The following are the guidelines used to select the recipient of the “Compassion” award:

 

The Full Name of the Award

The Emma Valenteen Award of “Compassion”

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Emma Laura (McDermott) Valenteen – 1933-2010

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Emma McDermott and her family moved to the Phoenixville area when Emma was in the first grade. She graduated from Phoenixville High School, married “Rudy” Valenteen, and together they began to raise a family of 5 children. Emma was a working mother who spent 44 years with Container Corporation of America in Oaks, PA, and was active in the United Paperworkers International Union Local 807. She planned all of the Union’s children’s Christmas parties.

 

In 1983 and again in 2005 Emma lost a child. Rudy died in 1997. After the first loss she joined the Valley Forge Chapter of the national support group known as The Compassionate Friends. In 1991, at the urging of the Phoenixville Hospital, Emma started Phoenixville’s own chapter which she chaired for nearly 20 years. Emma and The Compassionate Friends have anonymously assisted hundreds of area residents in times of grief.

 

Emma’s awards and accomplishments:

• Champion of the Community award given by the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation

• in 2001

• Phoenixville Community Service Award given by Mayor Leo Scoda in 2003

• Ambassador award given by the Phoenixville PA InterService Club in 2006

• Thanks for Caring award given by the Chester County Community Foundation in 2007

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Qualifications for the award should be based upon, but not limited to, the following considerations. That the nominee is any person, entity or organization that:

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• Has lived or worked in the greater Phoenixville area community for at least five years;

• Has demonstrated, through action and deeds, a desire to elevate the level of cooperative living among community residents;

• Has engaged in volunteer services or actions that have affected positive change in the Greater Phoenixville Community;

• Has worked to impact the community without regard to personal reward, remuneration, or notoriety;

• Has exhibited good character traits in his/her life;

• Has shown a consistency in action, deed, approach or vision for the betterment of the community;

• Through his/her actions has created a program/service that has a positive impact on the community, its residents and/or its quality of life in the Greater Phoenixville community.

 

Consideration for the award should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following

areas:

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• The positive impact of the nominee’s actions on the Phoenixville community, stressing actions which embody expression of human compassion;

• The history of the nominee’s involvement in the greater Phoenixville community by the nominee;

• Examples of how the nominee has demonstrated inner strength by overcoming personal misfortune;

• Examples of how the nominee has turned his/her misfortune into an empathetic, positive force to impact the community, its residents, and or its quality of living;

• How the nominee is viewed as a positive role model by many members in the community.

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Determination of the award criteria is made by an appointed subcommittee of the Phoenixville Area Social Concerns Committee and approved by the Social Concerns Committee members. Current members of the Phoenixville Area Social Concerns Committee are not eligible for this award.

 

Representation of this award shall include a nameplate containing the award name, recipient’s name, year, and “as presented by” information, a well as an image of the Phoenix or praying hands. The award itself is to be a unique and individualistic design, perhaps in the form of a statue, decorative box or other stand out design.

 

Presentation of the award is to be made at the Community Prayer Breakfast by the Chairperson or designate of the Social Concerns Committee on an annual basis.

 

Nominations for the award are solicited from the public at large by the members of the Social Concerns Committee and will include justification information for consideration of this award.

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Please complete the following so that the committee may contact you, if necessary.