The 18th annual Windsor Ortega Golden Years Gala will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 7. The Gala recognizes older adults for outstanding volunteer service in Clay County. This is a wonderful way to say, “Thank You!” by celebrating volunteers for their extraordinary efforts.

The categories are as follows: Ernie Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award, Volunteer Man of the Year and Volunteer Woman of the Year. In addition to recognizing the nominees, we will be awarding the Shepherd’s Center Outstanding Service Award. Senior adults are important to the community. They are a generation of high values, strong work ethic, commitment, integrity, generosity and loyalty. Older adults are a wonderful example to all, showing that true fulfillment is sharing their time and talents through service.

The Gala will be held at Sullivan Hall, 7190 U.S. Highway 17 S, Fleming Island. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. There will be a live and silent auction and awards program. Tickets are $50; please call (904) 269-5315 to order today. The event benefits Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which provides education for older adults to improve their quality of life. The award-winning educational program focuses on health, wellness, art, information technology and history.

A listing of the nominees and the Shepherd’s Center’s Outstanding Service Award winner with a summary of their activities follows. The Shepherd’s Center is honored to tell these amazing volunteer stories and honor these older adults at the Golden Years Gala. Our hope is that you will be inspired by these stories to share your time and treasures with the community.

Ernie Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award

Mary Cobb

Mary is a sorter at the Waste Not Want Not food distribution center called “The Castle.” She sorts through hundreds of pounds of food each Friday and bags it up for distribution to our partners in the fight to end hunger in our community.

Mary may be approaching 80 years old (she’s 79), but she is sharp as a tack! Her wit is unmatched. She is quick to offer a quip that will have you clutching either your pearls, or your sides from laughter! Mary has been volunteering with Waste Not Want Not since 1991, one of the very first volunteers. She has held practically every volunteer position there is. Driving her own car to rescue food, sorting food at the food distribution center, sorting items for the garage sale, baking cookies for the bake sale and much more. What is so inspiring about Mary is that she is willing to do what it takes and says she will volunteer as long as her heart keeps beating – and her heart beats for Waste Not Want Not! She has been a financial supporter, giving more than 50 donations over the years. She goes to bed each night with two prayers – one to wake up in the morning and one to keep Waste Not Want Not going. Mary has also donated 78 gallons of blood, and she is an usher and lesson reader at Grace Episcopal Church.

James Layton

Jim Layton has been involved with the Clay County Community Band for 27 years. He began as a trumpet player and Associate Conductor. He quickly became the principal conductor of the concert band, which grew from the original 12-20 to over 65, with ages ranging from 12 to the 90s. Jim’s excellent interpersonal skills have been of great value as he has interacted with a diverse group of volunteers with varied backgrounds. He tries to include other band directors to share in the conducting role, and mentors younger conductors eager to gain experience beyond the classroom.

Jim has led the group through performances at the Memorial Day military recognition in Green Cove Springs, Clay County Christmas at the Thrasher-Horne Center, Clay County Agricultural Fair, Clay County Historical Society, Clay District Schools, various senior living facilities, public libraries and special events for other nonprofit organizations. The band performs 10 to 12 times per season, so in the last 27 years, they have performed 280 times in Clay County.

Jim has volunteered with many other organizations in Clay County, including Orange Park United Methodist Church Orchestra for 30 years, The Clothes Closet and Food Pantry of Orange Park for 20+ years, Recycles Community Band for 16 years, Penny Retirement community Concert Band for 8 years, Orange Park Umpa Band for 3 years and Asbury United Methodist Church Music Department for 18 months.

Woman of the Year

Linda Boyd

Linda Boyd serves alongside her husband John as a sorter on Tuesdays at the Waste Not Want Not food distribution center, nicknamed “The Castle.” Linda processes dozens of incoming food donations totaling nearly 10,000 pounds. She works to prepare the orders of food distribution partners, ensuring that the food that was rescued that day is bagged to the needs of each partner who will be picking up food that day. Her efforts serve approximately 3,000 people.

Linda’s smile is as big and as bright as the sun, and her hugs are as warm as the sun! No matter how hot or how cold it gets in "The Castle", she maintains a positive, upbeat spirit, and works hard to get food for hungry people. She rarely misses a day, and if she does, she sends her daughter to fill in for her! She has come to know and love the food distribution partners that pick up on her day and they love her too. She was out back one day, and a concerned partner asked where she was. He was told, “She is just back in the bread area,” he smiled with joy and relief! Her laugh, smile and warmth are infectious and touch not only her fellow volunteers, but Shepherd’s Center food distribution partners as well.

Sandra DiGiovanni

Sandra DiGiovanni has a passion for local history and saw an unmet need for wreaths to be installed in December to honor veterans buried at the Orange Park town-owned Magnolia Cemetery. She approached Orange Park Town Council for approval and solicited local businesses to purchase wreaths to mark the gravesite of 225 veterans.Sandra has personally recruited numerous volunteers to distribute the wreaths to the various gravesites. Additional wreaths are given to the Orange Park Fire Department and to Orange Park Jacksonville Memory Garden.

