Ohio Department of Aging Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame

Emily Brown, Mansfield

A Mansfield resident for 63 years, Emily Campbell Brown had a deep and lasting impact on her community through her civic involvement and political activism.

Mrs. Brown considered racial justice to be one of the most important causes of her life. She was proud of her achievements and leadership in the Mansfield YWCA, where she served as a board member and president, and helped to lead the fight for social justice and racial equality in Mansfield.

She served as a board member of the Mansfield Inter-church Council and as vice president of the Ohio Hunger Task Force. She helped found the Richland County chapter of Habitat for Humanity. She was trained as a teacher and continued to work as an educator into her 80s, serving as a volunteer tutor to both schoolchildren and adult learners in Mansfield.

Her political involvement included local Mansfield races and historic national elections. She advised and volunteered for local races and played a part in electing Mansfield's first African-American mayor. She chaired the campaign for the Richland County senior services levy in 2008. She was considered one of the hardest-working volunteers at the Richland County Democratic Party, where she often would work phone banks for hours. She was a tireless foot soldier in voter registration drives. During the 2004 presidential campaign, Mrs. Brown set up a card table at local grocery stores and registered hundreds of new voters.

She remained active in civic and political endeavors until about six weeks before her death in 2009 at 88. Age did not slow her down, as she devoted countless hours to the campaigns of her son, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, in 2006 and Barack Obama in 2008, in addition to local Mansfield contests.

She taught her family to fight for what they believe in, to lead by example and to be tireless in all they do. She was a beloved matriarch in the many organizations in which she participated and was a popular surrogate speaker during her son's campaign. She forged relationships with youth and senior citizens alike and was a mentor and an inspiration to all her community and friends.

Emily Campbell Brown taught all who loved her to live by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Gifford Doxsee, Athens

As a professor of history, Gifford B. Doxsee prepared countless young men and women to make their marks on the world. In retirement, he has made a fulfilling career as a volunteer, serving his fellow man in a variety of ways.

Dr. Doxsee graduated from Harvard University with a Masters degree and a doctorate in modern European history. He was a professor of history at Ohio University from 1958 to 1994, with teaching interests in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He directed the graduate program in African Studies from 1983-1991, and he chaired the forward-thinking Energy Conservation Committee during the 1970s. The student body twice elected him University Professor. He received two teaching awards from the College of Arts and Sciences, and was awarded the 1982 Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Academy of History.

He is a member of several veterans and POW organizations and was a board member for the Ohio Infantry Division Association. He is a member of the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Department of Ohio, and served as the junior vice commander. He also has served as the adjutant/treasurer of the Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War.

In 1984, he joined GoodWorks, an organization in Appalachian Ohio that serves the homeless. He also served as a weekend volunteer at Timothy House, a shelter for the rural homeless. He is a member and has served on the board of Rural Action, an organization devoted to fostering social, economic and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. He was on the board of Planned Parenthood and has served on a multitude of committees for the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

He is a 20-year volunteer with Appalachian Community Hospice. He offers weekly companionship to terminally ill patients, as well as much-needed respite for their caregivers. In addition to providing direct care, he also works on special projects at the office, and he has helped in volunteer recruitment.

In 2003, he joined the Kairos Prison Ministry, which addresses the spiritual needs and practical re-entry questions of incarcerated men and women. A Hocking Correctional Facility Advisory Council formed a Kairos team in Nelsonville, in Athens County, and he agreed to be its secretary. He has been a member of five consecutive teams since 2008.

Gifford Doxsee is an extraordinary person who has devoted his second career to near constant service to his fellow man, upholding the values of dignity and humanity in a broad-ranging set of causes.

Bracy E. Lewis, Cleveland

Bracy E. Lewis betters his community through quiet, positive service. He was one of the first African-Americans in Cleveland to become a senior vice president of a major financial organization. He has served on numerous boards where he was the first and only African-American to serve. He has made it a personal goal to assist these organizations in diversifying both their boards and their staff.

Mr. Lewis has helped to revitalize the Greater Cleveland area. He led collaborative efforts in lending and equity financing for historic rehabilitation, community and economic development. Governor George Voinovich awarded him the "Ohio Humanitarian Award for Leadership." He received the "Community Development Award" from Amistad Development Corporation. He also was one of the ten finalists in 1994 for the "Points of Life Award," President Bill Clinton's recognition for individuals who have made a difference in their communities.

