REM Award Honorees (2002) — Donna Farnham (Waterville Business and Professional Women)

It is with great pleasure that the Waterville Business and Professional Women honor Donna Farnham as our volunteer member for 2002. Donna has served BPW as secretary, vice president, and president. On the state level, she chaired the Member/Women of the Year Committee and the Young Careerists Committee. She was also an early supporter of the Futurama Craft Fair, the forerunner of the BPW/ME Futurama Foundation, which now provides scholarship assistance to women in Maine.

Donna continues to support scholarship efforts in our club by organizing and directing the annual and very successful Holiday Auction in November. Children who find themselves bored during court proceedings really enjoy the “Kids Packs” that Donna delivers frequently to the Waterville District Court House. These packs contain a box of juice, a snack, crayons, a picture to color, a small toy and a towelette. Items are provided by members, but someone must assemble and deliver the packs. Donna does that.

Her community involvement over the years has included many hours assisting at the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter and Notre Dame Soup Kitchen, teaching for Literacy Volunteers, and serving as a member of Silence Howard Hayden DAR, the State Chair of Veterans Assistant Volunteer Services, and as a volunteer at Togus. A member of the Oakland Grange, she prepares pies for their monthly public suppers, and is a member of the Rebekahs and the North Vassalboro Baptist Church.

In most of her organizations, Donna is actively involved in craft fairs, yard sales, and plant and book sales. She has been a “Guest Chef” at Dreamers’ Café and has helped prepare food for this community project of REM.

Eleven years ago, Donna saw a need for assisting area elderly residents with home care, including running errands, providing transportation to appointments, and offering companionship. She established Caring People, Inc. and employs several people to assist her.

She is a resident of Oakland and is married to Ralph Farnham. They have one daughter and one grandson.

As a role model for BPW and the community, Donna exemplifies the very best of volunteering.