Last year, she was appointed by the Town Council to the Magnolia Cemetery Board and serves as the elected Chairperson of the Board. Under her leadership, the board makes recommendations for the Public Works’ yearly gravesite clean-up and capital improvements.

Sandra is also the vice president/membership chair of the Orange Park Historical Society. She is instrumental in planning the annual Carrie Clarke Day celebration and facilitates the yearly Moonlight at Magnolia event.

Joyce Hall

Joyce Hall volunteered for several organizations in Clay County in 2024. For the Pink Ribbon Symposium and Orange Park Ladies Connecting, she was an event planner and a speaker. For The Springs Church, she was a greeter and served in hospitality. For Teen Challenge, she made donations of formal ladies’ clothes for their gala and did image consulting with the women of Hosanna House. For the Clay County Agricultural Fair, Joyce volunteered as cashier at the General Store and as a tram driver, shuttling visitors from the parking lot to the gate and back.

In every capacity, Joyce brings encouragement, joy, inspiration, and dependability. She is always reliable and willing to take on any task. She helps train others by example and with patience. She brings people together for a common cause.

Laurie Hausman

Laurie Hausman devotes herself to caring for the youth of Clay County through Young Life’s Capernaum program for youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as YoungLives for teen mothers. For Young Life Capernaum, Laurie attends each monthly meeting and joyfully interacts with all attendees. Laurie also serves as a mentor in the YoungLives ministry, where she walks alongside teen mothers and helps to care for their children at events. She attends bi-monthly meetings and socials ready to do whatever is needed. Laurie also works as a mentor for Capernaum ministry buddies, who are high school students who walk alongside those with special needs. Laurie’s strong leadership, calm demeanor, and wise counsel offer encouragement and support, and her life experiences make her a valuable source of knowledge.

Laurie also volunteers with several other organizations in Clay County, including Down Syndrome Association and Attic Resale Hospice Thrift Store.

Linda Howard

Linda Howard volunteers in the Florida Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. She is starting her seventh year assisting in six nursing homes and two assisted living facilities in Clay County. The role of Ombudsman is confidential to the residents and requires working with facility staff. Unscheduled visits are made once each month to nursing homes and once each quarter to assisted living facilities. Linda notes safety and regulatory items, evaluating things such as cleanliness, clear hallways and staff interactions. Each visit lasts about two hours and is devoted to meeting with residents in rooms, dining halls and common areas.

Linda helps educate nursing home staff as well as residents. She often spreads her knowledge with community groups and organizations as asked. She loves advocating for the members of the greatest generation of our community.

Linda helps resolve issues for residents including safety, financial, legal and diet problems. Linda’s compassion extends to facility staff as well. She helps the administrations to effectively work through sensitive issues. She brings compassion and problem-solving ability to improve the health, happiness and mental well-being of many seniors throughout Clay County.

Sheree Martin

Sheree Martin volunteers for several organizations in Clay County. For Catholic Charities, she serves all walk-ins and appointments from people in need of assistance with utilities, rent, mortgage, appliances, food, transportation and budgeting. At Waste Not Want Not, Sheree is a regular weekly volunteer, where she loads and unloads deliveries, sorts food for client organizations and rotates food stock for freshness. At Middleburg Community Kitchen, Sheree does monthly set-up and breakdown of the kitchen and serving area, prepares sandwiches and soup, and provides 1:1 fellowship.

At St. Luke’s Monthly Clay County Food Distribution, she helps pick up and stow all groceries, sets up the hall for selection, and assists participants in selecting food and getting it to their car. At St. Luke Annual Operation Blessing and Giving Tree, Sheree volunteers as the primary point of contact for one participating organization. For Giving Tree, she interviews participants to facilitate the selection of appropriate gifts for children. For Operation Blessing, she selects all food items and does cost analysis.

At St. Luke’s Weekly Adopt-a-Family program, Sheree is the point of contact for food bags for needy families. At Annual Tim Tebow Night to Shine, she works on the planning team as well as the set-up/breakdown team, and she serves as a Buddy for a “Special guest.” Sheree’s service to others is done with humility, joy, compassion and total willingness to positive action leading to a better quality of life for those in need.

Mary Medford

Mary Medford volunteers for the Challenge Enterprises – Food for Clay County program. In 2024, she helped serve 8,328 families. Mary has been instrumental in improving the program by making innovative suggestions to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. She contributes her time to packing commodities for monthly distributions. She also assists with keeping the walk-in coolers and freezers clean and sanitized. Mary underwent a full knee replacement in 2024 and was back volunteering just five weeks later, a testament to her commitment and resilience.

Mary approaches every individual she meets with dignity, respect and a kind word. Her positive attitude and joy-filled spirit bring a sense of happiness to all those around her. Her generosity of spirit and tireless work ethic make her a role model for all who know her.

Phyl Renninger

Phyl volunteers as the Art Guild of Orange Park Board president. She serves approximately 120 people in the guild and hundreds more non-members throughout the year through her outreach and community service.

