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Christine McDonald serves as the coordinator for the Senior Companion Program, overseeing the day-today operation of the program and provides service to frail older adults, adults with disabilities, those with terminal illnesses and caregivers who need regular short breaks from long-term care giving duties. McDonald brings a bachelors degree in early education and child development from Brigham Young University to her new position. A former first grade teacher in Salt Lake City and a reading resource specialist in southern California before relocating to southern Utah to be closer to family, the wife, mother and grandmother of one, honed her customer service skills at Dixie College where she worked briefly in the central ticket office before accepting this position. In her leisure time, Christine and her husband Jack enjoy hiking southern Utah’s red rock country. She also enjoys sewing, home decorating, paper cutting and adding to her various collections. The new program coordinator is excited by the challenge of doing something completely different from any of her previous employment experiences and looks forward to working with these “amazing volunteers who give so much of themselves to help others.” |
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Whinney Van Gils Winny vanGils serves with the Be Ready Utah AmeriCorps*VISTA program. In her previous Vista assignment at the Erin Kimball Foundation, which provided services to children and women who have experienced domestic violence, she recruited dozens of community volunteers who put on special fund-raising events to raise additional resources for the program. Whinney also started a community garden where she teaches gardening and then donates the surplus to the Erin Kimball Foundation She was honored for her service by being named America’s #1 volunteer in 2007.. She was also Van Gills is a native of Indonesia and speaks Dutch natively. She enjoys her 6 children and 14 grandchildren as well! |
