Author: Ruth Paquin

For kids with special needs, physical and cognitive challenges can sometimes prevent them from being part of traditional sports teams. The Miracle League of Green Bay removes barriers and allows kids with special needs, ages 4 to 19, to experience the joy of baseball. All Miracle League players are paired with a volunteer ‘buddy’, someone who mentors the player, helps them get the necessary equipment, and assists with batting and fielding. On a practical level, the buddy’s main job is to keep their player safe and help meet whatever physical, cognitive, or social needs they might have. However, being a buddy is also about building relationships, so the player feels like they are a part of the team. It’s about celebrating the player’s amazing abilities and building up their self-esteem. And most importantly, it’s about cheering on the player and giving them the freedom to enjoy America’s pastime! While those with different abilities are sometimes viewed as ‘other’, the Miracle League Buddies show their players that they are a part of a community that values them for who they are and what they bring to the team. They give so much to the players on the field every game and are truly ‘Angels in the Outfield’.

Veteran volunteers provide regular companionship to veterans on hospice care and support their families through a difficult time. Often during these visits, veterans begin to talk about their service experience, sometimes sharing stories they may never have told anyone before. With their brothers and sisters in arms present, they may feel more comfortable speaking about what they’ve been through, providing peace and closure as they near the end of life. These volunteers also conduct pinning ceremonies, at which the veteran is given an American flag pin and a pin representing their branch of military service. This meaningful recognition shows deep gratitude for the sacrifices the veteran and their family have made in service to their country.

These cooks, the Sunshine Crew, started giving of their time at St. John’s Ministries’ main homeless shelter downtown and now make breakfast for guests at the Wellspring location on Walnut Street. This group of volunteers uses whatever food is available to create amazing breakfast meals. These ladies not only fill the stomachs of the homeless, but also help meet the social and emotional needs of the guests, as many clients are socially isolated and without close friends or family to talk to. This group of ladies does it all with a smile, serving others with servant leadership and humility. Many winter mornings start out cold and gray, but the Sunshine Crew brightens it up for guests and staff alike, making a huge difference in the lives of homeless women.

No matter the weather, the Salvation Army Bread Run Drivers make six to nine stops a morning five days a week, picking up overbaked goods and extra food products. The food then goes back to the Salvation Army where it is given out to its 150 clients through its food pantry or used to supplement the noontime meal. Not only is this group helping to feed the homeless, it is also reducing food waste. In the last year, the Bread Run Drivers spent nearly 700 hours picking up food five days a week. Many of this group’s volunteers have been helping out for over 10 years. This group realizes they are on the front lines working with businesses like Festival Foods, Big Apple Bagels, and Kwik Trip. If they are late for pickups or don’t communicate well with these businesses, it could put future donations in jeopardy.

A symphony consists of many individual instruments that, while beautiful on their own, come together to create something magical. Lynn makes many different contributions to the Civic Symphony of Green Bay that would be remarkable on their own, but when looked at collectively, are truly impressive. She has performed with the Civic Symphony for 20 years, leading the flute section through four concerts a year, with rehearsals in between. As a former music teacher, Lynn knows how instrumental education can be in sparking an appreciation for music, especially in young children, so, as co-chair of the education committee, she has also spearheaded the children’s concert, bringing 700 local schoolchildren to enjoy live orchestral music, an opportunity that they otherwise may not have had. She also designed a curriculum to help make the students more engaged in the symphony’s performance and has served as a board and program committee member.

Evergreen Theater, a nonprofit theater company dedicated to offering professional-quality productions and advancing the arts in our region, produces eight shows each year, with cast sizes ranging from 10 to 50-plus. For the past six years, Jean has served as the company’s photographer, capturing cast and crew headshots and photographing performances. Jean’s photos, offered to Evergreen completely free of charge, help to market the productions, enticing audiences to enjoy live theater and support the arts in our community. Photos from Evergreen’s last 31 seasons are protected in the organization’s archives, ensuring that the magic of each production lives on. Jean plays an integral role in continuing that tradition.

