Two local individuals were honored for their outstanding community service work at a luncheon and ceremony Saturday, April 11.
The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Alleghany Chapter presented awards to Dr. Judith Hess Jones and Harriet Lester Williams for their outstanding community service work in our local area.
Hess Jones served the Alleghany Chapter of DAR as Regent from 2010-2013 and has held many DAR positions at both the regional and state levels. She volunteers with many organizations, including the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). The AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 years and older to choose how they live as they age. She has been a board member for six years and served on many other committees within AARP. Hess Jones’s service reflects the vision and purpose of AARP as she initiated a monthly donation program to AARP’s local food bank. She is also an advocate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Montgomery County. The Imagination Library is a book-gifting program for young children and has mailed more than two million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. The current director, Dr. Wendy Baldwin, was so impressed with Judith’s service that she asked her to join the board of the Imagination Library. With Hess Jones’s broad experiences and clear vision of what needed to be done, she was known to be fair and thorough.
Harriet Lester Williams is currently Chaplain of the Alleghany Chapter of DAR and volunteers with the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program (MCEAP) in Christiansburg. This program was founded in 1975 and is an organization that meets the immediate, emergency, and temporary needs of low income, unemployed, elderly, and handicapped individuals and families. The store is totally staffed by volunteers with all money from sales going to help those in Montgomery County. MCEAP’s food pantry is consistently stocked with foods that have been donated and purchased by MCEAP from local stores. Williams is one of the volunteers for the sewing and crafts department of MCEAP. She also fills in with other departments of the store and at times works the front counter, helping customers with their purchases. Williams has also made daily bank deposits and opens the store when the manager is out of town. The manager of MCEAP, Marjorie Vitale, says she doesn’t know what she would do without Williams’ help.
DAR Alleghany Chapter
