The Theressa Hoover Community Service and Global Citizen Award was established by the Women's Division, October 6, 1990. "The Award, in the form of a grant, is for study, exploration, learning, research and/or observation in a subject area of the recipients choosing in harmony with the current interests of the Women's Division." It is made annually to honor Theressa Hoover for her years of service to the Woman's Division/Women's Division (1948-1990), the United Methodist Church, and the ecumenical world.

The fund is designated for women of all races and nationalities, ages 21-35. It is given to a young woman who has:

• demonstrated concern for her neighbors and community;

• shown that concern in service in the community; and

• exhibited an awareness of the total nature of our responsibilities in the world today and in the future.

Who are the Awardees | Application Process | Application

Who Are the Awardees?

1992

Theressa Hoover

1993
Joanne M. Reich

Description of Project  Studied and evaluated RAIN, a regional AIDS Interfaith Network that  provides education to churches and organizes them to serve as care partners to persons with AIDS. Evaluated the success and failures of the program.

Sarah F. Martin, II

Description of Project Community service activity for African American inner city children involving a three-week project of home building and repair followed by a week of wilderness camping.

1994

Lydia Vervian Cincore

Description of Project Studied and evaluated the Career Education Program in the Japanese Educational System. Learned how the Japanese educate and prepare their students for professional careers, apprenticeships, training and vocational programs. Examined and learned how the Japanese prepare their non-college bound students for the transition from high school to the work force. Used information to help inner-city youth effectively make the transition from high school to the work force.

1995

Sophie Low

Description of Project Worked in Monterrey, Mexico in the San Pedro Municipality with women and children who are victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse including incest and rape. She volunteered at at established agency, and assisted in developing a prevention and community-education program for the agency.

1996

Sonya Ann Wu

Description of Project Lived and worked as a volunteer in the Jubilee Partners Community -- a place of hospitality to Bosnian and Vietnamese refugees for three months when they arrive in the US.  Studied the affects of war on families, especially women and children.

1997

Donna A. Frisby

Description of Project Developed leadership institute in South Africa. Included leadership development and creating political awareness among youth.

1998

Talia M. McCray

Description of Project Led a cross-cultural study with women in Detroit, MI, and women in Durban, South Africa on transportation barriers that exist in obtaining adequate health care. She placed the focus on low-income women and children who seek pre-natal care, well baby care, visits to neonatal intensive care, and participation in health and nutrition programs. She based her project on a focus group that she conducted in March 1997. Women participating in the group identified transportation as a major barrier to health care. She compared her findings on the transportation barriers in Detroit to those of women living in squatter settlements on the outskirts of Durban, South Africa.

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1999

Sally J. Andrews

Researched how language is used to dominate another group of people in the Middle East. Examined the situations in which Arabic or Hebrew is used and how the speakers control those situations.  With her findings, Ms. Andrews submitted articles to secular and religious communities and include the information in Spanish linguistics and Socio-linguistics graduate work. 

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Phyllis Williams

Looked at communities throughout the Mid-West, the contaminants of ground water, and how these pollution sources affect the economically challenged, women, and children. Developed an educational booklet and film as a model that any community or church can use to develop strategies to address environmental problems.

2000

Laurie Day

Description of Project Examined how the roles of women in Kenya, East Africa, have changed over the last few decades, due to development, modernization, greater exposure to western ideas and the rise of feminist ideas around the world. Ms. Day believed that women’s lives are governed largely by their traditions, community, family expectations and obligations. So change can be difficult, but most women try silently to make these changes occur, often in ways that men do not notice. How and why these roles change was the topic she would explore.

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2001

Regina L. Nesmith

Description of Project Used her knowledge about health, nutrition and disease prevention in an innovative training initiative that addressed health disparities among African American women in rural South Carolina.  Since the church is the only local resource that many communities have in rural areas, she provided ‘train the trainer workshops’ so churches could develop health initiatives within their local congregations.  She targeted African American women, since statistics show health disparities in the African American population in South Carolina. Her project addressed breast and cervical cancer awareness; parenting education; HIV/AIDS prevention; nutrition education; money management and consumer education; hypertension screening; diabetes awareness; prostate cancer; and obesity and weight management. 

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2002

Ekaterina Teachout

Description of Project Will research the use of alternative medicine in Cambodia as well as become a volunteer in health care clinics in rural Cambodian communities.

See also:

Women's Division home page
United Methodist Women table of contents