Outstanding Community Service and a gold medalist...

This afternoon, the Lubbock Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications held their annual Celebrity Luncheon to celebrate the positive contributions and achievements of those people who make Lubbock and the South Plains such a great place to live. Breedlove Dehydrated Foods received the Louise Allen Award for outstanding community service in recognition of our response to hurricane victims last fall. In accepting the award, David Fish reminded the audience that Breedlove can respond because of the outstanding staff, volunteers, and donors who are dedicated to feeding the hungry at home and around the world.

Donna Chandler, the President of the South Plains Food Bank Board of Directors, was named a "Gold Medalist" for 2006. Gold Medalists are people who have worked over the years to improve the quality of life for a broad spectrum of people living in Lubbock. Donna personifies that description.

Donna is a great story teller. When she was recognized, she used a story to frame her accomplishments:

When I was a young girl I was fascinated by the Olympics. My dream was to be an Olympic diver and win a gold medal. But the facilities at the Idalou swimming pool were lacking for an Olympic hopeful. So, I moved on to other dreams. Maybe my 6th grade basketball team could be district champs. Well we weren't but we did beat Petersburg the last game of the year, and that was the next best thing to winning district.

As you can probably tell I have always been a very competitive person. I always strive to be the best and I never give up. Little did I know at that time that winning and being the best was not where I would find real happiness?

The real gold would be found in other things in my life. The unconditional love and support of my family, my relationship with God, and the opportunities that I have had working with others to make a difference in the community we live in. Whether it was sharing our story of adoption, serving on the PTA, teaching our 3year old Sunday school class, or working with the U Can Share Food Drive I have always loved being involved.

This is my 16th year to serve on the South Plains food Bank Board. It has been such a joy. The staff, board members, and volunteers are my inspiration. They all have an undying faith that things can be better for everyone. If they see a need, they try to find a solution.

Not only do they distribute food, they started Second Helpings so that hungry people could have a hot meal every day of the week, Produce for the Plains helps families have fresh fruits and vegetables. There are 13 Kids Cafes that make sure 100's of children don't go home hungry after school. The Grub Program teaches at risk teens responsibility and respect. Breedlove is simply feeding the world. Every time I enter the doors I am amazed at the volume of work that is being done, yet everyone takes the time to be compassionate and caring to those in need. Who wouldn't want to be a part of an organization like this?

Working as a volunteer has made me realize that God has given each one of us a gift, a talent. What we decide to do with that gift is our choice. I have found that investing my talent with others can make a difference in this community.

So, from the 8 year old little girl on the high diving board back in Idalou, feet together, hands together, knees shaking, dreaming of gold, I would like to say thank you to The Association for Women in Communication for this wonderful honor.

Sculptor Eddie Dixon summed up the day when he received his gold medal. "This is nice. All my friends tell me I have to be dead before I can receive any recognition as an artist." Fortunately, Eddie, Donna, Breedlove, and all the other honorees looked pretty healthy. Congratulationsions to all.