Volunteer Recognition
Celebrating A Merica House Volunteer, Martin
Cathy, our resident with attitude, attends the Memorial Day event in Washington, D. C. every year, specifically in order to visit the Rolling Thunder participants. In 2017 she met Martin, one of the motorcyclists with the organization. They became friends & he began to ask her how he could help out at Merica House. Ever since, he has dedicated time taking 1-3 residents to local venues of interest, including the Bible Museum, Huntley Meadows & Bladenburg Gardens. This summer he took 3 of them on a riverboat ride.
Almost every time he visits, he brings supplies such as extra boxes of toothpaste, bottles of mouthwash, lotion, and other personal care needs. In addition, he has contributed beautiful items such as wind chimes, birdhouses & a table made of colorful tile pieces. He has cooked twice for the residents. He makes needed repairs around the apartments and he assists with decorating by painting cabinets & other items.
Recently the residents decided to thank Martin through the gift of a plaque written specifically with his contributions in mind. His wife was warned ahead of time and she was asked to accompany him on his next visit to Merica House. They arrived & he was presented with his plaque. He was stunned but very touched.
Prior Webmaster, Diane Constantine
We would like to thank Diane Constantine for 10 years of dedicated support to the website. Without her keen eye to style and technical skills, we would not have progressed as a modern website. We are grateful for all her hard work, and wish her all the best in her primary work as a missionary in Malaysia with her husband.
A tribute to volunteers no longer with us…
This is Alfred Moseke, the first Resident Coordinator for Merica House. With a degree in guidance and counseling, and experience in program coordination and working extensively with veterans, Alfred was a great choice as Merica House’s first Residents Coordinator in 1995. His work at the Veteran’s Administration was primarily with disabled veterans, assisting them with training and educational programs, resulting in employment. In addition, he was the president of the American Juvenile Arthritis Organization and a board member of the Sheltered Homes of Alexandria.
This is Orlando Fowlis. Orlando spent his entire career teaching students with special needs, including the visually and hearing impaired. Most of that work was in The Gambia West Africa, although he did complete a 1-year assignment in the United Kingdom, working with young adults with special needs. He was also the head coach for the special Olympics, representing The Gambia West Africa. Orlando became the Resident Coordinator for Merica House in 2000.
