Athena Young Professional Award was handed to active community volunteer and Glenwood native Amber Daniels Wissing. (RFL Class of 2016 Participant)
“I don’t know that what I do is all that special, I’m just following in my father’s footsteps and owe a lot of what I learned to him,” Vanderhoof said of his dad, Glenwood Industrial/Independent Bank founder and former mayor Don Vanderhoof.
Amber Daniels Wissing recently spearheaded a new nonprofit called Project PACK (Providing a Crisis Kit), which provides backpacks full of basic essentials for children in the community who cannot go home because of violence or other circumstances.
“It is truly amazing what one person can do,” one of her nominators wrote. “She is an amazing leader, role model, volunteer, co-worker, mother, wife and friend … and she inspires others to achieve their fullest.”
In addition, through her job as manager of a local dentist’s office she organizes the annual Candy Buy-Back to support the troops, arranges free dental care for uninsured children, collects items for Easter baskets for kids in crisis, and organizes a friendly food drive competition between businesses for LIFT-UP.
Wissing was as surprised by the turnout of family and friends who showed up to support her in receiving the honor as she was to get the award itself.
“All of my family members who don’t live here made it, and my best friend from Columbia, Missouri, even came,” she said of friend Tara Shade who made the journey.
“I was born and raised in Glenwood Springs, and this event tonight is all about what it means to give back and what one person can do. All of these award winners have proven that,” Wissing said.
Photo & Source: The Smith Design & Post Independent 2/29/16
