Volunteers recognized at American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast
Karlea Holub and Richard Spear did not aspire to be honored as volunteer heroes when they devoted their time and energy to help others – their mission was simply to make another person’s life just a little bit easier.
Humility is honorable, though, as 18-year-old Holub of Ellsworth and 71-year-old Spear of South Fayette learned Wednesday morning as the American Red Cross presented each of them with awards at the American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Holub was presented with the Youth Hero Award for her volunteer work at local shelters and at the Pittsburgh Veterans Hospital, and Spear was honored with the Good Samaritan Hero Award for the work he has done over the past 20 years to significantly improve the lives of orphans in impoverished countries.
Holub, who now attends Bradford Business School in Pittsburgh and works as a certified nursing assistant at Country Meadows Nursing Home, began volunteering with her mother through the local fire department and at the VA hospital when she was only 13.
“I was never a people person before, and I wasn’t always comfortable meeting new people, but volunteering made me feel differently about things,” she said. “I learned from the experience that there are all kinds of different people in the world and that something bad can happen to just about anyone. Volunteering made me feel stronger and more prepared for life.”
Holub has not had the opportunity to volunteer since she began college, but she is looking forward to visiting the VA Hospital with her mother at Christmastime.
“It makes me feel good to know that I can make others happy just by giving them a few minutes of my time,” said Holub. “It is so nice that they chose me for this award.”
Spear is a former employee of the athletic department at Duquesne University and currently volunteers on the oncology floor at Mercy Hospital five days a week. In his spare time, he travels to Haiti and Colombia to tend to orphanages that he has raised the funds to build and others that he is preparing to rebuild.
With the help of personal and professional connections he made through his work at Duquesne, Spear feels thankful that over the past 20 years, he has had the help and support of so many faithful donors to his organization’s 501c3 fund. Next week, Spear will travel back to Haiti to check on his latest project, a “safe place” he created for a group of orphaned girls between the ages of 10 and 14 that had no nearby family, were living on the streets and were being sexually and physically abused.
“I still need to put at least another $150,000 into the facility for the girls, but I at least have them in a safe place and off the streets. They are at least well protected,” he said.
Spear’s interest in helping orphaned, impoverished children began when he was just a boy.
“Growing up, I always had a strong feeling for orphans,” he said. “I just felt so bad for them. I came from a good home, and it affected me when I realized that those kids had nobody. I thought, ‘I have everything and they have nothing,’ so I vowed to make a difference for orphans when I had the opportunity.
“I am very pleased to be receiving an award from the Red Cross because when one thinks of charity, the Red Cross comes to mind. To receive an award from these folks is quite an honor.”
Donations to Spear’s orphan fund can be submitted to him at 8104 Palamino Drive, Bridgeville, PA 15017. Make checks payable to the Cali Haiti Orphanage Fund.