The NFCA Proudly Recognizes "Fraternalists-in-Action"
Fraternal MVPs—Week of September 24, 2007
The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) is proud to recognize the following individuals as Fraternal MVPs (Most Valuable Participants) for the week of September 24, 2007. 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.
Ora Jean Gunnin
Travelers Protective Association of America
Post B
Atlanta, Georgia
Ora Jean has been a member of the Travelers Protective Association of America (TPA) for 10 years and is active at the post and state levels, currently serving as president of the Georgia Division and on the board of directors of Post B in Atlanta.
Members of Post B know Ora Jean well because of her efforts to bring TPA’s programs to her fellow members and the community. During her tenure as state president, she has become involved with members throughout the State of Georgia. She encourages all posts in Georgia to keep a scrapbook/photo album of activities to preserve a history for future generations of members to see how TPA impacted their community. She encouraged membership drives to keep the posts growing. She believes strongly in TPA and its many community programs, telling everyone she meets about TPA programs and how they benefit the community and children.
Post B members benefited from her involvement in post activities. She planned and organized a fall picnic for members and helped plan their Christmas party. She lets other local members know of activities through articles and photos in the newspapers. She also submits articles about Post B activities to TPA’s magazine.
In the Atlanta area, she visited members who live in nursing homes, provided transportation for a member’s doctor appointments, assisted another member living in a remote area get his weekly cancer treatments, and regularly visited any TPA member who was hospitalized.
Safety and the well-being of children are a concern of Ora Jean’s and she promotes child safety through talks to groups at churches and a State Women’s Club. TPA’s CHAD sticker (Children Have An iDentity) is one of the tools used to promote child safety. She has distributed them to the Georgia State Women’s Club, two area hospitals, to a new maternity section to be included in “new mother’s packets” and has organized groups asking them to give out the CHAD stickers. She carries them with her wherever she goes and gives them to mothers of small children in shopping malls, restaurants, schools, church, and club meetings. She also promotes the use of DNA kits and has presented information about them in local schools. Ora Jean encourages all posts to have them available for distribution at all meetings and local activities.
She also shares information about TPA’s Scholarship Trust for the Deaf and Near Deaf in the community and supports the fund that provides assistance to the hearing impaired.
TPA is not the only organization that benefits from her energy. She has served as treasurer of the East Point Historical Society and is editor of the monthly newsletter. She serves as vice president of two political clubs, is public affairs chair for the East Point Women’s Club, and chair of her high school reunion group.
In serving these organizations and others, she has given a talk on the history of the American Flag and how to properly display it. She collects food and supplies for the pregnancy crises center and the community food bank. As a cancer survivor, she participates in activities promoting cancer awareness/prevention. She has participated in the neighborhood collection for the American Heart Association, she works with Christian Care, which is a hospice for adults and short term care for children with special needs, and supports two children at the Christian City Home.
Ora Jean’s faith is guided by her church and she gives back freely as a member of the choir and assistant teacher of the Sunday School Class. She has organized socials for the Sunday school class, volunteers in the kitchen for Wednesday night dinners sponsored by the Women’s Club and organized a 24-hour prayer vigil.
Cory Newell
Knights of Columbus
Council #11548
Meridian, Idaho
Often when a group suffers a major loss or is torn apart by controversy, there is no way to rebound and the end is near. This was the assumed fate of Council #11548 until Cory Newell took the reins. He helped the council get back on its feet and now he has taken it to new heights. Council #11548 is now a revitalized council that is a moving force in the church and community, thanks to Cory.
The first thing Cory did to get the council back on track was to send out regular e-mails to the members alerting them of upcoming meetings and events. He also sent out the state newsletter to all members, which helped the council get an understanding of what others were doing, find ways to collaborate, and increase membership by learning when and where exemplification ceremonies were to be held. Once the council was running smoothly, Cory really got to work.
Cory organized several small breakfasts that raised more than $4,000 for charitable organizations like VA Bingo and the Inter-Faith Alliance Homeless Shelter. Cory also helped raise $1,000 dollars for a seminarian. Cory started “Family of the Month” picnics that brought Knights and their families together. He organized three “corporate Communion” Masses, which brought the entire council together as one body. He ran two successful blood drives and a Lenten fish fry. Cory was the liaison between the council and the board of directors at a local foster home, Mary Haven House, and helped to donate $10,000 to four charities in the area. Cory also is very active in his church, serving as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, organizing a parish picnic and arranging a golf tournament for the Bishop Treinan House in Boise, Idaho. Cory makes sure that all of the money raised by the council goes back into the charities in the community. Cory brought his own selfless service to community and parish into the council when it needed it most, and by doing so saved it.