Ribbon of Hope was founded by four breast cancer survivors who felt the need to help local women and men struggling with the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis. Diane has unselfishly taken on whatever task was needed by the foundation, from secretary for the board of directors to office manager to Request Committee ‘expert’. The Request Committee is made up of 10 breast cancer survivors who are responsible for executing all financial requests. In 2010, when the Ribbon of Hope Foundation lost everything in a devastating fire, Diane was one of the first on board to help find a new office. During the search for new space, she moved the Request Committee to her house so their work could continue. As a cancer survivor, Diane knows the challenges patients face. With compassion as her trademark, she is always ready to help recipients by lending an empathetic ear.

Deb started volunteering with Unity Hospice in 2003 and has logged over 1,600 hours, mostly as a companion visitor. She visits patients in private homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities. Deb understands that holding a hand or providing a light touch on a caregiver’s shoulder can often convey a much stronger message than words. It can be a very trying time for family members or friends, and Deb is always available to listen and to talk with them when they reach out. She does not actively seek recognition for her volunteer work and agreed to being nominated only because it would benefit Unity through increased awareness of the work hospice volunteers do and the hope it would inspire others to volunteer.

Luis participates in N.E.W. Scholars, an after-school college readiness program offered by CollegeReady that empowers over 200 Green Bay students with resources, support, and tools so that they can be the first in their families to go to college. As part of the program, students are asked to volunteer, and Luis has dedicated his time to issues he cares about, including assisting with trash pickup and greeting guests at the Downtown Green Bay Farmer’s Market, participating in a neighborhood cleanup project, and providing translation and other services to parents and families at a workshop for N.E.W. Scholars. Luis is setting an example for young people that volunteering teaches valuable skills and plants seeds that will continue to grow and impact our community for years to come.

The frozen tundra of Green Bay presents a harsh environment for those members of our community living without shelter. Recognizing that, Delaney created a program called Long Johns for St. John’s to collect warming items such as long johns, coats, hats, gloves, and boots for the clients and guests of St. John’s Ministries. Since 2020, she has collected more than 3,000 warming items and raised an astonishing $10,000 to provide comfort, shelter, and resources for homeless individuals! She seeks in-kind and financial donations, works with the media to spread awareness, and promotes the program on social media. Wise beyond her years, Delaney has become a force for good and an advocate for those in our community who are all too easily forgotten.

Three years ago, as a math teacher in the Luxemburg-Casco School District, Crystal saw that some students who originated from Central American countries were not doing as well as their fellow students who were born in the US and who spoke fluent English. She started an after-school program, called Centro de Actividades y Servicios Altruistas, to help solve this problem. It provides Spanish-speaking students with a place to go after school to get help with their homework and share cultural experiences with peers. In addition, Crystal now also volunteers her time offering adult English classes on weekends. Her efforts are clearly visible in the students’ positive actions and attitudes, and in their planning for the future.

English is one of the most difficult languages to learn and Bill is very patient and compassionate as he helps students make the adjustment to living in America. He has logged more than 600 volunteer hours for Literacy Green Bay over the last 10 years. In addition, he helps improve Literacy’s adult tutoring program by sharing the lessons he’s learned. For example, it’s important to keep in mind that some of the people trying to learn English are doctors, lawyers or engineers in their native countries and often speak more than one language. Many of Bill’s ideas and suggestions have been adapted into the training given to new tutors. He can also be spotted working at several other nonprofit organizations in the area.

Foster the Village provides aid to the foster care community in Brown County, supplying free clothing, shoes, diapers, and other care items to children who arrive in foster care without adequate supplies. Volunteers process and organize incoming physical donations and stock the shelves with basic needs items. They can also be found cleaning the rooms used by the public. Most importantly, they talk with the children who come in to better understand their needs and help them find that perfect winter coat or pair of new shoes. The volunteers strive to connect with each child to make them feel comfortable, safe, and welcome. In 2022, their volunteers went above and beyond, donating hundreds of hours of time to pack up the contents of the former location and move into a new building.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Brown County is a volunteer-based nonprofit that provides a voice for children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and are under the legal protection of the court system. A CASA volunteer, after being trained, will visit regularly with a child and submit a monthly report on the child’s safety and well-being to the judge, who then uses this information to make important decisions about the child’s future. In 2022, volunteers logged approximately 2,500 hours of service to children who often need a consistent adult in their life after experiencing abuse and/or neglect. CASA volunteers build a special relationship with the child, and the child is then more likely to get help with other services, spend less time living in foster care, find a safe and permanent home, and do better in school.

