Oretha Bridgwaters-Simms - Prince George's County
Oretha organized a pre-pandemic luncheon of 104 retired residents on a monthly basis to extend friendship, support, and share information by inviting community leaders and others to give presentations. During the pandemic, she reached out to all the members of this group who do not have internet skills or who were having trouble accessing vaccine appointments. She transported 23 retirees to their appointments and continues working to locate new sites. Additionally, Oretha adopted 4 single-parent families from PGCPS to make monthly food donations. All 4 families had 3 or more children. The continuing food donations also include masks and toiletries. Fifty residents of Belnor Senior Living in Suitland also benefitted from Oretha’s service as she helped coordinate and fill their food pantry with over 150 bags of food. During the 2020 election, Oretha worked to provide information to young people between the ages of 18 and 25 about voting during a pandemic. She helped develop a video where a diverse group of young people highlighted how voting can impact their lives. Oretha also coordinated and provided transportation to the polls for those in need of a ride. PGPSRA and the community benefit greatly from Oretha’s volunteerism!
Judy Davis - Wicomico County
Judy is recognized for her volunteerism as their Community Service Committee Chair, successfully coordinating the donation of more than $10,000 to the United Way for several years, coordinating volunteer bell ringers for the Salvation Army, and collecting donations for the Maryland Food Bank. Judy is part of the Dress Ministry which is a tri-state group of seamstresses who make children’s clothing out of pillowcases. The clothing was recently donated to children in Kenya. Eastern Shore Moms Demand Action also benefits from Judy’s service. She takes photos of events and submits them for publication. The Moms group also support critical care workers with gift cards and educational literature. Serving as the Press Officer for the Worcester County NAACP, Judy sends monthly press releases, helps plan events and programs, and assists with membership recruitment. Successful programs for children ages 3 through 8 have been held. Judy also serves on the Executive Board of the Germantown School Community Heritage Center in Berlin, MD. As their Social Media Coordinator, she maintains their Facebook page and submits Community Briefs and Calendar of Events information to local media outlets. They sponsored a book donation to enable a new book to be delivered to needy children who received a free lunch at home. Judy generously volunteers 10 hours a week in her community!
