‘A sense of calm’: Health dept. staff honored for work during pandemic

Published 10:08 am Friday, May 13, 2022

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The GFWC-NC Mocksville Woman’s Club, one of the longest active service clubs in the area, celebrated its 60 years with a program celebrating the past accomplishments of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

The Mocksville club joined North Carolina’s organization and chartered in 1962. While most of the charter members are no longer living, these giving women left a long legacy of service and philanthropy which stands strong today, said Christy Schafer, past president.

Gail Kelly joined the club in 1969 and still serves today; others are reaching 20, 30 and 40 years as members.

Many agencies, services and charitable organizations have benefited from the work of the club. Smart Start, Davie Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Dragon Fly House, Family Promise, the Davie County Arts Council, Hunger Fighters to name a few, have all received support from the Mocksville club.

The organization also focuses on continuing education of its own. Each month an informative program is part of the meeting’s agenda. This year’s programs included collaboration of the libraries in the school system, arts in the community with recycled art projects for children and adults and environmental health programs in Davie County.

Education is and always been a part of the club’s mission. Each year the club awards a scholarship to an academically deserving young woman from Davie High School. The scholarship is meant to defray the cost of tuition. The introduction of the scholarship winner will take place at May meeting.

The club also honors others in the community whose exemplary  service to the greater good and recognized as the Citizen of the Year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the club was unable to recognize the winners of 2019 and 2020. This April the MWC recognized Jim Patterson and BJ Sineath  as the 2019 recipients for their service to the Mocksville Woman’s Club and Davie Rehabilitation.

The 2020 recipient of Citizen of the Year Award, (voted unanimously by the club membership) is the Davie County Health Department for the exemplary execution of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and testing in Davie County.

“When fear of the unknown knocked at our door, the health department nurses and administrators provided a sense of calm. Their very deliberate execution of the vaccine  and testing sites was a model for the State of North Carolina,” Schafer said. “These front-line nurses worked tirelessly and with so much uncertainty of transmission routes, they not only put themselves in harm’s way of the virus they worried about their individual family’s health as well.

“The nurses and staff of the Davie County Health Department are the unsung heroes of Davie County. This award was just a small way in which the Mocksville Woman’s Club could honor their work and tireless service.”

To become a member of the club, contact Paulette Agha, president, at  336.287.4762. You need not live in Mocksville. Members come from all over the county; even some from Forsyth and Yadkin.