Phyl has grown the guild in every way since she has served as president. She selflessly exhibits enthusiasm and incredible work ethic to inspire local artists and art lovers. She brings people together to share and educate the community by encouraging, inviting and engaging people that she encounters to be a part of and learn about local art and artists. She also encourages senior citizens to engage in community service and art therapy. Her work paves the way for artists of the present and those for generations to come. She has helped to create lasting Art in our community through art exhibits in art murals and books that reflect Clay County. Phyl’s volunteer work will forever be a part of Clay County as she has fostered a positive relationship and curated art experiences at the Clay Courthouse and spaces throughout Clay.

Man of the Year

Galen Bills

Galen Bills is a CORE volunteer at Clay County Habitat for Humanity. He is critical to the organization’s success in building safe, decent, affordable homes in Clay County. He has volunteered over 10,000 hours with the organization.

Upon retirement, Galen moved to Clay County from New Hampshire and saw the need for affordable housing through Habitat for Humanity. He liked being able to see the result of his work. He realized he was making a difference when he first attended a housing dedication for a new family. It’s important to Galen to do this volunteer work because affordable housing in our area is limited.

Bill Bland

Bill Bland serves at the Green Cove Springs Food Pantry, where he has been involved since 2019. Over time, he has taken on significant responsibilities, including his roles of chairman of the board and VP of Operations. Bill oversees the intake, storage and distribution of food, which involves organizing and coordinating volunteers to help with these activities. He also actively participates in community events such as food drives, Christmas on Walnut and other local festivals.

Bill’s dedication extends beyond just coordinating operations. He ensures he understands the needs of the clients and has worked with AMI School located next to the pantry to provide volunteer opportunities for local youth. This shows his deep commitment to both the community and the individuals he serves.

John Boyd

John Boyd serves as the Tuesday lead at the Waste Not Want Not food distribution center called "The Castle," where he oversees a crew of five other volunteers to ensure all rescue food is received, sorted, and prepared for distribution to six different community organizations.

John will say he is not a leader or anything special, but he is both. He inspires and motivates volunteers to work through very cold or hot weather to sort nearly 10,000 pounds of food every Tuesday. Also, he helps move boxes, set up events and other out of schedule volunteer needs. John pours care into leading other volunteers and ensuring that our food distribution partners receive as much food as possible to help us fight hunger in our community. In addition to giving of his time, John shares his treasure as well and has made significant financial contributions over the years. His enthusiastic volunteerism is worthy of recognition!

John began volunteering with Waste Not in 2016. Since then, he has logged over 5,000 hours of volunteer work. Over his nearly decade of service to Waste Not, he has not missed a day except for the rare occasion he goes to a Gators game or on vacation with his family. It is impossible to put a value on the sweat equity, love and dedication John pours into Waste Not. However, the economic impact of a volunteer is valued at $31.80 in the United States. That means that John has contributed $159,000 in value to the organization over his tenure. John’s reliability, steadfast commitment, unmatched dedication, and love for the organization’s mission make him an invaluable volunteer for the Waste Not Want Not team.

Dave Neal

Dave Neal has been volunteering with the Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park for over 10 years. During this time, he has taught 296 classes, taking only a brief break when the center closed due to Covid. Dave is the instructor of the popular “Roots of Rock n’ Roll” course, where he shares his passion for music and its power to evoke memories, especially those of happier times. Each session, Dave focuses on a specific music era, ranging from the 1950s to the ’70s. He carefully curates a selection of songs from diverse artists and plays them for his class, sparking lively discussions about the memories each tune brings back.

The class not only reminisces about the songs but also reflects on their personal experiences during those years — where they were when they first heard a particular song, and what significant events were happening in their lives at the time. In addition to sharing his knowledge of music, Dave offers fascinating anecdotes about the artists, the music itself and the important historical events of each era.

Encouraging an open, welcoming dialogue, Dave invites his students to share their own memories — whether it’s recalling who they were dating, what concerts they attended, or where they were when they first heard a particular song. This creates a unique, interactive experience where students bond over their shared love of music.

Dave is also known for attracting many male participants to his classes, and he has cultivated a close-knit group of students who have formed lasting friendships through their mutual appreciation of music. The Roots of Rock n' Roll class usually has the highest number of registrants: 20 to 25 members each session. This great attendance is due to the details and fun Dave shares with the class.

A retired history teacher and baseball coach with 37 years of service in the Clay County School District, Dave continues to share his passions for music and baseball in retirement. He also volunteers with the Orange Park Athletic Association (OPAA), where he coaches an 11-to 12-year-old All-Star baseball team, the Orange Park Bandits, with Ronnie Harris. As the team's pitching coach, Dave not only teaches the fundamentals of the game but also mentors the young players by setting a positive example.

Dave also volunteers at ClayRadio, co-hosting a ’60s oldies music show with Mike Cella. He shares his extensive knowledge of music from that era. He has quickly made an impact, offering insightful commentary and inspiring listeners with his enthusiasm and expertise, despite having no prior radio experience.

Dave is married to Chris. He enjoys traveling with his family to baseball venues across the country, further blending his love for sports and family.

In every endeavor, Dave Neal truly embodies the mission of the Shepherd’s Center by selflessly sharing his talents and time with others.