Thursday, Apr 19, 2018
Helen Ann Knepper, a retired pediatric nurse, and National Grid, will be honored by the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. as the 2018 Heroes in Action.
Knepper, a former GLCAC board member, and the utility company, will be honored at the agency’s fundraising gala on Friday, April 27 at DiBurro’s Function Facility in Haverhill.
Knepper, an Andover resident, is being honored for her outstanding support of GLCAC and her volunteer leadership.
Knepper started working with GLCAC as nurse in Head Start program in 2000, after a career of providing home care nursing for children with disabilities. She served on GLCAC’s Health Advisory Board until her retirement in 2008. She then joined GLCAC's Board of Directors, providing an invaluable connection between the board and GLCAC's staff.
She left the board in 2015 but remains an active member of the community as a volunteer at the Andover Senior Center, a member of the Village Garden Club and Free Christian Church.
“Helen doesn’t just have a passion for children and families, it’s a passion for the kinds of families we support -- low-income families and children who may not have the best home environment,’’ said GLCAC Executive Director Evelyn Friedman. “She understands the need for quality services to those families and children.”
National Grid partners with GLCAC on several initiatives that help low-income and at-risk families in Greater Lawrence with fuel, heating system repair or replacement needs, weatherization and energy-efficient appliances.
For example, in 2017, National Grid served 410 households with appliance assessments, conservation lighting installs, refrigerator replacement, clothes washers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners that were high energy users, with new energy efficient units.
“Without National Grid we’d have fewer resources for fuel assistance and fewer resources for weatherization,’’ Friedman said. “They go above and beyond to help the most vulnerable in our community.’’
Cordi O’Hara, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, will accept the honor on behalf of the company. O’Hara has 20 years of experience in the industry and has been a strong advocate for increased participation of women in the energy sector.
National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world - covering Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and the UK.
For additional information about this year’s gala, or to reserve a seat or become a sponsor, please call John Licciardi at 978-620-4747 or visit online at www.glcac.org.
Lead sponsors this year are Enterprise Bank and National Grid.
GLCAC is a multi-faceted social services agency that assisted 32,648 individuals in 2017 through a range of programs including early childhood education, fuel assistance, WIC nutrition assistance, immigration services, lead poisoning prevention, child abuse prevention, English-language lessons, and consumer protection.