Upon Mr. Lewis' retirement in 1996, Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White presented him with the key to the city and named a city park in his honor. No other bankers in Cleveland's history have received this prestigious honor. Two years later, Mayor White asked Mr. Lewis to serve as chairman of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority's board of commissioners.

In 2007, Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland Councilwoman Sabra Scott asked Mr. Lewis to chair a committee to oversee the renovation and update of the African-American Cultural Garden. Mr. Lewis and Councilwoman Scott recruited 17 members to serve on the committee.

Due to Mr. Lewis' expertise and passion, JP Morgan Chase Bank retained him as the Director of Governmental Affairs. He received the 2009 Lifetime Achiever Award from the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships to high school students in Greater Cleveland.

Mr. Lewis has served as president, chairman or has actively participated in boards, commissions or organizations that serve all levels of the community. He still volunteers at the national level for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and was given an award for his leadership abilities. He has volunteered for Golden Age Centers and the City Club of Cleveland Foundation, and is a board member on numerous community boards. He also has donated his time to tutor children in the inner city Cleveland Public School System about music appreciation, math and reading.

Bracy E. Lewis has the uncanny ability to erase the lines of discrimination, race, gender and class. He is an important role model and mentor, and continues to be a living example of service and excellence through his efforts, his abilities and his consideration for his fellow man.

Kathryn Harleman Loxley, Wellston

In 1949, Kathryn and Orval Loxley rented a farm in Darke County, where they raised their family, along with tobacco, tomatoes and broiler chickens.

When Darke County needed school teachers, a group of past college graduates returned to Miami University to renew their teaching certificates. They asked Mrs. Loxley to join them. She agreed to take night and summer classes, even though she also was helping her husband plant tobacco, bale hay and harvest wheat on the family farm. Early morning classes ended in time for her rush home to prepare a noon meal for the farm workers.

She signed an emergency teaching certificate with only 40 college credits and began teaching fifth grade at the Milton Union School. The school superintendent asked her to help train young teachers in her classroom. Instead of a stipend, she took courses she needed for her degree, graduating in 1962 from Miami University.

While teaching fourth grade in the Jackson City School System, she introduced a successful elementary economic program. She presented the program at several places nationally, and The Ohio State University gave teachers the opportunity to attend the course and receive credit hours.

She and her husband organized and prepared an outdoor education site on their farm, The Shire, to provide an opportunity for children to observe and appreciate their environment. The Jackson City School System adopted the program and, thanks to a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation and sponsorship from family members, friends, the Jackson Christian Church and the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, the program operated for more than 30 years with a special educator, Mrs. Ruby Gilliland, at the site.

At the end of each school year, Mrs. Loxley received the names of children who would benefit from extra help with reading and math. She trained nine junior educators at nine learning centers to help 30 children become better students and citizens. Donations enabled the program to be offered at no cost to the children. The junior educators donated their time, earning no wages, to help the children. Mrs. Loxley also picked up the children and cooked for them each day.

After her husband became ill, Mrs. Loxley cared for him while she continued to teach. After she retired, she began taking seminary courses to enable her to serve as a chaplain in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. She became licensed to the ministry in 1993 and has since also earned her license in counseling.

From 1980 to 2009, Kathryn Loxley received more than 20 awards, including honors for environmental and science education. She received the Cardinal Award from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce Meritorious Service Award, The Ohio Education Association Human Relations Award, the Jackson Beautification Award, and her picture is on display in the Jackson City Schools Hall of Honor.

Wilbur Mullen, Greenville

Since he was young man, Wilbur Mullen believed in an international peace army that would not fight other men, but rather fight the enemies of mankind: flood, famine, earthquake and war. During World War II, he was able to serve part of his four plus years as a conscientious objector at the Brethren Service Center in Maryland, preparing and shipping supplies to war-torn countries in Europe

He was active in the Heifer Project, which provided milk to refugee farm families abroad through sponsorships and shipments of cattle and other livestock to Europe, Japan, Russia and Puerto Rico.

