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Jefferson Awards - 2009


Dick Owen, parishioner of St. Michel Church in Annandale and Past Grand Knight of the Pope John Paul II Council 4522 in Annandale, is shown holding the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service.

Recognizing an outstanding volunteer
St. Michael parishioner is honored at the Jefferson Award ceremony in Washington.
DAVE BOROWSKI | CATHOLIC HERALD
6/24/09

It’s hard to get people to volunteer their time. We’re a nation of givers, but time is precious and our giving is mostly pulling out our checkbook to make a contribution to our favorite charity.

 

Richard Owen is a doer. Owen, a parishioner of St. Michael Church in Annandale, has been donating his time for years and was honored for his service at the annual Jefferson Award for Public Service dinner last week in Washington.

 

The Jefferson Awards were established in 1972 to “encourage and honor individuals for their achievements and contributions through public and community service.” There are national awards given in four major categories: greatest public service by an elected or appointed official; greatest public service by a private citizen; greatest public service benefitting the disadvantaged; and greatest public service by an individual 35 years old or under.

There are also “unsung heroes” awards given by local communities like Washington D.C. The Jefferson Awards selection committee chooses five of these local winners to receive the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis award for “outstanding public service benefiting local communities.” Owen was one of the five honored at the national award ceremony.

 

He was nominated by fellow parishioner Bob Bubniak, who had long recognized the contribution Owen made to the community.

 

“You don’t have to be a great judge of character to know that he (Owen) is a winner,” said Bubniak.

In his nominating letter to the awards committee, Bubniak cited Owen’s work at Christ House in Alexandria, where he and the volunteers he enlists have prepared more than 400 meals for the needy.

Bubniak goes on to detail Owen’s work with the Virginia Knights of Columbus and their KOVAR program, which provides financial support to organizations that offer training and other help to people with intellectual disabilities. Bubniak said that through the efforts of Owen and his assistance to other councils, KOVAR has raised over $11.7 million.

 

A Navy veteran, Owen works to help disabled veterans in Veterans Administration hospitals. He led the council’s efforts to bring recreational opportunities to various regional hospitals by organizing bingo games.

Owen also delivers food to families and individuals requiring assistance on behalf of the Annandale Christian Community for Action (ACCA) food bank.

 

In addition, Owen is active in the Annandale Chamber of Commerce where he helped make the Knights of Columbus hall available to community groups and has helped the Chamber with the annual Annandale Fall Festival.

 

Bubniak wrote, “He is singularly deserving of recognition for his noble voluntary efforts and continuing contributions to society.”

 

Ethel and Vincent Apostolico are fellow parishioners and friends of Owen who share Bubniak’s admiration. Besides being active in the Knight’s of Columbus and ACCA, they said that Owen was active at St. Michael’s too. He served as an usher and was head usher for a while. They said that Owen is also active in the St. Michael seniors program that offers recreational opportunities for parishioners 50 years old and above.

“Dick ran everything,” Ethel Apostolico said. “He was a go-to guy.”

 

For all the recognition and praise, not to mention the banquets, toasts and kudos from national movers and shakers, Owen is modest about his achievements.

 

“It’s all overwhelming,” he said. “I’m just a gopher.”

 

Owen is passionate about the work he does, especially with KOVAR.  “I really believe in this program,” he said.

 

He said it’s somewhat humbling to be honored with people who have done so much. Past winners have included Henry Kissinger, Hubert Humphrey, Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice.

 

Owen spoke of the remarkable people who shared the stage with him last Tuesday night.  “These people did so many greater things then me,” he said. “They were much more deserving people (than me).”

 

Dave Borowski can be reached at dborowski@catholicherald.com.


Dick speaking at the Awards Ceremony
 
Nomination submitted by Robert Bubniak

Richard P. Owen is the Past Grand Knight of Pope John Paul II Council 4522 and serves with alacrity as the Community Director.

 

Outstanding Personal Acts

 

Here is an ordinary individual performing outstanding personal acts.  This individual stands out for taking extra steps.  The individual acts were "outstanding"... "unique"... "heroic."

 

For the past five years Dick Owen has exemplified the tenets of service to the community at large by consistently planning, organizing, implementing, personally cooking and then overseeing the serving of meals to the hungry at Christ House in Alexandria, Virginia.  This noble and clearly outstanding effort transpires bi-monthly on an evening whereby up to 70 individuals and family members, ranging in age from two years to eighty are provided nutritional meals prepared by Dick and the volunteers he enlists.  There can be no more tangible demonstration of love of one's fellow man than providing food to the hungry.

 

Community Impact

 

Beside the heroic acts of the individual, the individual has positively impacted the community.  The acts of this individual helped hundreds of others.  Look at the change or improvement that this individual was responsible for while addressing important issues facing our community.  In addition to the provision of some 420 freshly-prepared meals to the hungry, Dick has personally sought out opportunities to serve his fellow man and tirelessly and aggressively executed well-thought out plans to improve his community and community of interests.  As a prime example, he initiated programs to promote the participation of some 130 Knights of Columbus Virginia Councils in the nationwide effort to garner donations to aid the intellectually challenged.   The program, known as KOVAR, has provided 11.7 million dollars to date to support the provision of mortgage-free housing to organizations which feed, clothe, educate and otherwise support those with severe learning difficulties and other challenges.  Dick, using his professional acumen in photography, produced a slide show which was used Virginia-wide to assist the Councils in the formidable challenges inherent to fund-raising.   He contributed mightily to the State's successes in meeting its fundraising goals.  In 2008 the Knights of Columbus exceeded its goal of collecting $620,000 for the KOVAR Program.  Moreover, demonstrating his penchant to "walk the walk" rather than merely mouth promises, Dick has personally boxed food packages at the Annandale Christian Community Association (ACCA) food bank and, using his personal vehicle, delivered food to families and individuals requiring sustenance.  A week's supply of food was routinely delivered to two to 10 families every six weeks by Dick.  He often shopped to acquire those items needed by families but unavailable from ACCA and did not seek reimbursement.  The benefit to some 70 families was and is substantial and addresses a tangible issue - hunger.

 

As a Navy veteran, Dick has demonstrated an acute sensitivity to the plight of disabled veterans residing in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals.  He headed the Council's effort, which he originated, to join with other organizations to provide recreational opportunities to veterans via conducting BINGO games.  As an example, some 100 veterans were provided with an opportunity to relax with BINGO at the Martinsburg, WV Veterans Hospital.  The event brought joy and comfort to deserving veterans who deeply appreciated Dick's noble efforts.  Dick has also reached out to the Annandale Chamber of Commerce by providing access to the Council facilities for educational forums, meetings, breakfasts and other events supportive of the Chamber's leadership and membership.  For example, members of groups of immigrant businessmen, such as those from the Vietnamese community, have been accorded training in American business practices and taxation issues as a result of cooperative efforts by the Council with the Chamber.   Dick attends monthly meetings of the Chamber and remains attuned to the efforts of the business community which provides continuing support to the citizens of Annandale.  In support of the Chamber, he has ensured that the Council supports the Fall Festival which attracts thousands of visitors and has arranged for the provision of a color guard for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  His continuing interaction has contributed mightily to the welfare of the community at large and brought credit to Dick and Chamber recognition.

 

The foregoing is but a representation of the cheerful, willing, selfless support Richard P. Owen has provided to his community and to his fellow citizens from all walks of life.  He is singularly deserving of recognition for his noble voluntary efforts and continuing contributions to society.