It’s National Volunteer Month. Meet 21 people making a difference in Centre County

Editor’s note: Each year, the Centre County Council for Human Services honors volunteers who work to further the mission of CCCHS’ member agencies. The Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition is named after the first recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

It is impossible to overstate the impact that this year’s group of Rose Cologne Volunteer Recognition Dinner honorees have had on the nonprofit agencies in our community!

Serving in fields as diverse as civic engagement, mental health resources and community safety, each one of these individuals helps to lighten the workload and brighten the spirits of every agency they are involved with.

So much of their work is unheralded, yet they continue to selflessly give their time and energy to serve our community. This National Volunteer Month, we thank you for all the ways that you help to support your friends and neighbors in Centre County. You are appreciated!

-Wes Chicko, CCCHS board president

Carline Crevecoeur

Agency: American Association of University Women, State College

Length of service: 5 years

Roles: Membership co-vice president, branch president, diversity & inclusion

Reason for volunteering: “I support AAUW State College because I believe deeply in the organization’s mission to advance equity for women and girls through education, leadership, and community engagement. Throughout my life, many generous and accomplished women have inspired me in reaching my goals. I am committed to paying that forward by helping create opportunities that will empower the next generation of strong, confident women.”

Stephanie Ferguson

Agency: Housing Transitions

Length of service: 1.5 years

Roles: Housing Transitions has an angel— her name is Stephanie Ferguson. She consistently cooks up a storm for our residents. From hearty roasts to comforting soups and casseroles, she does it all — and always with a smile. Stephanie’s generosity doesn’t stop in the kitchen. She has rallied her sister, cousins and aunts to help create thoughtful “move-in baskets” for residents transitioning into permanent housing, ensuring they begin this new chapter feeling supported and cared for. Because of her positivity, dedication and boundless energy, we invited Stephanie to join our board of directors. She has become a steady and inspiring force on the board.

Reason for volunteering: “When I returned to State College after a 38-year absence I knew I wanted to be involved in the community I loved so much. My passion has always been to serve marginalized groups. When I first stepped into the Housing Transitions Centre House, it immediately reminded me of my grandmother’s home. Yes, it’s old, but it is warm and welcoming and there is always room for everyone. I knew I had found my purpose.”

John Dillon

Agency: Mid-State Literacy Council Inc.

Length of service: 6 years

Roles: One-to-one adult literacy tutor (6 years); board member (2 years)

Reason for volunteering: “Improving one’s literacy improves one’s life. I believe in that, and the Mid-State Literacy Council is a way to put that belief into action to help others.”

Tony De Luca

Agency: Park Forest Preschool

Length of service: 3 years

Roles: Board member; member of the fundraising committee

Reason for volunteering: “I heard that the preschool needed some technology assistance and offered to help. Once I learned more about the preschooI’s mission, and saw how passionately the staff and board work to make a great learning environment for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity, I was hooked.”

Carole & Doug Ripka

Agency: Centre Volunteers In Medicine

Length of service: Carole since 2009, Doug since 2022

Roles: Data entry volunteers; assist with special projects; helps lead our recycling efforts and assists with our medication assistance programs

Reason for volunteering: “First, I enjoy working with the people, both volunteers and staff. They are good company, committed to what they do and are ready to guide me with whatever task I have in front of me. Second, is the satisfaction I get from telling my dad jokes!” -Doug Ripka

Constance C Martin

Agency: PA Prison Society Centre County Chapter

Length of service: 12 years

Roles: During her time as a volunteer, Connie has visited dozens of incarcerated people at Rockview and Benner state prisons and advocated for their welfare; represented PPS at monthly meetings of Centre County Prison Board; was grantwriter and fundraiser enabling our chapter to become licensed to teach “Parenting Inside Out,” a nationally recognized program for incarcerated parents; coached Parenting Program classes at Centre County jail for 7 years; served as convener for the Centre County chapter for two years; and served as chapter representative to CCCHS.

Reason for volunteering: “I chose to volunteer with Prison Society after seeing how incarcerated men and women are treated in Centre County. I wanted to be their voice for change. It was apparent to me that they couldn’t or wouldn’t speak up for themselves.”

