LINK Volunteer Receives 2017 Herndon Distinguished Service Award

“We are certain that God is always faithful, and our challenge is to be faithful. I see God's love in our volunteer’s actions just as the shepherds saw good tidings in the host of angels.” - Former LINK President Betty Eidemiller (December 2008)

The 33rd Annual Mayor’s Volunteer Appreciation Night was held Sunday, April 23 2017 at the Herndon Community Center. 430 volunteers were honored for their service to the Town of Herndon from 35 different service organizations each of whom dedicated more than 100 hours of their time and talent toward enhancing the quality of life in Herndon.

The Distinguished Volunteer is the highest level of recognition awarded in the town, presented by Mayor Lisa Merkel to three individuals who have demonstrated exemplary levels of service over multiple years or in projects which required significant levels of leadership, service and effort.

One of the Distinguished Service Volunteers is Betty Eidemiller. She has served as LINK President, Vice President, and currently Recording Secretary, and for the past 15 years led a Holiday Food Distribution Program hosted by Trinity Presbyterian Church each November and December.

LINK has been serving the Herndon, Sterling, and Ashburn communities since 1972 and provides emergency food deliveries by request on a daily basis and distributes holiday food baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For 45 years LINK has routinely assisted local families in desperate need but LINK can also provide support to families that just need a little temporary help during a tough financial stretch.

During the holiday food distribution programs, Betty ensures that donated groceries get sorted, that volunteers have assignments, guests are serviced in a timely fashion and food stocks are constantly replenished. Each November and December, over 350 families register at Trinity Presbyterian to receive 5 days’ worth of groceries and gift certificates based on family size.

The majority of the groceries for the Holiday Programs usually arrive in the latter part of the week leading up to the event. Betty and volunteers put out the word through social media, church bulletins, elected officials, Facebook, neighborhood emails and community teams. Emails arrive every hour with volunteers offering to conduct last minute drives to gather the items LINK needs. Neighbors go door to door, businesses volunteer to do in-office drives and local residents answer the plea for more donations. Like a small wave in the ocean growing as it approaches the shoreline, the groceries, coats and toys gradually begin to arrive.

Betty manages 250 volunteers to collect, pre-stage and distribute the food. Volunteers coordinate the whole event, contacting schools and social workers, comparing recipient lists with other agencies, scheduling guest appointments, managing the ever-changing volunteer shifts, staffing the guest registration desk and providing Spanish translators. Volunteers work with the school listing and maintain the website and the data collection process. Volunteers manage the task of getting packers, bags, drivers, addresses, and families all matched together and ensure there is breakfast and lunch at the break rooms. Other volunteers handle the grocery gift cards. Food coordinators field all the phone calls and email requests.

Challenges don’t daunt Betty’s spirit. In 2009, a blizzard of biblical proportions was heading to Northern Virginia the night before the annual LINK Christmas distribution. The storm was a nor’easter that was working its way up from the Gulf Coast where southern state residents were experiencing vast amounts of rain and sleet, expected to turn into snow on the Saturday of the event. With Betty’s help, LINK was able to shift the distribution to Friday evening and the following Monday after the snow had been cleared.

This past year was especially challenging. An ice storm hit on the day of distribution. Each church location faced its own challenges. Betty helped coordinate Trinity Presbyterian’s response. The Town of Herndon Department of Public Works was contacted and within the hour, the parking lots were sanded so that the guests would be able to receive their much needed food for the holidays. It was a blessing all around and without Betty’s calm demeanor, it would’ve been difficult to accomplish everything needed for the event to be a success.

A new project that LINK is enthusiastic about is their partnership with A Simple Gesture, a food collection program that provides non-perishable food to area pantries to support our neighbors in Northern Virginia. The organization distributes cool green bags to families, and every other month the filled bags are picked up and delivered to LINK. Betty is coordinating the LINK component of this project and the results have been very positive as LINK receives increased food stocks on the distribution days.

Betty Eidemiller’s volunteerism and compassion for neighbors and community has propelled LINK to succeed and grow into an organization that annually serves over 10,000 individuals in Herndon, Sterling, and Ashburn. Her impact on the Town of Herndon and other communities in both Fairfax and Loudoun is unsurpassed. LINK is blessed to have her energy, selflessness and love for neighbors in our Town!

According to Betty, LINK is just an amazing machine. There are so many cogs that turn, and they all just fit together to make amazing things happen.

The following LINK volunteers have previously been recognized as outstanding volunteers with the Distinguished Service Award. Lisa Lombardozzi (2014), Bob Ashdown (2012), George Lingg (2008), Ed Foy (2007), Maureen Dawson (1997), Mary Kay Stine (1996), Del Gochnauer (1993) and Linda Tacci (1992) received this prestigious award.