Eight local women honored as Hidden Heroines
GREEN — Eight local women were honored by Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve Council (GSWRC) March 23 for their achievements in volunteerism. Pat Ameling, Judi Bevly-Hill, Jouanna Crossland-Wells, Virginia Cousins, Toni Dorazio, Linda Gilliland, Cathy Parker and Diane Wolf received the Hidden Heroine Award at a reception at Raintree Country Club.
Hidden Heroines are women who have not been publicly recognized for their significant contributions to the world around them, according to GSWRC officials. Their service shows self-motivation and dependability, in addition to serving as a positive influence outside of professional job requirements, exemplifying the essence of the Girl Scout mission.
Ameling, of Akron, is a Girl Scout leader and active volunteer at her daughters’ school. Last July, she and her family visited Kazakhstan, her adopted daughter’s homeland, with $20,000 in donations, to oversee the building of two playgrounds at orphanages. Ameling also collected humanitarian aid to take back to the orphanage.
Bevly-Hill, of Copley, is active in Summit County organizations. A wife, mother and full-time worker, she also serves as the vice chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Caring Communities of Summit County. She is an active member of her church, serving as a Sunday School teacher, and volunteers with other local organizations, including the Akron NAACP, Coming Together Akron, the Akron and Summit County historical societies and the Youth Excellence Performing Arts Workshop.
Currently serving as an assistant principal at Goodyear Middle School, Crossland-Wells, of Akron, is an active member of several professional educational associations, including the National Alliance of Black School Educators. She is an active member of her church and is on The Readers Network Committee for the Akron Beacon Journal. She also serves as the first vice president of the Akron Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Cousins, of Tallmadge, has volunteered with the Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service since moving to Ohio in 2001. A retired nurse, she stays for many hours at the bedsides of patients, providing support and comfort during their last hours. She also volunteers her time with the Bereavement Department and serves as a speaker and a mentor for new volunteers.
An ordained deacon and photographer at The House of the Lord, Dorazio, of Akron, also volunteers at Akron City Hospital, St. Thomas Hospital, Akron General Medical Center and various nursing homes in Summit County. She is also co-founder and treasurer of the nonprofit organization REST Ministries, providing personal empowerment training to women.
Gilliland, of Akron, is one of the founding members of Friends of Pets, a nonprofit animal rescue organization. She serves as an active member of the Friends of Pets Board of Trustees and also has served as a Camp Fire Girl Leader and a volunteer with the Bath Welcome Wagon, and she is an active volunteer for the Humane Society of Greater Akron.
Parker, of Akron, is an ally of adults and children with special needs and devotes much of her time to the Summit Special Olympic Athletic Club. She assists with paperwork, coordinating social activities and fund-raising and serving as a liaison to parents, while supervising the other officers and committee chairmen. She also volunteers for the Salvation Army as a bell ringer and serves as vice president of the Women’s Club of Springfield Township.
Wolf, of Akron, volunteers for the Crooked River Women’s Chorale as conductor and artistic director. She conducts the All-Volunteer Community Chorus, which has presented 19 public concerts and 51 showcase performances for community groups, nursing homes and other benefits.
The Hidden Heroine Award program is sponsored by OMNOVA Solutions Foundation. For more information on how to nominate someone for the Hidden Heroine Award, contact Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve Inc. at (330) 864-9933.
The 2006 Hidden Heroine Award recipients are shown, from left: (back row) Judi Bevly-Hill, Linda Gilliland, Pat Ameling, Jouanna Crossland-Wells; and (front row) Cathy Parker, Toni Dorazio and Diane Wolf. Virginia Cousins is not pictured.
Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of the Western Reserve Council
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