In 1948, he attended the UNESC-sponsored meeting that created the Coordinating Committee for the Organizers of International Voluntary Work Camps. For years, he planned and led Brethren Service European study tours, International Peace Seminars, and international work camps.

In 1972, he became purchasing agent for the Greenville Brethren Retirement Community. When the facility was facing a financial crisis, Mr. Mullen became its CEO. With the court-appointed trustee, he led the organization out of the crisis, and the facility became solvent in the early eighties. Today, the facility is one of the largest employers in Darke County.

In 1978, as Church of the Brethren, Southern Ohio District Services Coordinator, he organized workers to rebuild a home destroyed by the tornado in Xenia. For 32 years, he has been an active member of Rotary International. On the state level, he served four years as secretary and treasurer of AOPHA, an organization representing nonprofit Ohio long-term care facilities.

He helped to make a DVD documentary about the early work of Brethren Service in Europe after World War II, Food and Clothing, Cattle and Love.

For many years he was active in the Kings Men organization at Brethren Retirement Community. The organization helps to raise funds for the residents who have minimal means to reside at the community. He is usually at the volunteer reception desk on Friday afternoons, assisting visitors to their destinations.

Wilbur Mullen has spent his lifetime in service to others. Asked what advice he had for today's economy, he responded: "Recognize there is a problem and begin anew. Surround yourself with good people, a team, keeping them informed and recognizing their efforts. Keep your integrity intact and build confidence. At this point in economic trouble, while it matters how you got there, it matters much more where you are going. Tighten your belt, live within your means and be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you."

Jean Marie Schlecht, Warren

Jean Marie Schlecht is a non-stop volunteer. For more than 60 years she has taken on responsibilities that would stagger a less dedicated person. A graduate of St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing, she is best known for helping to bring two valuable services to Trumbull County. She co-founded Trumbull Mobile Meals (TMM) with Patricia Venetta in 1970, and she helped the Visiting Nurses Association launch Hospice of Trumbull County in 1982.

Trumbull Mobile Meals started as a six-month pilot program and incorporated with 18 subscribers. As TMM celebrates its 40th year of service, Mrs. Schlecht has served as board president, finance chairperson, driver, packer and scheduler throughout the years. She provided leadership in program planning and implementation. She continues on the TMM Board of Directors, while serving as the TMM Basket Extravaganza Chairperson, raising the most money of any fundraiser to date.

She was the co-chair of the original planning committee for a hospice program in Trumbull County. She also graduated in the first class of hospice volunteer trainees for direct patient care. As an active member of the Trumbull County Medical Society Alliance for 50 years, she was involved in its many social and philanthropic programs. She always wanted to ensure that all who needed assistance could maintain their dignity and peace of mind by remaining in their own homes and receiving affordable help.

She is a very active leader in her church. During her lifetime she has made several pilgrimages to third-world countries to help wherever she could. She continues to lead drives for the less fortunate and to assist planning initiatives for all kinds of assistance.

She received the Trumbull Leader Award in October 1986 from the Tribune Chronicle, the L.B. Jim Taylor Award in 1983 and the TMM Volunteer of the Year award in 1982. Most recently, she received the Community Good Neighbor Award from SCOPE of Trumbull County and the Valley Legacy Award from Shepherd of the Valley.

Jean Marie Schlecht has been an advocate for the care of others her whole life. She is a perfect example of an individual reaching out and giving of herself, her talents and her skills to the community. She has spent her lifetime enriching the lives of the less fortunate and making her community a better place to live.

Helmut S. Schmidt, M.D., Powell

A pioneer in the field, the late Dr. Helmut S. Schmidt devoted his professional life to the development and recognition of sleep medicine as a medical specialty. He was part of the original nosology committee that created the first classification of sleep disorders in the history of mankind. During the late sixties, he practiced sleep medicine at the Ohio State University Medical Center, which later became the third sleep disorders center in the country to be nationally accredited. He later founded the Ohio Sleep Medicine Institute (OSMI), an independent sleep center located in Dublin, Ohio, where he practiced along with his son, Markus H. Schmidt, MD, PhD.

