Thursday April 4 was a very big day for Ocean View's Kathy Green, who was honored with the prestigious 2024 Governor's Volunteer Service Award in a Dover ceremony.
"There's no one quite like her," said Barb Calkins, President of Friends of the South Coastal Library (FoSCL). FoSCL (pronounced fossil) sponsors the Beach and Bay Cottage Tour, raising funds to support programs, services and equipment for the South Coastal Library as well as literacy projects in area schools. "When you work closely with Kathy she makes you feel like a treasured sister/brother. She checks all the boxes -- talented, creative, diplomatic, warm, caring, authentic." "Sometimes her talents feel otherworldly," joked Calkins, "but the truth is she is gifted with the ability, tenacity and fortitude to motivate and guide others in a way that, in the end, is absolutely satisfying and fun for everyone involved."
Serving on the Friends of the South Coastal Library Board of Directors as Vice-President, Kathy has for over a decade chaired the Beach and Bay Cottage Tour, which raised over $75,000 last year to supplement library services. A project with innumerable moving parts and hundreds of volunteers, the Tour features homes that reflect the coastal Delaware lifestyle, raising the vast majority of funds FOSCL provides to support the South Coastal Library, a central hub of the community. Kathy coordinates a team of 26 Tour Committee members who each lead a component of the Tour. They are a close-knit group whose members make the enormous event happen each year through many hours of volunteer service and sheer force of will. Kathy frequently says, “It takes a village, and we have an amazing one.” The Tour is in its 32nd year and tickets are on sale now at: https://www.beachandbaycottagetour.com/tickets
Kathy Green volunteered 1,700 hours in 2023, serving as a key leader in at least three other non-profit organizations in the greater Bethany Beach community. Her dedication and adept leadership inspire others to join her in making a meaningful impact on the community. Kathy says, “My strength is letting good people do their thing, knowing I'm always there when needed.” This is evidenced by the strong teams she assembles and leads, and her ability to match the talents of each person to a responsibility where they can operate independently and have the greatest impact.
As Executive Director and Board member of Justin's Beach House since 2010, she orchestrates free respite vacations for families facing cancer. Under her guidance, Justin's Beach House has offered solace to 299 families and counting, with the 2024 calendar all but full. Breaking 300 is a milestone for Kathy and JBH, which was the first organization Kathy became involved with after moving full-time to the community.
As a Steering Committee member of South Coastal Village Volunteers (SCVV), Kathy helps ensure older adults can age in place by providing essential volunteer support. South Coastal Village Volunteers has delivered over 3,883 hours of assistance to its members.
Kathy is vice-president of the Board of Trustees of the Historic Village in Ocean View, whose mission is incorporating the stories of the towns of southeastern Sussex County, known as the Baltimore Hundred, a special place where seafarers, farmers, teachers, and entrepreneurs, work and live alongside tourists and families who have been here for centuries. Kathy’s nomination was initiated and coordinated by a fellow community leader, Joan Gordon, who herself has a legacy of service to the community; Joan has and continues to work with Kathy on numerous projects, including SCVV. Said Gordon, “We're all so very proud of Kathy. There is no one on the planet who is more deserving.”
One of Kathy's very special leadership qualities is her consistent deflection of praise. She is always quick to credit success back to the team. "Her shying away from recognition is nothing new, but her dedicated service to her communities, and the services provided, whether the library, our children's schools, and all of the other activities in which she participates is steadfast," said David Green, Kathy's husband and frequent partner in community volunteerism. David likes to think of himself as “the man behind the legend.” You can always find David, for example, directing cars to safe and appropriate parking at the Tour every July. It's a tough yet unsung volunteer gig -- often tricky and sometimes swelteringly hot. And as Kathy often says, the Tour is a family affair for everyone involved; daughter Meaghan manages social media for the Cottage Tour.
The Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Award, administered by the State Office of Volunteerism, honors exemplary service and the true spirit of volunteerism by recognizing individuals and organizations making a difference across Delaware communities through volunteering. Recipients of the Governor’s Awards must exemplify the following characteristics:
• Demonstrate sustained volunteer commitment to meeting Delaware’s
most pressing human and environmental needs
• Engage in meaningful volunteer service that makes a measurable
difference in the community
• Represent extraordinary acts of generosity and kindness: and
through volunteerism, have an impact on Delaware communities.