Page 12 - January Banner 2019_Neat

Page 12 January 2019
Page 12 January 2019
Page 12 January 2019 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
COMMUNITY news

Catoctin’s Volunteer of the Year — Continued from page 1
Photo by Deb Abraham Spalding Photo by Blair Garrett
(left) Niki Eyler and
Bob Wiles of the
Thurmont Grange
present John Dowling
(right) with the
Annual Thurmont
Grange Outstanding
Community Citizen
Award.

(right) John Dowling.

graduated and moved onto Catoctin High School. a week of volunteer work. He also continues to run a small woodworking
The Thurmont Lions Club recognized Dowling as the Thurmont business from his home.
Volunteer of the Year. He was nominated for his work at Our Lady of “We’re here on this earth to benefi t our fellow citizens,” he said.
Mt. Carmel Church and the Thurmont Senior Center. He was awarded a Dowling grew up in a family of twelve children in Montgomery County,
certifi cate of recognition and gift certifi cate for dinner at the Shamrock and his parents set the example for volunteerism. He remembers his mother
Restaurant at a town meeting. He was also able to designate where a $400 organizing an annual dinner to benefi t Montgomery General Hospital and
donation from the Thurmont Lions Club would be donated in his name. helping his father plant grass when a new high school was built.
Dowling chose to split the money between the Thurmont Senior Center and When he moved to the area in 1968 as a young man with a wife, he
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. brought with him the values his parents had instilled in him. He began
The Thurmont Grange also recognized Dowling with its Outstanding helping out whenever he could.
Community Citizen Award. “I would help out with anything dealing with the community, because
These aren’t the fi rst awards that the community is an important part of the lives of everyone who lives in
he has received for his community it,” expressed Dowling.
work. In the past few years, the Of all the various places where he provides service, he considers his
Archdiocese of Baltimore and work with the Thurmont Senior Center the most important. He serves on
State of Maryland have recognized the center’s board and knows how great the center’s need for help is. He
Dowling for his volunteerism. picks up day-old bread from Weis that is used at the center, gives rides
Dowling said that he was to and from the center to seniors in need, delivers hot meals from the
“dumbfounded” with all of the Mountain Gate Restaurant to home-bound seniors, and helps with the
awards last year. He considers general maintenance of equipment around the center.
helping his community almost an The values of service to the community that Dowling’s parents taught
obligation. him are something that he and Kathryn have also been able to instill in
Dowling may be retired from their own children.
his appliance repair business, but “All of my kids do a lot of volunteer work, and they’re all successful,”
he still puts in ten to twelve hours Dowling said.

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