Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging in Vermont
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Gloria Powers Honored by Governor Phil Scott during the State of the State Address

Mel Reis • January 13, 2020

Congratulations to Gloria Powers who was personally honored by Governor Phil Scott during the State of the State address on Thursday, January 9th for her dedication to community service. Gloria is the director of the Glover Senior Meals, a Senior Companion, and has served as a foster parent and mentor to 391 children over 25 years. Here is an excerpt from the Address:

"The state of the state, our values and identity, are guided by—but have never been defined by—what happens in this building. It’s the people of Vermont, doing all they can to lift each other up, who will shape our future. They define who we are and all we can be.

World-class innovators like Dr. Marjorie Meyer at the UVM Medical Center, who is a leader in the treatment of women with opioid dependence during pregnancy. Entrepreneurs like Kyle Clark, whose company, BETA Technologies, is building electric aircraft which will lead to a significant reduction in global carbon emissions. Or the volunteer firefighters in Ludlow, who spent their Thanksgiving Day cooking dinner for a mother and her three children whose stove caught fire that morning.

And Gloria Powers from Glover, who provided a home for nearly 400 foster children over 25 years and, at age 72, is still giving back, volunteering at the local senior center. And young Justin Sears from Colchester, who wanted to do something nice for the kids at his school this holiday season and raised over $1,000 to buy his classmates’ lunch. Then there’s Cecelia Hunt from Fair Haven, who, for nearly 40 years, donated so much of her time to everything from blood drives to foodbanks and town committees. She’s made such an impact that her community reached out to let me know how much she means to them. And by the way, when my staff called her, she wouldn’t accept credit for 40 years—she said it’s only been 36.

Friends, Cecelia and Dr. Meyer, Gloria and Justin, and members of the Ludlow Fire Department and BETA Technologies are here with us today.

These people and thousands more—those we hear about and those we don’t—remind us that we are all part of something bigger, and that it’s in our pursuit of purpose and in service to others that we find the best of ourselves, our communities, our state and our nation.”



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