2005
WiLL/WAND National Conference
WAND
Volunteers of the year, 2005!
Massachusetts
State Representative Carol Donovan (l) joins the 2005
WiLL/WAND Conference in saluting the winners of the
Janice Kelley Volunteer Awards 2005: Betsy
Rivard (GA), Krista Brewer (GA), Fern
Katz (MI), Susan Cundiff (OR).
Janice
Kelley Volunteer Awards are for individual volunteers
who've made an especially great contribution to their
local and or national WAND communities. Congratulations
to the 2005 recipients.
Volunteer
Award for Inspiration: Fern Katz
Fern re-defines the term “being
there” -- often at a moment’s notice,
ready to go anywhere and do anything to make a difference
-- from downtown Detroit where she marches for peace
in sub zero or sizzling temperatures, to Beijing,
China, where she was a UN delegate to the 4th World
Conference on Women. They say no one can excel as
both a sprinter and a long distance runner. But they
never met Fern. She has to be sick to say “No.”
She’s there for WAND, nationally and locally,
year after year after year.
Fern is nothing if not persistent,
as everyone who works with her knows. Her amazing
work to pass the Chemical Weapons Convention a couple
years ago may literally have caused Michigan’s
then US Senator Spencer Abraham to change his vote.
Fern
shows up, and signs up, despite being one of the busiest
people in the hemisphere -- for marches, for actions,
for meetings of all kinds, big and small.
Volunteer
Award for Impact: Krista Brewer
Krista
has done tons of work for WAND over the years as a
member. Shortly after joining WAND, she jumped in
full force as a board member in Atlanta, and now brings
her passion dignity and strength to the position of
board chair.
As
Chair of Atlanta WAND, Krista’s coordination
of Atlanta WAND’s 2004 election activities highlights
the nature of impact she has made in her work with
WAND. Under her direction, 9000 newly registered
voters were called in 11 phone-a-thons. When
the Georgia Democratic Party had no plan to get out
the vote (GOTV), she mobilized over 350 GOTV volunteers;
she then steered the turn out of 140 volunteers for
early voting to drive folks to polls, and turned out
an additional 150 volunteer drivers to get people
to the polls on election day–Nov 2!
Somehow
she is also active outside of WAND, working to protect
voter protection rights, traveling to Cuba and educating
the public about the embargo against the country,
and serving as a Druid Hills Civic Association Board
member.
Volunteer
Award for Commitment: Betsy Rivard
Betsy
is knowledgeable, experienced, talented, and an astute
thinker. She is as well known for her fabulous fruit
deserts as for her steadfast devotion to those issues
that touch her heart. WAND is appreciative that she
holds us so near. With over 14 years of spirited membership,
Betsy has also served as Atlanta WAND’s Treasure,
and has been an important asset to the Program Committee
and the Nuclear Committee. She remains a constant
supplier of time, talent and treasure.
Her
positive, enduring contributions to humanity are witnessed
through her commitment to social justice. Beyond her
affiliation with WAND, she is also the Board President
of Atlanta Chapter of United Nation Association, President
of Georgians for Gun Safety, a volunteer for Physicians
for Social Responsibility, and an academic tutor.
Volunteer
Award for Innovation: Susan Cundiff
A
woman undaunted by the mortal limitation of only having
two hands, Susan designed a hands-free street organizing
apron that allows the wearer to become a walking,
talking billboard for WAND. She also planted a vegetable
garden in the image of the federal budget pie; and
-- inspired by President Eisenhower’s 1950 comment
that he would not use nuclear weapons on the Chinese
as long as Americans sent rice to feed them -- she
rallied citizens in Oregon to deliver over 1000 bags
of rice to Senator Gordon Smith after he voted to
grant President Bush war powers.
Unfazed
by the fact that the group was unable to deliver the
rice to Sen. Smith, she then created soothing, therapeutic
rice bags instead -- each stuffed with thousands of
wishes for peace. One need look no further than Susan
for creative ways to express WAND’s mission
to the community.
Currently
Lane County WAND’s Program Chair, Susan also
is a member of the National WAND Board and applies
her practical yet imaginative knowledge to the complex
issues of foreign policy and federal budget priorities
when speaking as a member of the WAND Speakers' Bureau.