Dr. Schmidt was co-chairman of the Insurance Committee of the American Sleep Disorders Association in the late seventies. Under his leadership, the committee negotiated with insurance companies for the recognition and the reimbursement of sleep medicine services. Until that time, sleep medicine services were considered "experimental and investigational procedures".

From 1982 to 1992, he ran the national examination process for certifying physicians in the field of sleep medicine and administered this examination for more than 10 years. He was the first president of the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), the accrediting body responsible for certifying sleep medicine physicians. He had a tradition of keeping exam questions on index cards in a shoebox and he was later awarded the "Shoebox Award" from the ABSM, for "unstinting" dedication to the furtherance of the field. This award was later renamed the "Helmut S. Schmidt Award."

He was chairman of the Joint Program Committee for the Sleep Research Society and the American Sleep Disorders Association, which involved organizing and hosting the first annual meeting of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in Columbus, Ohio, in 1986. The event united the two organizations under one conference.

Dr. Helmut Schmidt, with Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, led the efforts to establish the first National Sleep and Health Awareness Week (June 15-21), a proclamation signed by President Ronald Reagan. Sleep and Health Awareness Week remains an important national advocacy event every March.

In 1988, Dr. Helmut Schmidt received the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Prize from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (formerly known as the ASDA), which is that body's highest award for outstanding achievement and contribution to the field. He co-chaired the ASDA National Committee to recognize sleep medicine as a designated medical specialty by the American Medical Association, which occurred in January 1995, providing greater recognition to the field of sleep medicine.

In addition to his involvement in sleep medicine, he also was chairman of the Association Program Committee of the Ohio Psychiatric Association during the early eighties, before becoming president of the Ohio Psychiatric Association in 1985-1986. He later became interim president of the Mental and Health Review Board for the Ohio Psychiatric Association and was part of the 1991 Ohio Governor Mental Health Task Force. He was recognized in 2003 with the Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Helmut Schmidt was known among health professionals for his expertise and dedication to quality patient care. In 2004, he was voted by his peers as Best Sleep Medicine Physician in Central Ohio. In addition to his involvement in sleep medicine and psychiatry, he had a successful military career. He retired as a colonel from the United States Army Reserve and was the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal following his last duty as Surgeon, 83rd Army Reserve Command.

Dr. Helmut Schmidt's legacy will remain forever in the many lives he touched. To learn more about Dr. Helmut Schmidt, please visit www.sleepmedicine.com

Charlotte L. Shaffer, Toledo

Charlotte Shaffer has served the Toledo area for more than 50 years. Her career in human services began in the 1950s with her involvement with the Lutheran Neighborhood House and the Volunteer Bureau in Toledo. She became the executive of the Toledo Council of Social Agencies during the 1960s and was actively involved in seeking grant opportunities to support needed human services. Toledo agencies such as Toledo Northwest Ohio Food bank and the community's first information and referral center owe their existence to her perseverance.

In the 1970s she served as executive director of the Community Planning Council of Northwest Ohio. This Council provided planning, service development and coordination for the United Way of Greater Toledo and the public and private human services throughout this area. Under her direction, the Council led in the creation of the area office on aging. She recognized the burgeoning needs of seniors and she guided programming and services to meet those needs. She has continued her great interest in the field of aging and is an active member of the board of the area office on aging.

Charlotte received her degree from the University of Toledo with advanced studies at Case Western Reserve and the University of Michigan. She and her late husband, Harold, established the Shaffer Fund with the Toledo Community Foundation to support an endowed chair in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Toledo.

Charlotte served in many volunteer capacities during her professional career. She was the International President of Quota International, a professional women's organization. She is one of three honorary members of the Junior League of Toledo, awarded for contributions to volunteerism in the community.

Following her retirement from the Council she served as president of the board of the Lutheran Social Services. She remains active with the local advisory board of the Salvation Army, is a past president and was appointed a life member of this board. She served as the congregation president of Olivet Lutheran Church.

Charlotte Shaffer truly represents a positive image of aging with a lifestyle defined not by age, but by her contributions and service that impact the future for older adults.

Dillon W. Staas, Jr., Lima

Dillon Staas' service, activities and prose reveal a man of love, patriotism and courage. An accident when he was 11 cost him the sight in one eye, but did not stop him from serving in the Korean War, raising a family of eight children or having a successful career with the U.S. Postal Service.

