Community Service

I always felt one person can make a difference and my actions have always been to help bring about a better world for people in this country and in others. I have spoken out to protect the rights of animals, the environment, unions, healthcare, poverty, discrimination, humanitarian work and more just to name a few topics. I supported candidates based upon getting to know them on a personal level through research and through hours spent working side by side with them.

Spirituality & Service

Helping the community has always been my focus and pleasure. God blesses those who care about others in more than just words. Churches in 3 states of several Christian faiths such as Catholic, Lutheran and non denominational have benefitted from my charitable contributions. I have helped out in service, donations and time. Never thought to count it. In fact some of them got my artwork. I started serving Churches when I was in high school. It was a family tradition that goes back for generations, and it still is. Every generation in our family, helps the community and the Church is important to all. I have assisted non denominational Christian Churches in 2 states that I did not even attend with Vacation Bible Study classes, artwork and more. I was simply asked by the Pastors’ friends.

Working in local food pantrys such as the one my mother runs while on vacation has been very rewarding .I would encourage others to help in a food pantry at least once.

Helping in many ways in Bingo fundraisers in 2 states started as a teenager.

One of my first large direction donations to a charity was my negotiating the gift of a Professional Popcorn Maker from Wasserstrom Business in downtown Columbus Ohio. Their gift was given direct to one of the oldest and most ornate Catholic Church’s in the city. St Mary’s Church in German Village is a Nationally Registered Landmark and it is a beautiful church. I worked with the former Monseigneur who was in charge of the congregation. He has since retired . I also worked with him and the former Mayor of Columbus Greg Lashutka(who was Mayor at the time) on a committee with the Columbus Symphony Conductor and one of the local anchors of WBNS who has since retired.

Protecting Police Officers

My Grandfather who worked in the division of The NY State Police keeping our airports safe and setting standards that are used now. He was a concealed to carry officer for many years. He would be very proud of my work to protect the rights of law enforcement for my husband and I trained people on how to correctly gather signatures to block SB5 out of a staging site in Hilliard by I70 with other volunteers such as JT. We showed them how to make sure each signature counted to keep the unions safe. I also gathered signatures on my own and gave up pay to stand on the State House steps for days with others like Jen and Ted Strickland because it mattered to me. My volunteer work was almost a fulltime job at times and it took me to two states and at the request of campaign staffs my volunteer work would have taken me to several more. I ran phone banks and trained others to work in them, ran staging sites and ran canvasses (in charge of a set of volunteers who went door to door). I had my own votebuilder account, and my own National Team Organizer account log in id and access as I had the title. I enjoyed working for the rights of others for several years and even hit a record of knocking on over 1,000 doors during one get out the vote session. I did it because it was the right thing to do. My Grandfather always said some things may not be easy but do them becuase they are the right thing to do. He was an amazing man of honor. He road the buses in the inner city as secruity on the riskiest routes because he was a tough guy, a boxer for the Coast Guard and a big teddy bear to .You can see a copy of an email confirming my involvement in training others. I was also asked to attend many events and I was on the Statehouse Lawn during most of the protests missing my substitute teaching days . I was there protecting the rights of Unions for teachers, firemen, police officers, and emergency personel.

Interviews on Health Care Reform

TV Interviews local Pittsburgh news were done in April 2008 as a volunteer for the Hillary campaign. I was interviewed by one of the nightly news reporters for the local affiliates at the Pittsburgh Hillary Campaign Headquarters after a Soap Opera Star gave her endorsement at the morning press conference. The second Media coverage that weekend was at the “Honk and Wave” in the downtown shopping area.

One example of Media coverage event I was involved in was February 12, 2008 at the Westin Hotel, Columbus, Ohio. the media event was to announce Governor Ted Strickland’s and Former Senator John Glenn’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton.The Westin Hotel is also the same Hotel in Columbus, where I attended a Playboy Event, met Kyle Gass after running into his band several times that weekend and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with Chelsea Clinton. The Westin has excellent organic food.

March 5, 2008 I was covered by the media during Hillary’s Celebration Party by invitation only in Columbus Ohio when she won the state of Ohio in 2008. I was on the stage in the lower level front row. Both Hillary and Chelsea stopped to talk to me briefly before moving on to the Podium to speak.