St. John’s Ministries recently expanded gender-specific services with the opening of their women’s overnight shelter. Volunteers, along with a variety of service groups, helped move furniture and supplies, build beds, and set up the kitchen, laundry, and donation room spaces. This represented hundreds of hours of volunteer time and laid the foundation for St. John’s to serve some of the most vulnerable women in our community. In addition, St. John’s recently started the Joseph Project, a faith-based employment training program that prepares individuals for full-time careers. Volunteers designed and led workshop sessions on things like budget and finance, interview skills, life skills and more. These volunteers invest time and talent into the future of our region’s economy by preparing the participants for successful employment. The respect and care St. John’s’ volunteers show is especially important to those experiencing homelessness and housing instability, who are so often marginalized and overlooked. Whether cleaning, feeding, teaching, or leading, these volunteers provide hope, honor dignity, and effect lasting change.

Dan lives next to a retired De Pere firefighter, and one day, he asked the neighbor if he had ever seen any kids sleeping on the floor when he was working for the fire department. The former firefighter responded that, yes, he had seen kids sleeping on the floor or on piles of clothes during his time on the job. That was all Dan needed to hear in deciding to start a group he’d heard about on the internet called Sleep in Heavenly Peace. This group builds and gives beds to any kid in need ages 3-17. In 2020, Dan recruited friends, family, and church members to build the organization’s first six beds at Calvary Lutheran Church in Green Bay. They quickly outgrew their space and now hold six to eight builds a year. Dan coordinates over 100 volunteers who saw, drill, and put the beds together. The beds are then delivered to kids being served by Brown County Social Services, families being resettled because of domestic abuse, Catholic Charities’ Afghan refugee program, and foster parents. Dan also helps out at food drives, serves on the church grounds committee, gives blood, and provides comfort with his trained therapy dog at schools and hospitals.

It is not an exaggeration to say Jake puts in over 100 hours a year volunteering in support of several organizations. He has been a member of the Allouez Optimist Club for 11 years, helping the club increase funding and volunteerism with 22 different youth-focused organizations. For the last 10 years, he has volunteered at Miracle League games and serves on their board of directors, helping to raise money to support the program. Jake also supports Court Appointed Special Advocates of Brown County, spending dozens of hours mentoring and guiding children to help make sure they feel safe and have hope. In addition, he is also on the board of directors for Junior Achievement, where he is always willing to help with strategy and other related discussions to help move the organization forward. His depth of commitment and the energy he brings to serving so many influences others to do the same and makes him stand out among community volunteers.

Sister Annice has had service modeled to her since childhood, and those early lessons have served her well, as she has dedicated her life to the service of others. At 90 years young, her level of engagement is remarkable. Each week you’ll find Sister Annice at the front desk of St. John’s Ministries’ Micah Center and leading a monthly meal team. Over the last 15 years, her meal team has provided well over 5,000 meals to guests in the shelters. Numerous times, Sister Annice has taken on the task of cooking additional meals to celebrate holidays, using food items on hand to create a feast. Her old-fashioned hospitality communicates warmth and care to guests, staff, and community members. She enjoys building rapport with others, and her goal in volunteering is to bring a sense of goodness, joy, and blessing into the lives of the guests she serves. In addition, she worked at Hospital Sisters Health System well into her late eighties. Sister Annice, saying she’s grateful to still be able to do this, has been a role model of selfless service for our entire community.

Sister Sally Ann has been volunteering with Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement Program since its inception in 2020. Since then, she has spent over 400 hours with refugee clients, taking them to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping or to English classes. She guides refugee clients with gentle compassion as they settle into their homes and their new life in our community. Sister Sally Ann also assists Catholic Charities with data gathering, office organization, and document filing. Her help allows employees to have more time to focus on meeting the needs of the community. The faith and joy she brings to any volunteer service is remarkable. The refugee clients that Sister Sally Ann serves absolutely adore her, and she has taken great care to build strong relationships with them to help ease their transition and feel welcomed by our community.

