Donor Spotlight

Donor Spotlight

Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary | Generosity rooted in pride, remembrance, dedication to home

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2014 Jenco Award Recipients – Joan and Wayne Fontaine

hoeingBoth master gardeners, Joan and Wayne Fontaine of Washington County turned a personal passion into a way to serve their local community in Little Hocking.

Longtime volunteers at their church, St. Ambrose, in Little Hocking as well as for 4H in Washington County and at the state-level, Joan and Wayne are committed to their local community. Together, they created the Green Hope Garden on the grounds of their church to support Belpre Areas Ministries, a food pantry and clothing store serving the area.dirt

In partnership with other volunteers, the Fontaines lead the effort to grow vegetables for the food pantry while teaching people to grow their own food, a life skills often lost in today’s age. By working with the Sisters of Notre Dame and the St. Ambrose parish, they have also created a place for reflection and meditation. Started in 2010, the Green Hope Garden has expanded from four beds to eight. The Fontaines lead the planting, weeding, and harvesting efforts in the garden.

“It is so wonderful to be able to pass on some of the good things I’ve been given in my life to others,” noted Joan Fontaine.

gardenFor their efforts to feed those in need in Washington County while also creating a gathering place for their church community, the Fontaines received a 2014 Jenco Award from the Jenco Foundation Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.

You too can recognize those in your local community who give greatly of themselves in the service of others by nominating them for a 2016 Jenco Award.