RUMFORD — Community activist and volunteer Shannon Glover is the 2023 Rumford Citizen of the Year.
Chris Brennick, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, announced the honor at Thursday night’s meeting. She was presented with a certificate and a replica town clock.
“Shannon is heavily involved in the River Valley,” he said. “She is the driving force behind the Old School Food Pantry and a member of our local Rotary. She leads a volunteer group of youth in the community that does lawn cleanup, lunches for seniors and other things.” She is “certainly somebody who has been well involved in many different things in helping those who need a helping hand up.”
Shannon Glover is presented Thursday with a certificate from Selectman Chris Brennick naming her the 2023 Rumford Citizen of the Year. She was cited for her numerous community and volunteer activities. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
She was nominated by Erica Atkinson and selected from among four candidates.
Glover, a blood drive ambassador for the American Red Cross, said she recently completed work to become part of the Disaster Action Team. “For example, if there was a local fire, there would be an immediate response and victims wouldn’t have to wait as long,” she said.
In July, she received the 2022-23 Rotarian of the Year award from the River Valley Rotary Club of Greater Rumford for her humanitarian contribution to her community, a fellow Rotarian said.
Besides her work as manager of the food pantry, she also teaches her children, ages 10 and 13, and other children how to volunteer in their community.
“Being approachable is beneficial in both working with the Red Cross as well as with people experiencing homelessness, because they feel comfortable speaking to me about issues that may be sensitive, for example, substance use disorders or mental health issues,” she said. “Making sure to smile and make eye contact when approaching them seems to give them the confidence they need to know they can speak to me without being judged.”
Last year, Glover joined forces with a local church and others in the community to raise money for students in Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico to build a shed to store firewood for families in need in the River Valley area.
The woodshed was a community-supported project. There were donations through the Holy Savior Church in Rumford, fundraising by Gary Dolloff, the Greater Rumford Community Center director, and private donations mailed to her.
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