A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO MARY CUSHING
OUR VALLEY’S SPECIAL ANGEL WHO PASSED AWAY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005 AT AGE 82
20 years ago Pastor Mike Miller of Boulder Creek Community Church asked Mary to become a representative from their church to Valley Churches United Missions.
A quote from Mary “I went to VCUM and was just amazed at the amount of work going on by the volunteers. The Friendships that grew out of the work to help the needy starting with establishing a permanent food pantry have turned this time into the best years of my life.”
Of the family of volunteers, she said “We’re entirely different. Some have never known poverty. I’ve been homeless. I’ve been hungry. One lady I like a lot comes in a fancy car and has the latest fashions; another is living on a tiny pension. We have grown to love each other. Fellowship is what keeps us here. I will not leave Valley Churches unless I am physically unable to carry on. Nothing else can make me stop.”
An so it happened in 2004 Mary had to turn over her files from home due to failing health. We cried together. Twenty years of volunteer work. I caller her another Mary. We had become family.
Mary was on VCUM’s board of directors when we founded the Valley Resource Center on April 16, 1987, the side for our food pantry and other services. Mary served on our board as Secretary-Treasurer and Vice-President. She coordinated volunteers and managed the food pantry. She ran the Valley Christmas project as senior project coordinator from 1989 to 2004.
She was the recipient of the Hammer/Marcum Award in 1993 and the Valley Churches United Missions “Angel of the Year” Award in 1996. Mary had a documented 18,005 hours volunteering at VCUM. Both awards were for her exemplary service helping those in need in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley areas.
Mary was the epitome of what a volunteer can do to help in their community. She had great faith and never hesitated to answer the call. The world had just lost one of its precious treasures.
Dear Mother Mary, you will be greatly missed by everyone you touched with you kindness. God’s eternal light will surely shine upon you.
Love,
Annette Marcum, Director & Founder
A Special Tribute
Robbie Allen 1933-2006
Valley Churches United Missions
Board Chairman and Dedicated Volunteer
On October 19, 1989 Robbie Allen came into the Valley Churches United Missions (VCUM) Disaster Relief Center at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. She came in for the day to see if she could help provide for some of the immediate needs of the victims of the 1989 earthquake. We recognized Robbie’s management and multi-tasking skills and immediately put her in charge of documenting all the incoming relief supplies and the subsequent distribution of this aid directly to those in need of help. That one day became two, then a week, soon it was a month. Suddenly it was 17 years. Robbie said, “If you met Annette Marcum, you’d see why.”
Robbie has made many key contributions to VCUM as the breadth and volume of services provided to the community have grown over the years.
Positions she held at VCUM included:
- Current Board Chair
- Past Board Chair 3 times
- Computer Administration 1991 to present
- Disaster Center Team Leader 7 Times
- Flea Market Booth Coordinator 1900-2003
- Santa Cruz Hogs Easter Run Coordinator 1992 to 2002
- Holiday Project Coordinator for Santa’s Workshop since 1994
- Manager of Client Distributions for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Projects
Special recognitions include:
- 1996 VCUM Angel of the Year
- 1997 Hammer/Marcum Award
- 2000 Doers Profile – Selected by the San Jose Mercury News
In spite of the many management and coordination roles she took on, Robbie was also always there when it came time for the hands on “grunt work.” IN 1991 she drove the initiative to bring computers into VCUM in order to better serve our clients. She and her husband Dave worked side by side to refurbish the new Food Pantry building when it was acquired in 1996. Whenever there was work to be done, whether it was painting, cleaning wrapping Christmas gifts, or checking off spaces at the flea market at 6 AM, Robbie was there whenever it was needed and no matter how long it took……Just a few days before her death, Robbie and her family came into VCUM to ensure that all the data she had amassed on the old computer system would transfer smoothly to the new system. This was a last, perfect example of her loyalty and dedication.
On February 20, 2006 Robbie left her loving family and her many friends and colleagues at VCUM.
Robbie, you were always a lady. We stand in admiration of your incredible courage and determination. We appreciate and will always remember the key contributions you made in helping to establish the core of VCUM. Most of all we will miss your wisdom, kindness, friendship and mischievous smile.
Annette Marcum and Staff
Valley Churches United Missions
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