Under Cory’s leadership Council #11548 has grown, and given away thousands of dollars to charity. Cory reintroduced his council to what it really means to be a knight — he showed his brothers what fraternalism, service and spirituality really mean, and by doing so saved the council, and helped the community in the process.
Carolyn Crowe
Woman's Life Insurance Society
Club #C-757
Port Huron, Michigan
Carolyn has spent her life trying to make a difference both through her employment and through volunteerism in the community. She is very active with Leader Dogs for the Blind, working as a puppy raiser, raising and nurturing future leader dogs from eight weeks old through 14 months when they go back to Leader Dogs for further training. She is also a counselor for other puppy raisers in the surrounding community. In addition, she has been an active member of Blue Water Women’s League since 1984, serving on many committees as well as their Board of Directors, and leading several fundraisers, including their annual geranium sale and the Tot Contest Fund Raiser, which raised $6,000 last year for the community. Carolyn also serves on the Board of Directors and several committees for the Girl Scouts – Michigan Waterways Council, First Night Port Huron, and Mercy Hospital Foundation. She participates in volunteer activities with many community organizations including the Blue Water Area Humane Society, Blue Water Center for Independent Living, MainStreet Port Huron, local Chambers of Commerce, American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. She participates in walk-a-thons for at least five different community organizations each year, raising money and awareness for many causes.
Carolyn has been an active member of Woman’s Life Club #757, since it was chartered in January of 2000 and served as President for the first two years. She also has served as Past President, Vice President and currently serves as Auditor. She also has attended the Great Lakes International District meeting as a representative for her club. Carolyn never misses a club meeting, and has participated in numerous fundraisers, volunteer service projects and other club activities and always brings a high level of enthusiasm to every project, inspiring her club mates to be a great fraternal club.
Carolyn worked for Unitron Industries for 20 years, where she was the Marketing Services Manager. This allowed her to be involved with a variety of community organizations on their behalf. After that, she was employed by Blue Water Habitat for Humanity as the Director of the development program, where she developed special fundraising events, donor recognition programs and many community partnerships which continue to benefit the organization. Today, she is employed at Mercy Hospital in their Foundation/Fund Development office, where she works to raise funds and awareness for their missions which are to help those in need and provide quality healthcare services to all people, including those who are unable to pay. In addition to her many volunteer activities within the community, she also has held the elected office of Port Huron Township Parks Commissioner since March of 2001.
Carolyn credits her generous nature to her parents. Her father was a conservationist who championed many environmental causes, while her mother was active in organizing events such as antique shows and potluck dinners for their church and other organizations. Carolyn never married, and considers her volunteer projects to be “her children.”
Edgar M. Corns
Gleaner Life Insurance Society
Hawthorne Arbor
Lowell, Indiana
Edgar Corns joined Gleaner Life Insurance Society in 1997, after he wife, Darlene, was nominated for the Outstanding Community Service Award, and brought to Gleaners the same depth of involvement he has demonstrated in all other areas of his life.
A “retired” farmer, he volunteers an average of 145 hours of service per month or 1650-1850 hours a year. He has worked on planting flowers at the Lowell Volunteer Fire Department, painting and yard maintenance at the historic Halstead House, planting trees in Freedom Park and bowling with the ARC Bridges disabled adults. He has also helped to host holiday parties at the ARC Bridges facility. He is a member of the South Lake County Agricultural Society, Inc., and volunteers at its antique tractor and machinery shows. Although he is not a member of the Indian Trail Grange, he volunteers in their cafeteria at the fair 10 days a year. He has purchased 4-H poultry at fairs and donated them to the Gleaner food pantry.
At the first-ever JOIN HANDS DAY, in 2000, he collected 3,000 bars of soup and 1,200 additional toiletry items to be given to needy individuals as part of a Gleaner project. Edgar drove the collected items to the society’s headquarters in Adrian, Michigan, where they participated in the assembly of hygiene kits. He has held many positions of leadership at his church, Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Merrillville. He was asked to raise $10,000 for the Lowell Sesquicentennial Committee to pay for the publication of a commemorative book. Edgar instead raised $17,960, creating a healthy overage, which was applied to a fund for upkeep of the Halstead House.
Edgar also used his fundraising skills for the $29 million development for the Center for Agricultural Science and Heritage, located near the Indiana State Fairgrounds. As a director on the Northwest Territory Resource, Conservation and Development Council, he supported many projects through tree sales and a community garden, raising produce for food pantries. He has been doing volunteer soil and water conservation work for 20 years, serving on the Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board, the Little Calumet, Galien River Tri-State Watershed Group, the National Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts Great Lakes Committee, the Indiana Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Lake County Extension Advisory Board.
The NFCA salutes these outstanding Fraternalists-in-Action for their dedication, kindness and generosity. They embody the heart of fraternalism through their volunteer efforts and commitment to their communities.
To view previous week's MVPs, click here.
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