At the Women’s Coalition they have coined their own word for female heroes – “shero”
A shero, who volunteers at Women’s Coalition and serves the community above and beyond the call, is honored each year at the annual Take Back the Night ceremonies in October.
Betty Nielsen is the current shero. She is a modest person and quick to point out that two heroes were also honored with her. They are U.S. Marshals Allan Schuster and Edward McNamara from Superior Court.
“Betty is a consistent and constant volunteer,” said Mary Mingus, co-director of Women’s Coalition. “She is the epitome of a citizen who cares. She does things all day to help people – that’s what she does.” Mingus said she even bakes cakes for the office staff’s birthdays.
Nielsen says there is always some way people can volunteer at Women’s Coalition, and the group always need more helpers.
While Nielsen was helping out at the Women’s Coalition annual Women Race four years ago she said Mingus nabbed her, and she has been volunteering regularly since then.
When Mingus asked her how she does it she said “We are supposed to help people.”
“This woman is something else,” Mingus says. “She drops things in her personal life to help others.”
Nielsen, a resident of St. Croix since 1969, knows the plight of women who are slapped around by men and need the services of Women’s Coalition.
She was abused by her first husband. She had enough of it and decided to get a divorce knowing she didn’t need him to support her.
“Women need to realize men aren’t their bread and butter,” Nielsen says.
She was better off than some women – she had a college degree and could support her children and herself. She worked as a health and physical education teacher at Elana Christian Junior High School five years and from 1974 to retirement in 1989 she worked at Country Day School. During that time she was busy raising three young children, but she still found time to volunteer for the Women Race off and on since 1974.
According to Nielsen, the coalition really needs help during such special events as the Race and the Non-Event.
“Sometimes you walk in the office and it’s just overwhelming,” Nielsen says.
She worked with a group of volunteers who recently cleaned up the ages-old mailing list to get Non Event letters and invitations out to past donors who want to give, but not go to an event.
“They did a hell of a job on the list,” Nielsen says.
“Betty has a way of mobilizing other people to come and help us,” Mingus says.
Nielsen recently organized people in the sorting and shipping of 40 bags of used clothing from the Women’s Coalition Closet to Closet resale shop to Haiti. She volunteers at the shop too.
“In the spearheading of volunteers I just get on the phone and call as many people as possible,” Nielsen says.
For almost 20 years, Nielsen has been running her own plant-leasing business, where every week she maintains leased plants at offices and homes.
“I don’t need awards,” Nielsen says. “The job helping people is an award itself.”
Those who want to volunteer can contact the Women’s Coalition at 773-9272.
