Zonta Club of Marietta, Ohio

Woman of the Year

Karen Kumpf — 2009

The Zonta Club of Marietta and Environs cordially invites you to submit a nomination for the 37th Woman of the Year award. This prestigious award recognizes an outstanding woman in Washington County whose exceptional, dedicated volunteer service to the community over many years has enhanced the lives of others. Previous winners include: Marion Metz (2002), Connie Grimes (2003), Arlene Balfour (2004), Phyllis Wells (2005), Jean Tasse (2006), and Dorothy K. Peppel (2007), Ginger O’Conner (2008), and Karen Kumpf (2009). Written nominations must be received by Friday, February 25, 2010. Zonta Club is interested in the quality of letters submitted rather than the quantity.

To nominate a Woman of the Year, please submit the following information:

-The complete name, address, and phone number of the nominee.
-Some general biographical data.
-A specific list of her volunteer services, accomplishments, awards, and contributions to the community.
-The name, address, and phone number of the person making the nomination.

Please mail all information in a sealed envelope to:

Woman of the Year
Zonta Club of Marietta
P.O. Box 634
Marietta, Ohio 45750

The 2010 Woman of the Year award will be presented on March 8th at the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner in the Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center on the Marietta College campus.

The Zonta Club of Marietta and Environs is a service organization affiliated with Zonta International, which has chapters all over the world. The local club been involved in local and international service projects since it was chartered in 1959.

The 2009 winner of this prestigious award is a long-time resident of Marietta and mother of two grown children. She has a music education degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and is a retired elementary school music teacher. In addition to composing music, she started the only elementary school choir in the district, started a state-wide choir camp for fourth to sixth graders of United Methodist Churches, initiated a music program for pre-school children in Head Start, co-coordinated an After-School program for students at Washington Elementary School, and received an award from Artsbridge for her work with children at Ewing School. In 2008, she received the Pioneer Ladies Civitan Citizen of the Year award and, in 2009, the Marietta College Community Service Recognition Award.

In 2005, she began a persistent call to action to feed the hungry in Washington County and has worked tirelessly to achieve that goal. Personally recruiting volunteers, area churches, businesses, and community service organizations, over the years she began collecting non-perishable foods from local groceries; worked to coordinate the efforts of community food pantries in the area; secured donations of freezers and equipment from local businesses; coordinated volunteers to harvest, sort, and transport fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms to food pantries and non-profit feeding programs; started six Community Gardens; and arranged weekly donations of perishable foods from Kroger’s. With the help of more than 100 volunteers, over 40,000 pounds of food were distributed in 2008 to Washington County food pantries and other feeding programs.

It has been said, “Her energy, enthusiasm, and tireless dedication to feeding the hungry and eliminating food waste have had a tremendous impact on the lives of hundreds of families and children in Washington County.”

I would like to ask all of my fellow Zontians to rise as we honor this year’s Woman of the Year - creator and executive director of Harvest of Hope, Karen Kumpf.

©2008 Zonta Club of Marietta, Ohio | Privacy