He served several years on the "Tell America" team and spoke to students at area schools about the Korean War. He still attends school programs on Veterans' Day, answering questions about his experience in the war. He also volunteered with the Johnny Appleseed Parks as group tour guide, where he demonstrated maple syrup production.

He is a life member of the VFW. He served as Post Quartermaster and edited the post newsletter. He also is a life member of Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), past president of the Johnnie Johnson Chapter and past vice president, Department of Ohio KWVA. He helped start the Lima chapter and serves as its treasurer and statutory agent. At its first organizational meeting, he volunteered to begin a newsletter, which he is still writing after 15 years.

He designed the Korean War Memorial Marker that is outside the Lima Civic Center and wrote the poetic inscription on its back.

He is a member of the Aladdin Shrine and is a 32nd degree mason. He has served as master of two lodges and currently serves as Scottish Rite ambassador for his lodge. He is a board member of the Lima Sister Cities Association and is active on the Japan Committee. He has traveled to Lima's sister city, Harima-cho, Japan, as volunteer chaperone and team leader, and his family has hosted Japanese teens and adults.

He has participated in the Lima area Senior Olympics since its inception, winning numerous medals in his age bracket. He played softball on a senior team until his arm was injured. He now plays volleyball with a group of seniors three days a week.

Dillon Staas is inspired by his family, his country and his personal integrity. He does not seek personal power and ambition for special recognition. He truly is an uncommon common man.

Bobbie L. Sterne, Cincinnati

Bobbie Sterne has spent her life making a difference in her community. For 25 years on City Council and as the first woman elected mayor of Cincinnati, she was a champion for health and social services, financial management and city planning. Throughout her life and years in public service, she has fought for the rights of all people.

As a founder and president of the Health Department Volunteers, she initiated the city's primary health care system, which exceeded the state's standard of health care. She organized an immunization campaign for inner city children that was featured on national television and served as a model statewide. She was one of the founders of Tackling Teen Pregnancy through Prevention, Volunteers in Public Schools and Caracole, the first group housing for AIDS patients. She was also the force behind having curb cuts installed throughout Cincinnati.

She served on many committees and boards over the years, including the Governor's Task Force on Health Care, the Attorney General's Task Force on Domestic Violence, the Citizen's Committee on Youth, the Community Chest Board of Trustees, the Board of Planned Parenthood and the Council on Aging. She also chaired the Health and Human Services Committee on City Council.

She has received numerous awards, including the Council of Jewish Women Hannah G. Solomon Award, the Citizen's Committee on Youth's Most Valuable Citizen Award, Ohio Women of the Year, Enquirer Woman of the Year and the YWCA's Career Women of Achievement.

Many organizations have profited from her ability to motivate and convince others to work cooperatively. She accepted the challenge to form new organizations when the need appeared. Throughout her career, there were those who disagreed with her, but none ever questioned her integrity.

According to Mrs. Sterne, "My mother always used to say, 'You have no right to ask people to do something you're not willing to do yourself.' In my family, you were brought up to leave the world a better place than you found it."

Bobbie Sterne is driven by her love of her community. She is known as a public servant, not a politician - doing what is right, not what is politically expedient.

S. Penny Triplett, Dover

S. Penny Triplett has been a real estate appraiser, sales agent and broker for more than 41 years. She sat on the original committee to establish testing and licensing requirements for real estate appraisers in Ohio. When these requirements went into effect in 1991, she was the only female appointee to the first State of Ohio Real Estate Appraisal Review Board.

Ms. Triplett is a member of the Save Your Home Task Force and has developed and presented programs to help individuals and families understand their options when facing home foreclosure. In 2009, the Ohio Senate presented her with its Outstanding Achievement Award. She also was appointed as chairperson of the Appraisal Committee for the National Association of Realtors in 2009. She has served as director of the Ohio Association of Realtors and regional president of the Association of Southern Realtor Boards. She was a seven-time Tuscarawas County Realtor of the Year and won the prestigious Ohio Realtor of the Year in 2003.

