Kathy Hemmens Named 2022 Humanitarian Hero

Every year, during their Annual Meeting in November, the NEK Council on Aging (NEKCOA) recognizes a special volunteer or organization with the Humanitarian Hero award in honor of their dedication to the Council's mission and the impact they have on the community at large. This year, the Council is pleased to announce Kathy Hemmens as their 2022 Humanitarian Hero.
 
“Kathy has been a long-standing member of our Board of Directors and her support and dedication to the Council has been invaluable,” said Meg Burmeister, Executive Director. “I am in awe of her energy and resilience as a mother, grandmother, caregiver, and cancer survivor. She is truly an example of being connected with, and of service to, her community. We were so fortunate to have had her support of our work for all of those years.”
 
In 1999, Hemmens moved to Hardwick when her husband retired. She continued her career and was named Executive Director of Northeast Kingdom Human Services where she served until 2005 when she retired.
 
“When I retired, I wanted to work with organizations that served elder people,” said Hemmens. “Health and wellbeing have always been important interests and my service to the Council has been an inspiring journey. The Council has grown and expanded services, reach, and influence. It was wonderful to meet so many different people and all were an inspiration to me on how to grow older gracefully.”

Hemmens has served a total of 13 years as a member of the NEKCOA Board of Directors (she retires from the Board this year). During this period, she served as President (2018-2020) and Chair of the Finance Committee. She also served 11 years as a wellness leader for the Bone Builders program in Hardwick and received training and taught Matter of Balance, an eight-week wellness course for building strength and mobility. In addition, she also taught Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a course that brings helpful resources to caregivers so they can learn to communicate with friends and loved ones who are struggling with cognitive disabilities.
 
Her service to community is also admirable. She was a selectboard member for the Town of Hardwick, served on the board of Lamoille Housing Partnership, and is a current board member of the Craftsbury Care Center. She also served as Board President for Northern Counties Health Care for a three-year term.
 
She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Manhattanville College and a Master of Social Work from the State University of NY at Albany when she turned 51. She enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, cooking, knitting, and cross-country skiing. In earlier years, she also enjoyed horseback riding and was pleased to achieve a life-long dream of owning a horse when she and her husband moved to Vermont.
 
Hemmens remains dedicated to supporting all Vermonters as they age. “Older people are the backbone of our communities. At times, it is unfortunate that they are spoken of as a burden, but we contribute a great deal.” She has three children and four grandchildren.
 
The 2022 Annual Meeting for the NEK Council on Aging will take place on Thursday, November 17th at 9:30 a.m. at the East Side Restaurant in Newport, Vermont. Click here to read the 2022 NEKCOA Annual Report.