Volunteer of the Year nomination: Eloise Bowman

Eloise Bowman is my nominee for volunteer of the year 2012. She leads a group of faithful volunteers at the Grand Coulee Senior Center Thrift Shop, where they often work twice weekly every week of the year, sorting, pricing and selling items donated from our community for our community. What a great way to serve EVERYONE!

The donated items don’t just add income for the senior center. This outpouring of love helps those folks on limited incomes in our community by offering clothing and household items at reasonable prices; they also offer unique opportunities to search for something special, like that lid you broke to your Corningware dish, a gag gift, or a jacket for an out-of-town grandchild who forgot theirs.

In addition to overseeing the thrift shop, whose sales are KEY to keeping the Senior Center open, Eloise spearheads several other moneymaking projects for the center: The Easter Basket sale, The Spring Bazaar, and the Fall/Winter sale are events that many in the community look forward to attending. The recent Fall sale netted the center over $1,000, and the total revenue thus far this year to support the Senior Center is $22,000! Eloise also helps those who have lost homes and belongings due to fire. She often prepares them ahead of time just to have them on hand when the need arises. Blankets, towels, dishes, clothing and other basic necessities are given freely to those fire victims.

A quick recap of Eloise’s volunteerism: Works several days a week, all year long to take care of our entire community. Her efforts benefit young and old, those of varied incomes, and are key to keeping our Senior Center open.

Thank you Eloise, (and Senior Center crew Dorothy Dennis, Judy Behrens, Diane Canady, Kerry Noggles, Connie Babler and Helen Reddick) for all you do and may God bless you all.

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Edna Hauser