Published: May 08, 2008 04:46 pm            

Council honors Volunteer of Year

By Raymond Billy

rbilly@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Prior to the Jacksonville Literacy Council’s 14th annual Corporate Spelling Bee on Wednesday, the organization took time to honor a perennial volunteer who has helped the organization carry out its services.

Norman Hearn was named Volunteer of the Year by the Literacy Council, giving recognition to a man who has worked with the organization for four years. Nancy Sonntag, director of the Literacy Council, said Hearn has been an integral part of the organization.

“He’s excellent. He works well with his students and helps set up every event that we have, doing the physical part of it as well as the educational part of it,” Sonntag said.

Hearn — who retired from his job at an Exxon Mobile oil refinery in Baytown to move to Jacksonville in 2003 — said he never expected to receive the award.

“I was surprised because there are a lot of people who are deserving — more deserving than me. I don’t do anything that a lot of other people don’t,” Hearn said.

Hearn said he worked with the literacy council in Baytown and was prompted by his wife, Peggy, to get involved with the Jacksonville organization. Sonntag said Hearn’s presence has helped the Literacy Council with its teaching, but also its finances.

“He’s part of a matching gifts program in which the hours he volunteers for the community are funded by the Exxon Mobile Foundation and the organization he supports is the Jacksonville Literacy Council, so we receive funds for his good work from Exxon,” Sonntag said.

While its rewarding to help adults further their educations, its also a daunting challenge, Hearn said.

“I’m not a professional teacher. All I have is a desire to help and I fear that I won’t be able to meet the students’ needs,” Hearn said. “I want to meet their needs because these people are so sincere in their desire to learn.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.