She has shared her extensive real estate knowledge with others, teaching at various colleges. She developed and taught continuing education classes for realtors for the Buckeye Career Center. She answers questions not only from within her own brokerage, but also from agents at other companies. She believes knowledge should be shared and that better educated appraisers and agents benefit the entire industry and the public.

Since 1989, she has served on many boards and committees for public and private organizations, including the United Way, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, the American Cancer Society and the State of Ohio Strategic Inspection Committee for Evaluation of Local Career Schools.

Locally, she worked with the Rainbow Connection, a local charity to help Tuscarawas county families with medical needs, Tuscarawas County Caring Hearts Committee, the Tuscarawas County Cancer Society, the food bank and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She is an active member of the Tuscarawas County and the Twin City Chambers of Commerce and has worked with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

She lives with and is the sole caregiver for her elderly parents. Even during a hospitalization, she continued to support her parents and nursed herself, while continuing to meet her clients' requests and complete all the phone calls and paperwork involved in her job.

S. Penny Triplett loves her profession and plans to keep active as long as she is able. She is very proud that at this stage of her career, 90 percent of her business is repeat and referrals from past clients.

Jim Winkler, Mogadore

Jim Winkler is an advocate for historic preservation, who has devoted his time and talent to the Brimfield Historical Society. The society preserves historical artifacts from the area and presents educational programs about the area's early settlement. Historical buildings, such as the Kelso House, barn, granary, corn crib and tool shed, are a major part of the preservation effort.

The society's structures required major repairs and maintenance in recent years. While leading the restoration and preservation initiative, Mr. Winkler donated more than 3,000 hours of work in three years and more than 4,000 hours of work since 2000. He served as trustee and treasurer for the Society and currently is serving as an honorary trustee. He is the statutory agent for the society, handling all federal, state and local tax forms and inquiries. He has served as the grounds and maintenance committee chairman since 2006.

He successfully restored the 177-year-old Kelso house with help from local workers and expert advice from the Ohio State University Extension Service. He continues to seek volunteers and is reconstructing the original Brimfield Central School entrance arch, vintage 1921.

For his efforts, he received the 2009 Outstanding Service Award from the Brimfield Historical Society and The Kelso House Museum.

He has served on the Brimfield Lions Club International board of directors and participates in all fundraisers. He has installed reflective yard signs that help emergency response teams locate a residence in need of emergency service. Weekly for nine years, he has helped to peel 100 pounds of potatoes for the Gennesaret, Inc., soup kitchen in Akron. He also donates several hours of work each year to the Fall Festival, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce.

Jim Winkler's extraordinary achievements, contributions and outstanding service through leadership, innovation and motivation, serve as a model for us all.

The Circle of Grandparents, Founding Members:
Diane DeMuth, Elizabeth Hague, Anthony Petrozzi (deceased), Kathryn K. Shaffer, Braxton and Polly Tewart and James Timko (deceased), Worthington & Columbus

A decade ago, leaders in the city of Worthington asked senior citizens to help build the character of the community's children by serving as role models and mentors to students in the elementary schools. Seven residents volunteered for the program, which was called the Circle of Grandparents. Thanks to the efforts of Diane DeMuth, Elizabeth Hague, Tony Petrozzi, Kathryn K. Shaffer, Braxton and Polly Tewart and James Timko, this unique, unproven and unstructured idea now helps more than 2,000 children each year and is a shining example of what Ohio's older adults can achieve when they come together for a common cause.

They worked with classroom teachers to develop effective methods to promote the abstract concepts of character to children with diverse backgrounds who are growing up in a digital world. They also showed students that lifelong learning can be fun and rewarding.

This energetic group of founding grandparents has grown the original circle of seven volunteers to more than 70 grandparents in nearly 90 classrooms. Almost 40 percent of the elementary children in Worthington had a "Grandparent" help them develop their character values through monthly or more frequent visits to their classrooms. As a result of their efforts, the Worthington community and its schools are stronger. The Worthington Board of Education has repeatedly honored the program and its volunteers.

In the beginning, the group had to convince skeptical teachers to let some senior citizens try an untested idea in their classrooms. Today, there is a waiting list of teachers in the district requesting a Grandparent.

The founding grandparents have created a legacy that is the envy of other school districts. The Circle has shared its materials with several other school districts who hope to use it as a model to build their own programs.