2017 – Brenda Boutelle
This recipient has been a tremendous help to me (Rebecca Malke) in the faith development program. She has taught Sunday school, helped out in the nursery and has been a helper in our Vacation Bible School program. But her work at Memorial doesn’t end with the faith development program.
She has been involved in our annual Night of Music event and is part of Memorial’s instruments. She has walked in the annual Crop Walk event on our Memorial Walkers team, helped out with the essential’s pantry and has made blankets for the Ronald McDonald House.
One of the things that makes Brenda Boutelle so great is that even though she is a very busy youth at West High School, she is always more than happy to help me when I need it, even if it’s last minute. Often I don’t even need to come to her she comes to me asking me if I need help, or volunteering her time to our children. And our children love her too.
When I asked two of our young people what they thought of Brenda their responses was, “Brenda is kind and I love giving hugs to her” and “She’s loving and she’s nice.”
It takes a village to raise a child and I’m glad Memorial has Brenda Boutelle in our faith village and I’m happy to present to her the Youth Service Award.
2009 – Jessica Veloff and Katy Von Der Heide
When the Stewardship Committee was gathering names for this year’s Faith and Service Awards, Jessica Veloff and Katy Von Der Heide were working in the church office and asked, “Why don’t we have a youth award?” So who better to receive such an award than this duo?
Jessica and Katy have grown up in this congregation. They were confirmed here in 2008. They have been leaders in youth activities, participants in youth retreats. Last month Jessica was in her 20th play here, Katy was in her 13th.
They traveled together last summer to the National Youth Event for the United Church of Christ in Knoxville, Tenn., and brought back ideas that helped establish our Environmental Stewardship Task Force and that led to their Souper Bowl collection in February that raised money for Luke House. They work with younger children around here, add their voices to congregational discussions. They have each served on a pastoral search committee – Jessica for the associate pastor and Katy for the new senior pastor.
Jessica and Katy have shown how young people can be great leaders in our congregation and we are happy to honor them.