Kathleen Griffin is a familiar and friendly face at the East Windsor Township Senior Center.
Griffin, who volunteers at the senior center, is the first person that the senior citizens see when they walk through the door. That’s because she often sits at the front desk to greet them.
Griffin also answers the telephone, prints the newsletters, helps with setting up for special events, researches topics and speakers for programs, and provides tours for new members. She spends about 18 hours a week at the center, located at the end of Lanning Boulevard.
Those are some of the reasons why Griffin was honored with the 2019 Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer at a recent ceremony at the East Windsor Township Senior Center.
“Kathy Griffin is an incredibly dedicated and caring individual who devotes endless hours and efforts to our senior center. She is well known for her tireless efforts there as a volunteer,” said East Windsor Township Mayor Janice S. Mironov, who presented her with the award.
Griffin, who is a 32-year resident of East Windsor Township, helps out in any way that she can and also contributes her time, skills and knowledge to the betterment of the community, Mayor Mironov said. She truly exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism.
“Kathy has a warm and welcoming personality,” Mayor Mironov said. “People feel she makes the senior center more inviting. She is somebody who is great to talk to. She is part of the spine of the senior center. She keeps it going.”
But Griffin’s volunteerism doesn’t stop at the East Windsor Township Senior Center.
Griffin is active in other community organizations. She is the president of the Athonians Seniors of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, which is a service organization that serves senior citizens. She also volunteers with the Columbiettes, which is an auxiliary to the Knights of Columbus.
“Kathy has set a wonderful example for everyone to get involved in their community,” Mayor Mironov said.
“We are proud and thankful to present this award to Kathy for her tremendous past and future volunteer service to East Windsor’s senior center and our community,” the mayor said.
The Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer is presented to a senior citizen who has exhibited outstanding service through volunteerism to the community – by way of the schools, religious institutions, service organizations or directly to the public.
The award was named after the late Sylvia Weiss, who died in 2016 at 101 years old. She had lived in East Windsor Township since 1972. It was established after her death as a means to honor her legacy.
Weiss, who had served on the East Windsor Township Council, was instrumental in forming the East Windsor Township Senior Center. She also chaired the New Jersey Commission on Aging.