Dorothea Stahl

Agency: Centre County Youth Service Bureau

Length of service: 5 years

Roles: Dorothea is an active board member at YSB, she helps with many fundraising opportunities including the On the Field committee. Dorothea is always full of ideas and willing to step up and help us put on amazing events. She also supports staff development by providing welcoming spaces for meaningful gatherings and team connections. Dorothea is a trusted friend and mentor to the youth at YSB’s girls group home, generously sharing her time and guidance, and showing them each day that they truly matter and can thrive. Her compassion and leadership strengthen our mission and inspires all of us!

Reason for volunteering: “I support YSB because I believe children really are our future and YSB works tirelessly to help children, their parents and their ‘village’ be as safe and encouraging despite many obstacles in their individual lives. I want to help make that happen with my time, energy and connections.”

Paul Meister

Agency: Tides Programs

Length of service: 5 years

Roles: Paul’s journey with Tides began from a place of deep personal loss after his sister passed away from brain cancer. In the wake of that tragedy, Paul witnessed firsthand the complex reality of grief as he watched his sister’s children navigate their new world. It was that experience of seeing the profound need for a safe, understanding space that opened his eyes to how many people in our community “suffer in lonely silence.”

Since joining Tides, Paul has become a steady, compassionate anchor at our Tides Nights and within our school program. He doesn’t just fill a volunteer role; he serves as a quiet force of nature for the families he supports. Paul has a rare gift for helping people find ways to transform their pain into something they can carry through their days. Whether he is sitting with a grieving child or offering a listening ear to an adult, he brings a level of insight and quiet dedication that makes everyone around him feel seen and comforted.

What makes Paul so special is that he genuinely invests his heart into the healing of every person he meets. He understands that grief isn’t something to be “fixed,” but a journey to be walked together. His spirit of selfless service and his unwavering commitment to the well-being of our community are exactly what this nomination represents.

Reason for volunteering: “It is hurtful to know that so many people suffer in lonely silence with their grief. Richard Rohr said that if we don’t transform our pain, we will likely transmit it to those around us. Tides gives people a place to transform their pain in ways that help them get through their days without their loved one.”

Rich Wisniewski

Agency: State College Food Bank

Length of service: 3 years

Roles: Responsibilities include sorting donated food from grocery stores and individual donors, picking up donated food from grocery stores, as well as helping keep the facility clean by mopping the floors.

Reason for volunteering: “I wanted to give back to the community that has been so good to my wife and me. When my father retired, he found great satisfaction in helping others by volunteering at his local food bank in Ohio. Like my father, I have found my experience at the State College Food Bank to be both positive and rewarding.”

Maria Peno

Agency: ACRES Project

Length of service: 9 years

Roles: “She played a key role in launching the ACRES Entrepreneurs program, helping to support and elevate our craft shows. With her natural eye for design, Mya brings creativity to everything she does. Recently, Mya has stepped into a leadership role with high school students, and this is where her passion truly shines. She builds strong relationships, creates engaging lessons, and takes the time to work one-on-one with students, making each of them feel seen and supported.”

Reason for volunteering: “My favorite part of ACRES is creating new ideas for sales and promoting our ideas at our crafts shows. I enjoy interacting with students from the high school and planning activities.”

Jim Colbert

Agency: Jana Marie Foundation

Length of service: Over 10 years

Roles: Jim has graciously shared his musical talents with Jana Marie Foundation for the past 10 years, bringing not only his skill but also his heart to every event he supports. His willingness to step in whenever needed — often without hesitation — has made him an invaluable part of our community. Whether enhancing the atmosphere through music or offering his time behind the scenes, Jim consistently shows up with generosity, reliability, and a genuine passion for our mission.

Reason for volunteering: “At 25, my life was changed forever by my father’s death by suicide. Each passing year has underscored to me how crucial mental health awareness is. I volunteer to share my music with the Jana Marie Foundation to contribute messages of hope, resilience ... and that each of us truly matters.”

Mary Hart

Agency: Foxdale Village

Length of service: 2 years

Roles: Mary has performed a variety of volunteer roles at Foxdale’s resident-led garage sale. In the last two years, Mary has volunteered in the furniture booth and plant sale booth. Most recently, Mary has become the garage sale committee chair.

Reason for volunteering: “I started volunteering at the garage sale to connect with my new community and quickly saw how vital it is in supporting Foxdale activities. I stepped up because I’m organized, I care deeply about this community, and I believe community thrives when we all contribute.”

Jim Leous

Agency: Constitution Day Centre Inc.