• Anduzzi’s Sports Club
• Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley
• Badger State Brewing
• CDW Direct
• Dame Salon Spa
• Evergreen Productions
• Festival Foods
• Golden House
• Green Bay Botanical Garden
• Green Bay Seven-Up Bottling Company
• Honey Baked Ham Company
• Hyatt Regency Green Bay
• Kress Inn
• The Lodge at Leathem Smith

• Margarita’s
• Melotte Distributing
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Royal Scot Golf Course
• Schreiber Foods
• St. Norbert Athletics
• St. Norbert Performing Arts
• The Art Garage
• Tonn, Greg
• Triangle Distributing
• Two Birds Bakery Cafe
• Western Racquet & Fitness Club
• Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Woodman’s

Imagine suddenly leaving your country behind and resettling in another country with a totally different language and culture, with no resources to help you make the transition to a new life. This has been the reality for thousands of Afghan refugees who have sought safety in the United States. Since October 2021, more than 100 have arrived in Green Bay, and they have been welcomed with open arms by the Afghan Refugee Resettlement Volunteers through Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay. From meeting them at the airport or bus station, to providing rides to medical appointments and assisting with job skills, these volunteers have shown each refugee the care they deserve. They have assisted with securing safe housing, helped them get food from resources like Paul’s Pantry, and ensured they are receiving quality medical care, truly living up to the call to welcome the stranger.

As their nominator put it, “When the people who need help the most get better, Green Bay gets better!” Circles Green Bay works side-by-side with people and households experiencing poverty in Brown County to change the lives of generations to come. Through relationship-building, Circles volunteers get to know their clients and serve in a variety of roles, from acting as an ally and friend, to advocating for change, to planning events and activities that educate the local community about poverty. As a direct result of these volunteers’ time and compassion, the organization has seen measurable improvements for those in poverty in Green Bay, including finding safe and stable housing and transportation, seeking employment, becoming first-generation college students, and developing the courage and support to leave negative relationships.

When the pandemic hit, many tried to isolate themselves as much as possible. However, people still needed to get food, and this group of volunteers stepped up to make sure everyone in this area had access. They had been helping to distribute food to low-income families long before COVID, but when the pandemic hit, the program had to go through a major transformation. Instead of people picking out their food, the volunteer team had to pack up boxes of meat, bakery items, and hygiene products to be placed in the cars of people in need. In 2021, this group helped distribute nearly 8,000 boxes and bags of food, including in the dead of winter when temperatures were below zero. Throughout it all, these volunteers always showed up with smiles on their faces, giving encouragement to the Salvation Army staff and the clients they worked with.

Several years ago, HEA formed a retail team to sell merchandise for animal lovers to wear, and these three ladies stepped up to take on the challenge. They have been instrumental in creating a solid stream of both revenue and awareness, designing merchandise, planning sales events, establishing e-commerce, and fulfilling all orders. Having volunteers do these tasks not only raises money for HEA, but it also allows the staff to focus on other initiatives like donor stewardship, recruiting more volunteers and, most importantly, educating the community. In addition, these ladies volunteer for the shelter’s other fundraisers, take care of animals at the shelter, and design and put together the organization’s magazine publications and annual report.

Studies show that patients benefit from integrating the arts into the healthcare experience due to the calming, nurturing environment it produces. The BEAM team volunteers offer free art projects and create painting demonstrations for patients when they receive chemotherapy. Members also play musical instruments in the lobby and infusion room, and hang art exhibits for patients to enjoy provided by local school children. This volunteer team includes 25 men and women and five pet therapy dogs. Many of these individuals have overcome cancer and are now paying it forward. Others have retired from professional fields and now share their talents with those receiving treatment. Patients involved in an art project, live music, pet therapy, or simply a craft project find that it temporarily takes their mind off their worries, while also lowering stress and anxiety, and above all, bringing more peace and joy.