In Columbus, Ohio I gave interviews for Healthcare Reform on several occasions with the local news. One example was at The Town Hall meeting given at Ohio State University on August 12,2009. I was interviewed by several reporters on my feelings about Healthcare Reform and my response to the way the Tea Party was reacting to it. I was also at the historic Tea Party exchange at then Senator Mary Jo Kilroy’s office that made national news over the treatment of a man by the people opposing Healthcare. I was on the front line face to face with them as some of them screamed at mine, but sensible talk is always better. As members of Michael Steele’s party noticed at one event in Upper Arlington. His staff observed how I handled an aggressive anti healthcare person who got angry with me for holding a sign supporting Healthcare Reform. I was calm , used facts and the woman got frustrated and walked away. Then the man came out in front of the other people who were with me, and handed me and the woman a water. He said to me for others to hear ,” You handled yourself with so much class and ability, you make me want to become democrat.”

Another Healthcare Reform interview I did aired on the local nightly news in Columbus, Ohio. The interview was held at a Healthcare Reform Phone Bank that I was involved with at Colin’s Coffee in Upper Arlington (Winter 2010) Met Al Gore and others at a private in home Tailgate Party Fall 2010. I was asked to work with the media by the Dem Party starting in 2008 at several events including those held at Ohio State University and other locations. I received training for that and have a certificate from Organizing for America.

Other Volunteer Work

During my volunteer work, I have enjoyed spending time with John and Annie Glenn (starting in 2008 until 2010), Ted and Frances Strickland (including 1 invite to the Govenor’s Mansion along with other activists), Lee Fisher, Sean Astin(2008), Matthew Morrison, Pat Schroeder(2010), Catherine Heigl, Martin Sheen, Sherrod Brown, Mary Jo Kilroy, Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, some of the members of the cast of Heroes and other Democratic Party leaders. Some events were private invites hosted at the home of Barbra Sokol. I held several volunteer titles such as National Field Advisor with Organizing For America(2008), Staging Director (Nov. 2008)and other titles as a political activist.I hosted phone banks at the Dem Party Headquarters, marched in parades with candidates, trained SB5 signature collection staff as part of a presentation, trained canvassers and hosted canvassing events, and more. I was asked to travel for the Dem Party doing campaign work in several states including West Virginia, Pennsylvania and others- 2008.

Other volunteer work or titles included elected Trustee of two neighborhoods during the time I was living in each of them (1st time in 2000),elected or appointed Planning Commissioner of a small city and environmental positions including one with the Ohio Sierra Club. The local Sierra Club and another volunteer environmental group called PEER (at the time) asked me to attend training to run as a Green Party candidate 2002. As neighborhood trustee, I was able to help reduce costs by negotiating a better deal thereby creating a reduction in dues to the homeowners. I was appointed and asked to serve a second term but declined.

One of my favorite humanitarian activities was donating toys to a woman who is one of Haiti’s Santas. She brought in the toys I sent her and more. She was amazing to talk to and she said some of the kids just want any toy they can get. She said one child came to her for a Barbie for his sister and he said if you don’t have a Barbie do you have a part of one I can bring to her. The woman I worked with lives in Miami and goes to Haiti often. My trip to Haiti brought me face to face with poverty. I saw the face of hunger in a child who approached me. I had some food in my bags that I gave him and his smile was amazing. Even as I saw so much poverty, I saw the beauty of children dressed perfectly as they went to school. I am very proud of my children who themselves have helped the poor and had an impact already both through their Lutheran Church and on their own. Even on vacation, we brought food to the homeless (that’s another blog) and worked in a Food Pantry for the local Catholic Church. My kids have volunteered their time at animal shelters and even at the Zoo. Compassion for animals is a family value. That is why when we eat meat , it is only free range.

My husband is always an inspiration as my photog, he does great work. As my volunteer partner, he makes everybody laugh. As a US Air Force veteran B52 Tailgunner, he tells some funny , amazing stories that make us all proud. As my husband, he is simply a wonderful guy. He helps everybody out, and sometimes it cracks me up. I have to wait while he goes and helps an old lady carry her packages to her car- yes he literally does that. My husband is also my Yoga partner 🙂 but he still can’t put his leg up over his head and eat a cupcake. Neither can I but I am always trying – lol

My artwork was been seen at different charity events for almost 17 years. Making everything from Christmas ornaments for Churches to jewelry, bodycare items, candles to local and International Charities for different reasons, I have travelled and enjoyed creating.