Tuesday Volunteers

Springtime farwell party for intern, Chad Nicholson. Pictured from left: Ann Braxton, Susan Witt, Jean Dillard, Michael Gordon, Wanda Weigert, Chad Nicholson, Marion Gaenzle, Al Acciani, and Elinor Hamill. Photograph by Sarah Hearn.

Jean Dillard's experience as a nurse made her conscious of the need for affordable health care for all. She has been a tireless campaigner for single payer health insurance, writing letters, meeting with state and federal representatives, and doing the hard work of community organizing. She is likewise an advocate for election financing reform and an advocate for those treated unfairly in all walks of life. Her favorite book is The Way, by Edward Goldsmith, founder of Britain's The Ecologist magazine. She admires the international peace efforts of Kofi Anon. It was because of Jean's enthusiasm to help the E. F. Schumacher Society that we initiated the Tuesday volunteer day.

Tuesdays are famous for the great lunches. Wanda Weigert has taken responsibility for these lunches for the past five years. Born in Poland, she left as a small girl during the War, attending school in France, Portugal, and England. Following the War she moved to Venezuela where she met her husband, Tony. They moved to the states, then retired in the Berkshires. Young at heart, a succession of interns have come to love Wanda. Their time in the kitchen helping her cook are among their favorite memories of their work with the E. F. Schumacher Society. The conversation can occur in Spanish or French or English without a hitch.

Sarah Hudson has been a dedicated friend and volunteer at the Schumacher Society for over a year. She is a devoted supporter of local farmers, taking a keen and active interest in their issues. In a broader sense, she is interested in the intersection between agriculture and human rights, and has also been involved with Central American issues stemming from this dichotomy. She serves on a local planning board.

Elinor Hamill is a Vermonter by birth. Those of us familiar with the Green State know that means independent, short on talking, long on working, and tough both spiritually and physically. Add to that a love of music and you have Elinor. No library task is too demanding. If a cataloguing job is incomplete on Tuesday, she will be back Wednesday and Thursday to make sure it is done. A resident of the Forest Row neighborhood on Community Land Trust land, it is a pleasure to have Elinor join the team.

Ann Braxton traveled the world working as a librarian in Korea, Germany, and other countries before settling in the Berkshires. A lover of opera, proficient with advances in computer technology, a wide ranging reader, informed on contemporary political issues, Ann brings her professional experience and knowledge to her work with the E. F. Schumacher Library.

Al Acciani ran a popular dental practice in Hudson, New York for over 40 years, but he still found time to ski, fly planes, attend concerts, travel, eat well, and enjoy the company of family and friends. His innate warmth, charm, and humor enliven the luncheon table on Tuesdays. He quips that he never did his own bookkeeping while in practice, but he cheerfully pays the bills and deposits the checks for the E. F. Schumacher Society on his Tuesday visits.

 

 

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