Length of service: Four years

Roles: Board director, moderator

Reason for volunteering: “Call me naive, but I believe most of our local partisan differences can be solved with civil conversations. At Constitution Day Roundtables, people of all perspectives find they agree more than they disagree. Let’s put us back into the U.S.A.”

Sara Roberts

Agency: Centre Safe

Length of service: Two years

Roles: Hotline counselor/advocate; support group facilitator; translator

Reason for volunteering: “Centre Safe represents resilience, connection, and teamwork as a healing force, a light in moments of darkness. For me, having the privilege of being part of Centre Safe means being a voice of hope, and for a time, walking alongside someone going through a difficult journey.”

Edward Herr

Agency: FaithCentre

Length of service: 16 years

Roles: Ed has volunteered at the FaithCentre Food Bank since April 2010. A devoted husband to wife, Dottie, and a proud parent and grandparent, Ed is known for his humor and conversational skills. As something of the Walmart greeter of the FaithCentre Food Bank, Ed says hello to clients as they enter and helps them get their food to their cars or apartments. He happily engages with anyone who crosses our doors and is famous for his signature grin, relentlessly cheery disposition, and past role as a disc jockey.

Reason for volunteering: “My wife and I decided we had to do something, so we choose to spend our extra time helping at the Food Bank. It keeps us engaged with the community and around friendly people.”

Jennifer Bilicska

Agency: Centre Helps

Length of service: 2 years, 3 months

Roles: “When it comes to Centre Helps, the main role that I have performed is being one of the Basic Needs Follow-Up counselors. I’ve also been a supervisor for upcoming training classes 2 times (about to be 4!).”

Reason for volunteering: “I chose to volunteer for Centre Helps because I saw first-hand how easy it is for people to be told that what they’re feeling is just in their head or that they’re just doing it for attention. As someone who is on the path to become a clinical psychologist, I wanted to learn more about the skills that could be used to help individuals feel supported and like there is someone who will listen and be there for them. This community was definitely a plus!”

Lauren Ade

Agency: Centre Helps

Length of service: 1 year, 11 months

Roles: Crisis hotline counselor; 988 text/chat supervisor; leader of the Regulars Committee; social media manager for Centre Helps Club in 2024

Reason for volunteering: “I chose to volunteer for Centre Helps to give back to the State College community, which has given so much to me as a student at Penn State. Coming from a high school that was impacted by multiple youth suicides, I’ve always valued the role that agencies like CH have in our communities and knew it was the perfect place to make a difference. Additionally, the volunteers and staff are some of the most exceptional, passionate people I’ve ever met, making it an easy decision to volunteer at Centre Helps!”

Sarah Allison

Agency: Centre Helps

Length of service: 1 year

Roles: Centre Helps club event planner; volunteer hotline counselor; Centre Helps intern; text chat supervisor

Reason for volunteering: “I chose to volunteer for Centre Helps because I wanted a way to engage with my community while also advocating for mental health. State College has become a place that means a lot to me and Centre Helps has provided an outlet where I can help support others, be there for them, and be a part of their healing journey. When I was looking for volunteer opportunities in counseling, Centre Helps stuck out to me as they are an organization who wants to meet people where they are at and make sure that those who call in feel that someone cares for them. That mission means a lot to me since so many people are suffering in silence and if there is a way that we can help break that silence, I want to be a part of that and help people find hope and relief.”

Michael DeAntonis

Agency: Centre Helps

Length of service: 1 year, 6 months

Roles: “I have been a hotline volunteer and a supervisor for 3 other volunteers. I have also been on the regulars committee, helped in role play nights, and helped conduct interviews for new trainees.”

Reason for volunteering: “The work that Centre Helps does is an important crossroad between providing people with emotional and mental support as well as community support. The idea to be able to provide both excited me. There are so many people in need that deserve support, especially those dealing with suicidal ideation. As a Penn State student, a lot of extracurriculars are campus and student based. Volunteering at Centre Helps provided me with the opportunity to connect with the larger State College and Centre County population and give back to the community that supports us as students.”

Gianira Rivera-Perez

Agency: Centre Helps

Length of service: 1 year, 3 months

Roles: Hotline counselor; youthful offender program instructor

Reason for volunteering: “I volunteer with Centre Helps because I want to support a community organization that genuinely helps people in need. Contributing my time allows me to assist those facing crises and challenges, while fostering unity in our community and helping ensure fewer people struggle alone.”