On April 11, 1997, I was given the Best of Bellevue
Award for Best Volunteer . The Best of Bellevue is sponsored by Advanced
Bellevue of Bellevue, Washington. The event was held at the Wintergarten
in the Bellevue Hilton. Really a very nice affair. Food was prepared and
served by several local restaurants, so there was a nice variety of eats.
And it was attended by some of Bellevues Elite. The awards are presented
annually to the people or busineses that make a difference in Bellevue.
The list of Honorees for 1997 are:
Ron Sher Crossroads Shopping Center...................Corporate Citizen
William P. Neal ....................................................Educator
Ann and Terry Lukens...........................................Partnership
In Leadership
Cal and Harriet Short.............................................Legacy
Award
Housing at the Crossroads......................................Community
Partnership
R. Josheph Scott...................................................Musical
Arts Pioneer
David Schooler.....................................................Citizen
of the Year
Stewart A. Martin.................................................Outstanding
Graduate of Advance Bellevue
Lee Springgante................................................... Public
Official
Bill G. Pace..........................................................Special
Advocate
Richard Craven (me).............................................Volunteer.
My award was for the 8+ years that I have spent running a meal program
for the hungry in Bellevue. I spend 1 to 1 1/2 hours at Crossroads Community
Center every night, except weekends and Holidays. And yes, I did this while
I was receiving treatment for cancer. I only missed the month of December.
That was the time period when I was feeling my worst.
Running the meal program is an activity that I enjoy greatly and never
expected to receive to receive an award for it. The award really should
have gone to both my wife and I as she is up there almost as much as I
am and assists in the meal program also. And my kids have to put up with
it too. However I think that they feel that it is entirely normal by now.
I have seen many people come and go through the years. And it gives
me great satisfaction to know that I had a minor part in helping them through
trying times. My wife and I ran into one couple recently that used to come
to the meal program. When they started coming they had 1 child and were
living in their van. Now he is working at a good paying job and they are
buying a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I see a large number of immigrants
that come in and soon start working and earning a place in our society.
Seeing the people that I do, in the circumstances that they are in, and
them working to better themselves, makes me very impatient with the right-wing
rhetoric about the poor and immigrants.
I better go now, before I start to rant endlessly.
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