Community Partner of the Year 2001 - 2002
At the Annual Awards Program at Appalachian State University on Friday April 12th, 2002, Mr. Gerald Tygielski, Director of Mountain Mission Farms accepted the prestigious Community Partner of the Year award with the following speech:
"Today we face some of the greatest challenges that have ever faced mankind. The quality of life on this planet, as it has existed for millions of years, is now threatened. A child born today will witness in his or her lifetime the last drop of fossil fuels being consumed on this earth.
It is now time for wise men to think through these problems and chart a course for generations to come. It is now time for ingenious people to find creative solutions. It is now time for all of us to become motivated to make changes in our lives that will make a difference.
As a new resident of Jefferson North Carolina, I like to think of that we have come up with a Jeffersonian approach to the difficulties we face. It is a multi-faceted solution. As the creator of Mountain Mission Farms, my vision is that we will provide a multi-discipline model for what ails the world.
I have coined the word "Eco-sense" which describes our solution as ecologically oriented, common sense. We want to build things better, to power our homes more intelligently and ecomically, and to utilize static and renewable resources in a way that will, over a longer period of time, take pressure off the earth and provide our children a better place to live.
Students who can create innovative solutions, like this, and find alternatives to diminishing resources will chart the course for our future. We hope to be catalyst in creating those leaders. We are sharing ideas that will leave a legacy for our children and grandchildren.
We have taken on the challenge of being a "good stewards" of God's gift of the earth. We love doing that. In addition, I think we have become a place where we all have fun doing the right thing.
I would like to commend Dr. Borkowski for having the vision to integrate this wonderful university with the community. The ACT program is a jewel that is so bright, it will be seen around the world. I would like to express my sincerest thanks to:
My family who have worked and supported my dream. They have chosen a new lifestyle that makes them different than their neighbors. They have pitched in to work, to recycle, help make a better world.
Shari Galiardi and Jenny Koen who have worked so hard through ACT to make ASU a friend and a help to the local community. They have not only planned our events, but have come out and worked with us...getting their hands dirty. The friendship we have developed is immeasurable.
Peggy Setzer is now one of my closest friends and is greatly responsible for the direction of Mountain Mission Farms. I call her the Grandmother of the ACT Program. She introduced me to service/learning and opened my eyes to a myriad of ecological facets in the development of our project, including sustainable agriculture, permaculture, voluntary simplicity, and vegetarianism.
I want to thank all of the volunteers who work with ACT in the office, as Impact Team members, as volunteer leaders. Your efforts are truly earth changing.
My thanks to out to our student interns, Merrill Hibbs, who is assisting in construction and interior design and Camila Martins and Erica Nelson who are documenting our project through video and will soon be completing an introductory video of MMF.
Finally, I want to thank the more than 500 local students and community volunteers who have come out to work with us. They have chosen to get involved and 'make a difference'.
I am sure, when all is said and done, what you have done at Mountain Mission Farms will have changed the world."
Appalachian State University names Jim WarrenOutstanding Faculty/Staff Volunteer of the Year
Michael Friesmuth and Jim Warren finishing putting metal siding on storage
building.
Jim Warren was nominated by Mountain Mission Farms for the top honor of Outstanding Faculty/Staff Volunteer of the Year award. Mr. Gerald Tygielski, Director of Mountain Mission Farms gave the following nomination presentation when Jim was selected as top person:
"We constantly hear complaints about youth today. It is unfortunate, but it is usually the "bad" that makes the news. It is such a privelege today to bring you some good news.
There are many unsung heroes among us that will never make the news yet they are as important as those that do. They are the people that mold the fiber of our country. They are quiet and unassuming, yet they make choices that make a difference in our world.
One such hero, in my eyes, is Jim Warren. Jim came to me last year after recently receiving his Masters degree in Institutional Management. He was seeking employment and had no idea where his next dollar or home would be. Without a job, he had time on his hands. Instead of wasting that time, (as he told me - watching soaps) he went to the ACT office and asked if there was someplace he could help in the community. Jim came out and worked with me helping to erect our metal storage building, dig drain lines, and many other miserable jobs. Day after day he returned working quietly, diligently, never worrying about how he was going to put gas in his truck or feed himself. He worked between interviews and when his first job opportunity fell through he came back and continued working with us. Fortunately for ASU, Jim was hired as night manager of the student union. They were lucky to get a man of his caliber.
I am proud to know Jim and I am delighted to have been able to recognize him here today. He has in his heart concern, kindness, selflessness, and generosity. He is one of those quiet individuals that makes ASU and America a better place.
Cole McVey nominated forOutstanding Student Volunteer of the Year
Cole working on preparing our building for painting.
Mountain Mission Farms nominated one of its favorite people as the Outstanding Student Volunteer of the Year, Cole McVey. She is a winner in our eyes. Here is the nomination presented to ASU for her:
"We would
like to place in nomination for Outstanding Student Volunteer the name of Cole McVey.
Cole is one of those outstanding individuals who puts her life and her heart on the
line for something she believes in. Cole began volunteering at our project over a
year ago. She felt so strongly that we were doing the right thing, that she
volunteered again and again to come back out to work. She came out over six times
and offered to be there another half dozen times when we were unavailable. She
didn't come alone, however, but rather rounded up her friends and anyone else she could
muster to be of assistance. She even came out one time by herself to work in the mud
and rain when her volunteer team backed out on her. That alone was remarkable, but
it didn't stop there. She introduced our project to her parents and even solicited
them to do research for us. She got the whole family involved.
I am proud to know Cole and admire her dedication, determination, and concern for the
environment. She is an exception young lady. She and her dog, Trey, have
become and always will be a welcome sight at Mountain Mission Farms.