This group of volunteers is steadfast in their commitment to providing opportunities for both performers and audience members in our community. It allows local musicians to perform orchestral music in a friendly, fun setting while continuing to nurture their skill and passion for music. The orchestra meets weekly from September through April, and the volunteer board of directors meets monthly. This group has been in place since starting as a grassroots organization in 1995 by the late Gerald Mattem of the St. Norbert College music faculty. Prior to COVID, the orchestra performed at an annual concert, which children from local schools were invited to attend. By seeing their teachers and other community members perform live, students discovered that there are opportunities to perform in our community after they graduate.

Literacy Green Bay is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help adults and families acquire the reading, writing, math, English language, computer and workforce skills they need to prosper as individuals and community members. Margi has been a valuable behind-the-scenes team member in ensuring that Literacy’s services remain available to our community. She volunteers four to seven hours weekly, assisting with various tasks such as maintaining the tutor library, preparing mailings, and assisting with fundraiser events and grant reporting. Her cheery, professional disposition makes her a joy to be around and makes those around her feel welcomed and valued. Margi is a very dedicated volunteer willing to help with projects with little or no guidance, and the work is always done in a timely and accurate manner. Her efforts do much for the English language learner community in our area.

Diane volunteers as a greeter at the Jack and Engrid Meng Hospice Residence on Unity’s campus. She welcomes visitors with a smile and also is available if a family member or friend of a patient needs someone to talk to. In addition, Diane is a member of Unity’s team of vigil volunteers, who sit with hospice patients during their final hours of life when a patient doesn’t want to be alone. They are also used in cases where the patient is content and comfortable, but the caregivers are having a difficult time with the dying process. Then, Diane is available as a supportive presence, someone the family can lean on. Some days she simply sits quietly, a strong presence in an otherwise silent room. At times, she reads or prays softly, often eliciting no response from her mostly silent audience. Diane does not actively seek recognition or reward for her volunteer work. She agreed to the WPS Volunteer Award nomination not for personal promotion, but because it would benefit Unity through increased awareness of the work hospice volunteers do in the community and the hope it would inspire others to volunteer.

Battling cancer is a difficult and scary journey. While some patients have great support systems, others may not have family or friends around them to provide comfort and cheer them on. At just 15 years old, Grace is a bright light in the dark night of cancer for both patients and healthcare workers. She began her non-profit, Fighting Cancer with Grace, three years ago with the goal of putting together care packages for those touched by cancer. Year-round, she works to raise funds for the packages by making and selling candles, serving in a food booth at Packer games, and presenting to local business leaders and philanthropic organizations. Over the past three years, care packages have been given to 375 patients. After her mom was diagnosed with cancer, Grace learned firsthand just how much hope small acts of kindness can provide. Through Fighting Cancer with Grace, she has given many people the courage to keep fighting, no matter what.

Through his service in an English language learning classroom at East High School, Huw has helped his Spanish-speaking peers improve both reading proficiency and language skills. In cooperation with the E.L.L. teacher, Huw administered guided reading groups. He learned key skills to assist students in developing their reading ability, including how to correct pronunciation errors and ask reading comprehension questions to help guide the lessons. As a direct result of his work, the students in the classroom raised their reading scores by 50% in just one trimester. Huw’s affable personality and easygoing nature made his peers feel comfortable conversing and connecting with him in a different way than they would with a teacher. Those relationships have continued outside the classroom, and the students know they have a friend in Huw.

Not everyone has the same opportunities growing up, but Jack has been working to even the playing field for students at Howe Elementary School in Green Bay for 24 years. Many of the students at Howe come from low-income families or families whose first language is not English. As a result, many lack the experiences some other kids have. As part of Howe’s Rock and Read program, Jack spends the entire afternoon reading to 4th grade students. Not only that, but he also really listens to them and encourages them to pursue their interests and dreams. He goes out of his way to find books and materials for each student at a level they can understand. Jack has also encouraged his friends to support the reading program. He is a member of the Downtown Optimist Club, and during COVID-19, he secured the copyrights to several books and encouraged his fellow Club members to record themselves reading the books, which the kids could then view at home. The Club also purchased some of these books and distributed them to the students so they could follow along at home.

Many of us never realized before COVID-19 how fragile the food chain is. Valerie not only realized the problems facing our food industry before the pandemic, but has been working for decades to make sure the land we farm today can be suitable to farm for generations to come. Since 2008, Valerie has been an instructor at NWTC, teaching future farmers and food producers how to shorten supply chains. She was also part of a team that, when the pandemic hit, helped create and teach free online courses to over 400 people on how to start a garden. Valerie has been a New Leaf Foods volunteer board member for the last 11 years, sharing her expertise and knowledge for the good of the community.

