The Jenco Foundation Fund recognizes and celebrates unsung heroes who, outside of their paid positions, give their time, talent and passion in ways that contribute to quality of life in Appalachian Ohio. The Jenco Awards, which began in 2002, uphold the legacy of Father Lawrence Martin Jenco, who dedicated his life to the service of others.
The Jenco Foundation Fund celebrates people of all ages who, like Father Lawrence Martin Jenco, have made a difference in their communities through service and visionary leadership – people who exemplify the difference we can all make when we give time, talent and passion to helping our neighbors and building community. Established to continue the work of the Jenco Foundation, the fund offers individual achievement awards to recognize visionary leaders and volunteers who by direct, person-to-person action have improved the quality of life in Appalachian Ohio.
The award is open to people of all ages serving their communities.
Celebrating the Legacy of Father Martin Jenco
Lawrence Martin Jenco was born Nov. 27, 1934, and grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Joliet, Illinois After studying at St. Joseph’s Seminary in the United States and the Pontifical University in Rome, he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1959.
Father Jenco joined a small religious community called The Servants of Mary (O.S.M.). His ministry took him to many different countries where he worked among the oppressed of the world, including Australian aborigine alcoholics, California migrant workers, Indian lepers and Cambodian refugees.
Father Jenco was serving as director of Catholic Relief Services in Beirut, Lebanon, when he was kidnapped by Shiite Muslim extremists on Jan. 8, 1985. Two months later, AP correspondent Terry Anderson was also kidnapped and held at the same undisclosed location as Father Jenco. When Anderson learned that a priest was being held captive nearby, he asked to see him. The bearded, white-haired Father Jenco heard Anderson’s confession — the first in 25 years — which to Anderson represented his “first formal step back to the church.” Later, Father Jenco and Anderson shared a cell where they spoke often of their spiritual odysseys and of the role of the church in ministering to the poor and underprivileged.
Father Jenco was released after 19 months in captivity while Anderson was destined to remain imprisoned about five years longer, until 1991. But as Anderson later told a radio interviewer, his time spent with the priest in the early years of captivity was instrumental in helping “build a structure I could hold onto” in the years to follow.
Once freed, Father Jenco resumed his ministry by serving as chaplain at the University of Southern California, providing outreach programs to the Hispanic community. He spoke often of his experiences as a hostage and emphasized the need to forgive. He and Anderson remained friends until Father Jenco’s death from cancer in 1996.
Anderson called Jenco “a wonderful personal example. . .the closest thing to a saint I have ever met.” In June 2001, Anderson honored his friend through the establishment of the Father Lawrence Martin Jenco Foundation to continue the legacy of compassion and giving Father Jenco spread to so many.
In 2011, the Jenco Foundation joined the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio as an endowment, ensuring that Father Jenco’s legacy would live on in perpetuity. Anderson passed away April 21, 2024, but his legacy, too, lives on in the Jenco Foundation Fund, the Jenco Awards and the growing list of award recipients.
2025 Jenco Award recipients
- Amanda Cleary of Lawrence County continuously seeks and creates avenues to improve the lives of area residents. She co-founded Third and Center, an arts-based nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing and maintaining the beauty of Ironton while building community and creating opportunities accessible to all. As its volunteer executive director, Cleary is the driving force behind the organization’s operations as well as its many community beautification projects, art experiences and classes, and events. Most recently, she spearheaded the revitalization of the Ironton Senior Center, bringing programming and meal service back to the local senior community. In 2024, Ohio University Southern, Cleary’s alma mater, awarded her its Alumni Humanitarian Award in recognition of her spirit of volunteerism and community service.
- Amy Hursey of Muskingum County is a steadfast volunteer whose impact spans two Appalachian Ohio counties and beyond. In Muskingum County, she contributes to Bethel Mission, supporting youth and families and serving as treasurer; Soroptimist International of Zanesville, empowering women and girls through economic and educational opportunities and serving as District 4 secretary of the Midwestern Region; and 100 Women Who Care, investing in local nonprofits. In Noble County, Hursey uplifts others through Faith Baptist Church’s sewing ministry, back-to-school blessings and countless prepared meals. She also leads the Celebrate Recovery ministry, expanding it to a second location in partnership with Noble County CARES. She has supported disaster relief efforts in other Appalachian states and is a citizen archivist for the National Archives.
