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Four St. Croix Residents Honored as Unsung Heroes

Nov. 19, 2007 — Four residents of St. Croix who help others have been honored as "unsung heroes" by the Hovensa Employees Planning and Outreach Committee (EPOC).
Unsung Hero awards went to Sister Victoria Andreoli, Anita Bess, Averil George and Edwin "Eddie" Ortiz, according to a Hovensa news release. They were honored last week in a ceremony in the auditorium at the Hovensa refinery.
Each year nominations are solicited from Hovensa employees to recognize and honor residents of St. Croix who have been consistent in contributing their time assisting others in the community.
Andreoli was honored for her work with children in public-housing communities to improve their academic performance, computer literacy, and social skills; conducting an outreach program for women prisoners designed to give them reading skills, craft skills and pre-GED training; and leading volunteers — known as Gabriel Angels — who assist women with crisis pregnancies, most of whom are single mothers, by offering them friendship, financial support, limited health care and training for a high school diploma. She also was honored for offering free counseling services to women, couples, and children at the St. Mary's School.
Bess was honored for her dedication to the care of children and adults in her community; being there to lend a helping hand to mothers when they have to go to work and don't have anyone to take care of their young children; and for helping people who are bed-ridden by cooking, cleaning, washing and spending time with them for no financial compensation.
George was honored for her volunteer work with various non-profit organizations. She currently chairs the board of governors for United Way of St. Croix. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of St. Croix West and serves as the public relations officer of the Barron Spot Fun Club. Recently she served as the secretary of the V.I. Friendship Committee. In addition to serving with the various organizations, she also finds time to provide adult assistance and support for the many groups in which her children are members.
Ortiz was honored for his more than 20 years of work as a community activist in Estate Profit, which is also known as Machuchal. Eddie's past contributions to Machuchal include working with the police department to remove drug dealers who openly sold drugs at the school bus shanty; organizing an annual cleanup to remove vehicles and appliances abandoned in the community; lobbying the Legislature and the Department of Public Works to get all roads in the community paved; lobbying WAPA to get streetlights installed throughout the community; and organizing the Three Kings Day community celebration for children. Each year Ortiz maintains an old Hispanic tradition by securing donations from individuals and businesses to purchase toys given to community children on Three Kings Day, Jan. 6.
Each of the honorees was given an engraved wooden plaque and a cash award. Hovensa President Larry Kupfer commended the honorees and urged employees to donate their time to help others in the community. As a regional commissioner of the American Youth Soccer Association and a member of the board of the V.I. Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Kupfer said, he knows that often "money is not enough" — people are needed to help in one way or another.
In her remarks, George thanked her mother, other family members, friends and coworkers for their continued support along the way.
"I get satisfaction from being able to be part of organizations that help the homeless, youths, senior citizens and others in the community in terms of food, shelter, legal services, assistance to elderly and youth programs and much more," she said. "I urge each and every one of you to be a part of the solution by volunteering your time, talent and expertise … to organizations that improve people's lives and your community on a whole."
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