Chinook Food Pantry's Amelia Funk honored at AARP Banquet

 

November 22, 2017

Amelia Funk was the volunteer director of Chinook's Food Pantry from 2000 until she retired from the position in 2015. Until her retirement she was the only director to serve the Food Pantry since its creation in 1998.

In September, 2017, Funk received a letter from AARP Montana (American Association of Retired Persons Montana) notifying her she was a nominee for the 2017 Andrus Award for Community Service based on her years of service to the Food Pantry. The Andrus Award is the Association's most prestigious volunteer award and each year honors the legacy of Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, the founder of AARP.

In the letter Nancy Anderson, Outreach Director for Volunteer Programs with AARP Montana, invited Funk and her guests to attend the AARP Montana Appreciation Banquet. The winner of the Andrus Award was announced during the banquet and others, including Funk, also received special recognition. Ruth Pomeroy, of Kalispell, won the Andrus Award for 2017.

Funk received the AARP Montana's 2017 Community Service Award for Outstanding Service to Seniors. In remarks read during the presentation it was noted that Amelia "inspired many others to help the Food Pantry succeed. She treated each Food Pantry client with dignity and genuine concern. ...Amelia worked hard to raise funds and find volunteers. Amelia's motto was, "only buy on sale.""

Funk was nominated by Fran Viereck, an AARP Montana Executive Board member from Helena. Viereck serves with the Montana Food Network that also honored Amelia in April, 2017 with the "Treasure State Award: For the Most Treasured Volunteer." Amelia's daughter, Julie Sanchez, of Seattle, and grandson Paxton McCann, Chinook, attended the AARP ceremony in Helena as guests of the honoree.

Amelia Funk said of her nomination for the award, "I felt so undeserving after listening to the accomplishments of the other nominees during the banquet. What I did was from my heart. The Food Pantry was the love of my heart during my service there." The Chinook Food Pantry, over the years, received other awards for its creative approaches to find food and funding sources to serve needy families.

The Food Pantry is located at 112 6th Street W (the American Legion building) in Chinook. For more information about the food programs, opportunities to volunteer or how to donate to the Food Pantry call the Food Pantry (357-3805) on Tuesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The "Journal" congratulates Amelia Funk on this most recent honor and thanks all the volunteers for their service to the Food Pantry in Chinook.

 
 

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