As one of her many nominators so aptly put it regarding Sherrill, “She is remarkable and inspiring in the ways she uses her daily hours to support positive community growth and well-being.” Sherrill serves in leadership positions and volunteers for an impressive array of organizations, all of which serve very different, yet equally necessary, needs in our community. She serves as a board member for both the Oral Health Partnership and the Volunteer Center of Brown County; she chairs the board for the Friends of the Brown County Library; she utilizes her expertise as a CPA to benefit Golden House as its board treasurer; and she serves on the marketing committee for Evergreen Theater, Inc. The common denominator among all her activities is that Sherrill is joyful, organized, energetic, and creative, all traits that are essential to being a strong leader. But more than just superlatives, she gives of her time and of herself in so many ways. Sherrill embodies the idea of “see a need, fill a need.” She believes we can all make a difference and is leading many in our community to do just that.

Audrey Hepburn once said, “If we begin by respecting plants, it’s inevitable we’ll respect people.” Kim is the very embodiment of respect for both plants and people. Through her work with New Leaf Foods, New Leaf Garden Blitz, Baird Creek Parkway Preservation Foundation, Sustainable Green Bay Food & Health Team, Helfenstein Soup Council, and Veterans Manor, she has brought together her passions for environmental sustainability, cultivating community, access to healthy food, and caring for one’s mental and physical health. Kim has served tirelessly as a board member for New Leaf Foods for the past 11 years, during which time she proposed and implemented the New Leaf Garden Blitz, an urban food gardening program that inspires families to grow their own food by building and distributing garden boxes and offering support and mentorship through the growing season. Since 2014, more than 800 garden boxes have been distributed to individuals, families, businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools. Kim is truly changing our community and leading us into the future by teaching us the importance of understanding where our food comes from and the impact it has on our bodies and our environment.

Most often, volunteers give of their time and talent to one or a few organizations. Bill, however, has no problem ‘sharing the love’ with many different nonprofits and charitable groups in our area, and in the process, has helped support countless fundraisers and events that make greater Green Bay a thriving place to live, work, and play. Over the last couple of decades, Bill has been volunteering an average of one night or weekend during most weeks out of the year to support dozens of community organizations annually. He consistently brings his passion, energy, and humor, making any event or fundraiser, no matter how big or small, a highly engaging and memorable experience for all. Bill easily volunteers 250 hours or more each year for local charitable causes, which adds up to over 5,000 hours of service to his community to date and growing. He has helped raise over $1.6 million for the Boys & Girls Club alone! That’s not to mention the dollars he brings in from emceeing the local CP Telethon or supporting the area’s Ducks Unlimited chapter. Bill simply does not say “no” to any charitable cause or opportunity where his time and energy can make a difference. His professional schedule alone is grueling, and the volunteer work he does can be exhausting, yet he wouldn’t have it any other way.

St. John’s Ministries’ mission is to honor the dignity, restore the hope of and create lasting change for those who are homeless or at-risk in the greater Green Bay community. They believe each person is as unique with inherent value and worth as the day they were born. Sister Mary has prioritized volunteering throughout her life, and currently gives her time weekly at both St. John’s Shelter as an office reception volunteer and at Wellspring, St. John’s Daytime Resource Center for Women, as a hospitality volunteer. She also tutors English as a Second Language weekly to adult women through St. John’s Literacy Council. She helps foster tangible skills that allow students to navigate everyday components of life more effectively. Sister Mary also serves other sisters at St. Francis of the Holy Cross, helping drive them to appointments as needed. She serves about 300 hours per year just for St. John’s Ministries, having been with the shelter since its inception in 2005, and at the women’s resource center since 1998. Sister Mary’s lifetime hours of volunteering are surely in the thousands, but more importantly, she has made an impact on countless lives. In her nomination, she stated “the best thing about volunteering is hearing people’s successes and joys.” Throughout her time spent with St. John’s, she has been witness to many of both.