JOANN HAMMITT

At the age of 68, Joann Hammitt volunteers 40-50 hours per week and helps operate a 200-acre farm. She has always been involved in her community and hopes to continue her tireless dedication to volunteer activities in Webster County, Iowa.

During the last year, Hammitt bought food for needy families through St. Paul’s Church Mission House and art supplies for an after-school program. She secured funds for computer supplies and paper for needy families. She also raised $350 to buy prescriptions for children, funds for two fire departments, and $14,000 for a high school student requiring a liver transplant. Hammitt also serves on the boards of two fraternal organizations, for which she coordinates funding for volunteer projects as a liaison between volunteers and the fraternal organizations.

People who need help in Webster County often contact Hammitt, because she is known for having a generous heart. When one of her neighbors called her because she needed food for her three children, Hammitt contributed from her own cupboard.

Her volunteer work with 4-H, Camp Fire Boys & Girls, and teaching classes for Sunday school, Bible school, and confirmation, Hammitt is well known among the kids in her community. She leads the annual Christmas Tree Giveaway, which provides gifts of clothes and toys for children in need. Last year the project provided more than 400 gifts to kids in the community. As a gifted quilter, Hammitt bundles infant clothes and other baby items in her handmade quilts for new babies whose families are in need.

Hammitt has originated many annual fundraising events, in addition to volunteering for lesser known organizations, such as the Fort Dodge Historical Foundation and for Operation Christmas, a program that helps people pay their utility, medical, and food bills during the holidays. Perhaps the quality that stands out most of all about Joann Hammitt, however, is that she never stops volunteering.