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Sabol selected for WCCF humanitarian award

3 min read
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The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) recently announced that Kathleen L. Sabol is the recipient of the annual Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes a local individual or organization devoted to the promotion of human welfare or the advancement of social reform as evidenced by humanitarian deeds in the community, whether local, national or international. The inaugural award was presented to Louis E. Waller in 2008.

Sabol was influenced by her undergraduate experience at the College of Wooster, especially the school’s emphasis on community service. After graduation, she worked for the college, overseeing student projects. But her most influential educational experience was earning a master’s degree from Harvard University in non-profit administration. Sabol studied social policy, funding and philanthropy.

For the past 21 years, she has been the executive director of the Washington County Bar Association and the Bar Foundation. She said she receives unconditional support from the lawyers to contribute time to the community.

Sabol helps organize the annual Sister to Sister Summit, where sixth-grade girls spend the night in Citizen’s Library being mentored by high school students and learning life coping skills.

“This is very close to me personally, who I was at age 12,” she said. “I want to help the girls learn to navigate, to stand up for themselves, learn some self-esteem. Helping one girl is worth it. I can stay up all night to help 30 girls.”

As a member of the Washington Rotary, she organizes the annual Trivia Contest, a major effort involving as many as 450 participants and scores of volunteers.

“It’s so powerful – getting so many people together playing for charities,” Sabol said.

Her goal is to do one volunteer activity per month – February was Empty Bowls, March was Trivia, April was Sister-to-Sister, and then, she realized, “Hey, May is open!”

Sabol’s contributions to so many aspects of community life in Washington County made her a natural recipient of the WCCF Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award. While she wouldn’t tell anyone to perform all the community service she does, she thinks people can give back in many ways.

“See what interests you! If you like to read, join the Literacy Council. If you like to go to the movies, take some disadvantaged kids! Do something you love,” she said.

The Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award will be presented to Sabol at the WCCF’s annual Legacy Luncheon Friday. In her honor, the foundation will award a $1,000 unrestricted grant to the Sister to Sister Summit of Washington County, a project of the American Association of University Women.

For more information about the Community Foundation, visit www.wccf.net.

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