OPINION

Honoring those who give their time

Press-Gazette Media Editorial Board

When calling for nominations for the 2015 Person of the Year, we said we were looking for someone who makes a difference in his or her community, someone who acts when others wait, gives when others don’t, donates time to help those in need.

2015 Person of hte Year

What we found was that there wasn’t just someone who met that description. There were someones. Lots of someones.

That’s why the Press-Gazette Media Person of the Year in 2015 is “The Volunteer.” Northeastern Wisconsin has a strong tradition of volunteering, and this could have easily been chosen in any of the eight previous years.

This year, though, we had a tremendous outpouring of help.

For example, the Volunteer Center of Brown County saw an incredible turnout for Make A Difference Day in October. More than 300 students from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay took part in activities as did 369 volunteers through the Volunteer Center.

They distributed fliers for year-round help and assisted with autumn chores at about 90 homes and for six nonprofits.

Of the nominations we received, two stood out for their volunteer efforts. Like many volunteers, they operate behind the scenes, often nameless to many of us who benefit from their efforts. They didn’t seek any accolades, but were nominated by family members.

Their selfless work makes you feel good about your community.

JACKIE THIRY

In nominating her mother as Person of the Year, Jodi Thiry wrote, “Jackie is one of the busiest retired people I know.”

Volunteer AARP tax preparer Jackie Thiry, right, helps Marvin Rose file his 2007 income tax return at the Brown County Aging Resource Center on March 4, 2008, in Green Bay

Her list of activities attests to that.

Jackie Thiry of Green Bay retired from Procter & Gamble in 2000 after almost 40 years there. She has volunteered by helping people with their taxes, through AARP. She works two afternoon a week from February through April doing taxes for free to help people in the community.

She also volunteers at St. Vincent De Paul, inputting data at the office, conducting home visits with clients who need a little bit of help and as chair of the Voice of the Poor program.

“Everybody else has somebody lobbying for them except the poor,” Thiry said on Wednesday.

She volunteers at a number of community organizations, Bible classes, church activities and helps her husband, Mel, with Green Bay Babe Ruth baseball scheduling and activities. She is currently selling crafts created by and for Guatemala and El Salvador communities at St. Matthew Parish. She also schedules church volunteers to work at the St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter.

“I think I volunteer mainly through the idea that’s what I’m called to do through my faith,” she said.

Like so many other volunteers, she finds it rewarding to give back. “It’s a way to stay connected to your community.”

DAVID LITTIG

Connecting with his community is one of big reasons David Littig volunteers.

Littig

Littig, professor emeritus of political science at UW-Green Bay, has found it “invigorating” to lead the Connecting Our Community From Many Directions project.

In nominating her husband as Person of the Year, Eileen Littig wrote, “His passion for the promise of democracy, civic participation and the American dream for future generations are at the core of his community work.”

Indeed. After the Bay Area Community Council identified “overcoming divisions” as one of its goals, David Littig has worked hard to find a way to do that.

Using the “appreciative inquiry” model, Littig and more than 40 other volunteers interviewed over 300 people to find affirmative stories about their community. Each interview ranged from 90 minutes to over three hours.

By using success stories, they focused on efforts that worked in the community instead of identifying ones that didn’t. Through that process, they hope to overcome divisions.

They identified 11 potential community projects at a summit in November and in 2016 they hope to take action on those projects.

“I’ve always been very committed to participatory democracy … but to really get to know the community you have to go out and talk to the people,” Littig said. After 30 years in the classroom, this project gives him that opportunity.

Littig has also volunteered in other areas, including working with the Neville Public Museum and Casa ALBA on an exhibit slated to open in 2017 on Latin American contributions to Northeastern Wisconsin.

What he’s found in the community makes him optimistic. “When you get down to the grass-roots level there is so much positive in the community that it really gives me a lot of hope,” Littig said Wednesday.

Jackie Thiry and David Littig are two examples of volunteers who do important work in our community. You may never have heard of them or their efforts, but they work behind the scenes helping other people and, in the process, their communities.

Whether you give of your time by ringing bells for the Salvation Army, helping out at your place of worship, mentoring Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, handing out water during the Bellin Run or Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, operating the concession stand at your school, you’re giving something of yourself. You’re giving your time and effort to help others.

That means a lot.

To all the volunteers, we say thank you and honor you as the 2015 Person of the Year.

PERSON OF THE YEAR — Past winners

» 2014: Katie Baker of Ashwaubenon, creator of Lifting Up Green Bay Facebook page.

» 2013: Christian Jensen, executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of myTEAM TRIUMPH

» 2012: Jim Stupka of De Pere for his role in building the De Pere Christian Outreach Food Pantry

» 2011: Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt for positioning the city for growth

» 2010: Alison Draheim for her work with the homeless and the needy

» 2009: Nancy Armbrust for her longtime community volunteering

» 2008: 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion for its contributions to the United States and Iraq

» 2007: The Rev. Guy Blair for his work at the St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter