhart 64-2
Lockhart, Texas
Dorothy has been a Hermann Sons member for 45 years, along with her husband, Doug, who has been a member for more than 60 years. She is an active member of Lockhart Lodge #64, where she currently serves as its Guide, an appointed position. She recently served as chairman of the committee that organized the Hermann Sons float appearing in the local Chisholm Trail Round-up Parade. Dorothy also took part in the lodge’s JOIN HANDS DAY project, in which lodge members went to the Golden Age Home in Lockhart and sponsored an afternoon of bingo for the residents.

Dorothy has been a leader in several community-service projects. She serves as chairman of the annual “Helmets for Kids” Bicycle Rodeo in Lockhart—an event that she founded herself. This one-day event promotes bicycle safety by giving bicycle helmets and safety information to everyone who attends. In addition, two bicycles are given away each year—one to a boy and one to a girl. Youths take part in the event not only by riding their bikes through the obstacle course, but the older children also help out by properly fitting helmets on participants and serving the refreshments provided by local merchants.

Dorothy also organized the Student Walk of Art and chairs the event each year. Held in conjunction with Cinco de Mayo, the event features the artwork of local students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Local merchants provide the space to display the artwork, either inside their stores or in their windows. The art show joins together the City of Lockhart, the Lockhart Business Committee and local businesses with the Lockhart School District and the Coldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which serves as the show’s sponsor.

Dorothy’s other community service includes participation in a long list of Lockhart and Caldwell County organizations, including Caldwell County Retired Teachers Association, Lockhart Chamber of Commerce, Ladies Auxiliary of the Guadalupe Firemen and Fire Marshal’s Association, Caldwell County Historical Commission, Historical Graveyard Tours (serving as co-chairman), Lavaca County Wildlife Management Association, Grace Lutheran Church of Lockhart and Meals on Wheels.

Eileen Sladecek Rosipal
Catholic Family Fraternal of Texas (KJZT)
St. Theresa Little Flower #93
Austin, Texas
Eileen has been a lifelong member of KJZT. She has actively participated in her local chapter, KJZT #93, for more than 10 years, and has served as treasurer for more than four years. Eileen also is a member of the planning committee for the Annual Polka Mass and Czech Meal for her chapter. She helped plan the menu, work schedule, made purchases for the meal and prepared desserts. More than 300 people attended this event, including several evacuees from Hurricane Rita. Overall, the event promoted the Czech heritage and raised $2,900 for the St. Louis Church Building Fund.

Eileen is a charter member of the Travis/Williamson Counties Czech Heritage Society. She supports its purpose of promoting the Czech heritage and culture and has served in various positions. This past year she was elected to the Board of Directors and served as the board’s secretary. Eileen also has been an active member of the St. Louis Catholic Church Women’s Club. Eileen and her husband, Cyril, have been members of the St. Louis Catholic Church for 40 years. Working with the students from St. Louis Catholic School, Eileen coordinated a JOIN HANDS DAY project (in which they planned, organized and decorated a parade float) and a Czech Heritage program.

Eileen also collected money for the March of Dimes in her community. She was determined to exceed the goal set for her neighborhood and did so by doubling the amount.

Carlyle R. Wimbish, Jr.
Travelers Protective Association of America (TPA)
Virginia Division, Post D
New Boston, Virginia
Carlyle became a member of the TPA’s Virginia Division, Post D in September 1978, and currently is serving as the post’s secretary-treasurer, publicity and program chair. In addition, he is serving on the state board of directors and as state publicity chair. He also served two terms as president of the Virginia Division.

Carlyle has organized the distribution of 2,500 DNA kits throughout Halifax County with the sponsorship of the Halifax Regional Health Systems, Hedderly-Benton’s Office City, and Wal-Mart, in addition to helping assemble the kits. The DNA kits and Children Have An iDentity (CHAD) stickers are provided to the South Boston Police Department. He organizes and participates in child-safety programs, such as bike inspections and serves as chair of the Post D National Night Safety Project. As secretary of the post, he has invited the South Boston Chief of Police, the South Boston Community Development Coordinator and the Commonwealth Attorney General, among others, to make presentations at his post’s meetings, letting post members know what’s happening within the community that could affect them. At the beginning of his second term as state president, he challenged every post in the Virginia Division to raise $1.00 per member for the TPA Scholarship Trust for the Deaf and Near Deaf, resulting in more than $2,300.

Carlyle was appointed by the Halifax County Board of Supervisions to the Old Dominion Resource, Conservation and Development Council (composed of 10 Virginia counties) now serving in his third four-year term. He is currently Vice-Chair of the Council and will become Chair in January 2007. He also is chair of the Virginia State Awards committee. Carlyle is a member of the Halifax County/South Boston Sports Hall of Fame and has served as its president since 1999. He is heading a $2,000,000 project to construct a building to house a Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. Carlyle is a member of the Board of Visitors of Chowan University, a past president of the Alumni Association, chair of a fundraising campaign to raise money for new classroom furniture, and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992. Virginia Tech also is a recipient of his efforts, as he is president of the Halifax County Alumni Association and the Halifax County Hokie Club, which is a sports-booster group for athletic fundraising.

Carlyle is a deacon at his church, chair of the scholarship committee, vice-president of his Bible class and serves on the committee for the weekly Family Night Meal.