For Second Time In 20 Years, Baltimore County Woman Recognized For Volunteerism

TIMONIUM, Md. (WJZ) — Catholic Charities of Baltimore is celebrating a Baltimore County grandma for her decades of unpaid service.

For astir 3 decades, Geri Olsen has dedicated her beingness to helping children with important emotional, behavioral and intelligence wellness challenges astatine St. Vincent’s Villa successful Timonium.

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Now, she’s being honored with Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s Distinguished Service Award.

Charity and volunteerism are thing caller for Olsen, who demonstrated selflessness adjacent portion she was a teen attending Franklin High School.

“They said ‘If you had $1 cardinal to walk connected Christmas, a gift, what would it be? And who would it spell to?'” Olsen recalled. “Back then, my effect to that was, ‘I would capable each child’s Christmas privation list.'”

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Not overmuch has changed since then. Olsen’s beingness inactive revolves astir lifting the spirits of those fortunate capable to person her company.

“I effort to dainty radical similar I would similar to beryllium treated,” she said. “One of my favourite quotes is, ‘It’s bully to beryllium nice.'”

She works tirelessly each twelvemonth agelong to bring imaginable donors unneurotic to supply for children, unit and families astatine St. Vincent’s, a residential attraction center.

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“Geri’s a hometown hero, an unsung hero,” said Ezra Buchdahl, a St. Vincent’s administrator. “She’s a guardian angel truly implicit each of us, she makes definite that the children person a peculiar Christmas, and you conscionable can’t underestimate the interaction that has.”

It’s not the archetypal clip Olsen’s been recognized by Catholic Charities. In fact, she was the recipient of the aforesaid grant successful 2001.

“It’s breathtaking for 1 thing, due to the fact that what I do, I don’t see the information that I person done this by myself,” she said. “I person an service of household and friends.”

Bill McCarthy, enforcement manager of Catholic Charities, said the extremity of the organization’s awards is to admit outstanding volunteers and accidental acknowledgment for their service.

“Absolutely an astonishing idiosyncratic who implicit a 4th of a period of doing this retired of emotion for children,” McCarthy said of Olsen.

For her part, Olsen hopes the contented volition proceed for years to come. She wants to animate aboriginal generations to springiness their clip and energy, too.

“It’s been specified an inspiration we person for our family,” she said. “We person 3 generations that are present involved.”

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Catholic Charities of Baltimore is Maryland’s largest supplier of quality services. The radical serves children and families experiencing homelessness and poverty, immigrants, individuals with intelligence disabilities and seniors.