2017 Theressa Hoover Community Service and Global Citizenship Awardees Announced

United Methodist Women Grants Office

United Methodist Women is excited to announce the recipients of the 2017 Theressa Hoover Community Service and Global Citizenship Award. One award in the amount of $10,000 was granted to Cassandra Garcia, Kelly Schaefer, Kirsten Rumsey, and Kayleigh Vickers for their project The Unthinkable Undrinkable: Exploring Clean Water and Access in the United States. The second award for $6,000 was granted to Kelsey Smith for her project Swedish Family Policy and Child Care Study.

The Unthinkable Undrinkable: Exploring Clean Water and Access in the United States
Cassandra Garcia, Kelly Schaefer, Kirsten Rumsey, and Kayleigh Vickers will work together to gather information on the many different causes of unclean water and its effects on communities, increase awareness of unequal access to clean water, promote water conservation efforts and direct donations and volunteer resources to organizations assisting communities with access to clean water.

They will connect with Spirit Lake Ministry Center in North Dakota, the Sierra Club of Michigan, West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and area United Methodist Church congregations.

The Swedish Family Policy and Child Care Study
Kelsey Smith’s project will be an informal study of Sweden’s affordable child care and generous family leave policies. She will study aspects of the policies that contribute to making the national child care and family programs exceptional and renowned worldwide.

In September 2017, Smith will travel to Sweden during the Swedish Parliament session and schedule meetings with policymakers who create and carry out policies for working families.

About Theressa Hoover
This annual award is named for Theressa Hoover, who, from 1968 to 1990, was the first African American chief executive of United Methodist Women. Hoover was an outspoken advocate for women and children. The years she served were known for their social and political turbulence, including the anti-war and feminist movements, but under Hoover’s steady and optimistic leadership, United Methodist Women retained autonomy and grew in number.

In 1990, the policymaking group of United Methodist Women created the Theressa Hoover Community Service and Global Citizenship award. Hoover passed away on December 21, 2013, in Fayetteville, Ark.

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Contact: Yvette Moore, ymoore@unitedmethodistwomen.org