On Tuesday July 23, the Middletown Lions Club hosted the Third Annual 'Spirit of Lionism' Community Outreach Awards and honored two Middletown residents with the prestigious awards.
The 'Spirit of Lionism' Awards were instituted several years ago by Lion Beverly Bova Scarano, a past president of the club, who wanted to find a meaningful way to recognize individuals and community groups who make a substantial difference in the lives of others and work with "passion, pride and diligence but may not always be visible," according to Bova Scarano. Members of the club submit nominations with supporting documentation for award categories including 'Patriotism,' 'Humanitarian,' and 'Youth,' and nominees should embody the Lions motto 'We Serve.' The 'Spirit of Lionism' Committee then discusses and votes on the best candidates. The 2013 'Spirit of Lionism' Committee included Lion President Larry Caminiti, Lion Chairwoman Lori Anne Oliwa and Lions Tom Davis and Fran D'Esposito.
The Humanitarian Award, which recognizes an individual who serves the 'Least Amongst Us' and works tirelessly and at great self-sacrifice to provide the basic necessities of life to those unable to sustain themselves, was presented to Robbie Freund. 'Robbie,' as she is affectionately known, has devoted much of her life to The Community Outreach Group Inc. (The COG Inc.), an all-volunteer non-profit organization that assists individuals and families through a cupboard, food pantry and thrift shop called The Calico Cat on Kings Highway in Middletown. For more than 20 years, she managed the day-to-day operations of the food pantry and was literally the heart, soul and strength of a hunger alleviation program that started in 1985 by serving a few dozen residents and now serves more than 300 men, women and children today. At 80 plus years of age, Robbie is still a major driving force within the organization and works with groups and individuals to ensure a steady flow of spiritual and physical sustenance and nourishment to those in need. Several days each week she can be found at The Calico Cat pricing merchandise, helping behind the counter, and most importantly of all, greeting the public. "Sales have skyrocketed," according to one thrift shop volunteer, who credited Robbie's talent and tenacity "through snowstorms, rain and heat." Perhaps the biggest tribute to Robbie's beautiful heart and soul was a statement made by a colleague who spoke on behalf of all The Calico Cat volunteers when she said, "Whenever Robbie was not around - and that was not often - it took the work of an entire group to get the same job done. We all wondered how on earth she managed to do everything and to do it so magnificently." Robbie, a modest person and a reluctant award winner, accepted quietly and instead took the opportunity to speak on behalf of The Community Outreach Group Inc. by encouraging everyone to volunteer and to visit The Calico Cat for their shopping needs.
The Youth Award, which recognizes a young person who embodies the motto 'Kids Care' and seeks to bring joy into the lives of others through community service projects and fundraising activities for those in need, was presented to Abbey Thorpe, 18, a member of the Middletown Reformed Church Youth Group.
For the past 3 years, Abbey has organized the collection of pens, pencils, notebooks and backpacks for children in Afghanistan through her church involvement. To date, she has managed the shipment of over 5,000 items and has enlisted the support of both the church community and the community-at-large in the process. Modest and quiet with a great sense of humor and a deep faith in God, Abbey could teach those much older than herself the meaning of the word 'service.' She has been a good example to others through her volunteerism in Lions activities such as Stop Hunger Now and the 'Third Thursday' and 'Fourth Friday' Lion Tamer Meal Programs at The Kitchen at St. Marks Food Pantry and the Bayshore Lunch Program at the Community Church of Keyport. She is also very active in the Monmouth Council of Girl Scouts where she has garnered numerous awards and accolades. As an intern at Worthington Biochemical Corporation in Lakewood where she is mentored by professionals including Lion Paul Jansen, Abbey is preparing for a future full of promise in the biomedical engineering field. She will enter George Washington University in September, and it would not be out of the realm of reality to read about the discoveries of 'Dr. Abbey Thorpe.' What could be news on a global scale or a major development on the world stage in a few years is for now a joy and a blessing for the local community, and most of all, for the Middletown Lions Club.
Abbey accepted the award with a big smile on her face as her mother and father beamed with pride.
The Middletown Lions Club was chartered in 1946 under Lions International and meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at Middletown Reformed Church and at restaurants throughout the area. Membership is by invitation. The club hosts a number of charitable fundraising activities throughout the year including an auto & motorcycle meet, a 5k run/walk in May, and a pancake breakfast in February. The auto & motorcycle meet will be held on September 21, 2013. More information is available by viewing the website www.mlions.org or by emailing Lori Anne Oliwa, membership director, at LoriAnne@TheWriteAngles.com.
