Jet Set Soroptimists name Women of Distinction

Published 12:01 am Friday, March 27, 2015

PORT ANGELES — Soroptimist International of Port Angeles Jet Set has honored eight Women of Distinction for 2014-15.

Each year, the local service club highlights the volunteer service of local women in the Port Angeles community. The most recent awards were made at its March 19 meeting at the Port Angeles Senior and Community Center.

This year’s honorees are Kelly Sanders, Marilyn Whidden, Gwen Porterfield, Deb West, Mary Sherwood, Pamilia Olson, Conny Duppenthaler and Gloria Garrett.

■ Sanders, nominated by Leslie Mraz, is a sixth-grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary who organizes winter holiday food, coat and book drives at the school.

Last Christmas, 8,376 items were brought in with more than $2,000 in the form of cash to spend on turkeys and additional food items for more than 60 families.

She also started a Clothes Closet at Roosevelt for families in need.

■ Whidden, nominated by Jean Hordyk, has volunteered for the Port Angeles Senior and Community Center for more than 15 years.

A Port Angeles native, she also volunteers at the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce’s visitor center and for Streamkeepers.

■ Porterfield, nominated by Wende Porterfield, has been a volunteer since she was 6.

She and her husband of 60 years, Lee Porterfield, volunteer at the Clallam County Historical Society.

From March through August each year, the two spend six hours a week sorting, cleaning and preparing items for the Carnegie Museum’s annual garage sale.

Gwen Portfield believes “there is no excuse for loneliness or boredom with so many volunteer jobs available.”

■ West, nominated by Marsha Robin, has served as chair of the Port Angeles Relay For Life for five years.

She mentors other participants on the Relay For Life committee, schooling them about the community and dealing with the organizational aspects of the event and Relay headquarters.

■ Sherwood, nominated by Loretta Commet, has volunteered at the Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics (VIMO) clinic for about nine years.

She also volunteers for the Clallam County Drug Court and family court programs and the local hospice program.

■ Olson, nominated by Danetta Rutten, serves at Mosaic, a program for the developmentally disabled.

She works and volunteers to help train and build independent living skills for people with special needs and, according to Rutten, has been instrumental in developing the minds and skills of many special people.

■ Duppenthaler, nominated by Linda Sudela, has spent Tuesday mornings since 1992 volunteering her librarian skills to record books, articles or paper artifacts headed for the Clallam County Historical Society’s bookshelves, vertical files or categorized boxes.

She acquired her librarian skills at Cornell University’s agricultural library. She worked in Port Angeles School District libraries starting in 1965, then again in 1976 until her retirement in 1991.

Now in her mid-80s, Duppenthaler recently retired from volunteer service at the historical society and has cut back on other volunteer activities in the community.

■ Garrett, nominated by Jean Hordyk, volunteers at her church and at Olympic Medical Center.

Garrett, a licensed registered nurse, was an OMC employee for more than 30 years.

Since she retired in 2000, she has donated 4,000 hours to OMC.

In addition to volunteering, Garrett is a per diem employee in the OMC obstetrics unit.