- Stephanie Rife of Meigs County is the champion behind many efforts to make the area a more vibrant place to live, work and visit. As the founder, former manager and current secretary of the nationally recognized Meigs County Farmers’ Market, she has strengthened the local economy, improved access to healthy food and fostered community connection. As president of the Pomeroy Merchants Association, she supports local businesses by organizing events, mentoring new entrepreneurs and more. At the Mulberry Community Center, Rife volunteers her time writing grants, serving meals and supporting those in need. Recently, she guided the Racine United Methodist Church youth group in providing hygiene items and detergent to individuals who use the center’s showering and laundry facility.
- Shannon Stewart of Athens County is a steady source of hope, care and support. Through their role with Rural Action, Stewart has guided hundreds of AmeriCorps volunteers in serving communities across the region while also supporting them personally, from creating a free food cabinet to being by their sides in times of need. Stewart can often be found serving the underserved, the vulnerable and those who feel out of place, offering food, transportation, financial help, social service referrals and genuine companionship. At United Campus Ministry in Athens, Stewart not only contributes to the nonprofit’s free community meals but also builds relationships and offers support to regular attendees.
Previous Jenco Award recipients
Margaret “Peggy” Adams, Robert Black, Holly Johnson, Patty Summers, Mike Workman and Shannon Yochum
Monica Batteiger, Sarah Gilfert, Andrea “Andy” Jones, Ben Nease and Lacey Rogers
Melissa O’Harra Brown, David Butcher, Jane Cavarozzi, Kyle Johnson, Therese Fieler Lackey and Dr. Logan Minter
Bobbyjon Bauman, Roxanne Groff, Denise Lucas, Megan Macke and Patty Mitchell
Roberta “Bobbi” Bishop, Lillian Ford, Karen Kumpf, Josh Montgomery and Clinton Nowicke
Cathy Barney, Dottie Fromal, Theo Hutchinson, Sam Jones and Jennifer Sheets
Ada Woodson Adams, Dan Palmer, K. Allene Kilgore, Grant Plummer, Tami Phillips and Elizabeth “Liz” Shaw
Jared “Jed” Butcher, Vicki Laudick Casey, Jerry and Tammy Foster, Mitchell “Mick” Schumacher, Pamela Trimmer and Don McKendry
Robin Bozian, Becky Cropper, Carl Felger, Kari Gunter-Seymour Peterson, Amy Hill, Linda Lake and Barbara Summers
Bill Crawford, Margaret Fredericks, Donna Sue Groves, Jodie Hunt, Nancy Sams and Iva Sisson
Joan and Wayne Fontaine, Ginger Gagne, Gary Goosman, Paul Strauss, and George and Ruth Ann Rooks
David Deci, Theresa McCune, Henry Burke, Margaret Tabler and Frank Hare
Robert Smiddie, Rhonda Bentley, Sister Brendan Conlan, Lorraine Myers, Arlene Sheak and Adrienne Nagy
Ric Mcdowell, Shirley Whan, Lisa Roberts, Cindy Yeager, Ann Stempel and Catherine Hare
Jack Spadaro, Sandra Shirey, Reggie Robinson, James Couts, Donna Sue Groves and Cheryl Withrow
Irene Flowers, Elise Mitchell and Susan Burt
Keith Wasserman, Carol Kuhre, Tom O’Grady and Deanna Tribe
Support The Jenco Foundation Fund
Gifts to The Jenco Foundation Fund are tax-deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, royalties, insurance beneficiaries and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs.
To mail your donation, please designate the fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, 35 Public Square, Nelsonville, OH 45764.
Donations can be made online by designating The Jenco Foundation Fund when donating.