League of Women Voters honors organization, citizens
The League of Women Voters of Washington County Oct. 24 will recognize attorneys R. Maureen Myers and Joyce Hatfield-Wise, and the Go Green Club of the Peters Township Public Library.
Myers, who will receive the Community Service Award, was past president and board member of the American Association of University Women, the Children’s School of Washington, the Group Home of Washington and the Washington Women’s Bowling Association, board member for the LeMoyne Multicultural Community Center and the Washington Area Teachers Federal Credit Union, and a past president of the Washington County Bar Association, the Business and Professional Women Washington, Canonsburg and Peters Township chapters.
In addition, she served in numerous positions with District 12 BPW and as chair of the BPW state finance committee and the Pennsylvania BPW Foundation. Myers is now the BPW Pennsylvania historian and the Washington BPW treasurer.
Along with developing scholarships for the BPW and AAUW, her volunteer efforts supported organizations such as the Sister to Sister Summit, the American Heart Association and domestic violence awareness.
Hatfield-Wise, who will receive the Community Education Award, has for the past 15 years spearheaded the Washington County Bar Association’s Law Day programs, leading to a national award from the American Bar Association.
As part of Law Day, she revived and coordinates an annual People’s Law School, a free seminar series about the law for the public.
Hatfield-Wise’s efforts extend beyond the county throughout the commonwealth to educate professionals who investigate suspected child abuse. In 2004, with Jason Kutulakis, she co-founded the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Solicitors Association, which has 60 member counties and more than 150 attorneys who represent child welfare agencies statewide. In 2009, she co-founded ChildFirst PA, a nationally recognized, week-long intensive training for professionals who are a part of multidisciplinary investigative teams which include prosecutors, law enforcement, and Children and Youth agency caseworkers.
Receiving the Environment Award is the Go Green Club of the Peters Township Public Library. This all-volunteer organization was formed in January 2010 and for the past three years had been led by President Jennifer Garrett and her husband, Chris Umber.
The club’s mission is to provide the community with educational resources through programs, library materials and volunteer activities to help create a more environmentally friendly and responsible lifestyle.
The club sponsored a series of gardening workshops and programs, a pollinator garden at the library, an ongoing ink cartridge recycling program, movies, tours of green facilities, Go Green camps for children and an annual local foods potluck meal.
Each year, the Go Green Club has held Earth Day events and arranged informational programs as well as displays in the Peters Township library lobby.
This month, the Go Green Club organized the “Great Halloween Costume Swap,” publicized Halloween tips and made a donation of leftover costumes to the Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead. The group meets the third Monday of each month.
The public is invited to attend the 2013 League of Women Voters of Washington County awards reception at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at BenchMark Financial, 1720 Washington Road, North Strabane Township. The entrance is at Route 19 onto Conklin Road.
A program by league members, Women and the Right to Vote, will begin at 7 p.m. with the awards presentations at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $16.
Reservations can be made with Donna Riggle, awards committee, by phone 724-484-7537 or email driggle84@gmail.com.