Congratulations to both Nancy Vertucci and Karl & Christine Andrzejczyk, the 2020 Montgomery County Office of Aging Volunteers of the Year! Usually at the State Capitol, this year due to COVID-19, I was happy to recognize these individuals through a video message at virtual ceremony: Assemblyman Santabarbara congratulates the 2020 Montgomery County Office for Aging Volunteers of the Year.

Nancy Vertucci:

As a resident of the City of Amsterdam since 1975, Nancy has been active in our community in many ways including being past board president for both Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Montgomery County, and board member of the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation. Nancy joined the Montgomery County Office of the Aging Advisory Board in 2011 and its board of directors in 2015, where she currently serves as board secretary. I thank Nancy for her long-standing service to Montgomery County and its residents.

Christine and Karl Andrzejczyk:

For more than 20 years, Christine and Karl have dedicated their lives to serving those in need. Among the many initiatives Christine and Karl have spearheaded to support the Amsterdam community, in 1997 they created a volunteer group called ‘Restoration’ made up of concerned citizens on a mission to save the city’s historical St. Casimir’s Church. In 1998, the church reopened and became the site for AMEN Place Soup Kitchen for nearly a decade. They received state and national recognition for their work at St. Casimir’s.

Chris and Karl co-founded the AMEN Place Soup Kitchen in 2001. The soup kitchen has served more than 500,000 meals since moving to a new location in 2017. AMEN Place functions as a food pantry that provides food to more than 750 families each week and has been a critical means of support during the pandemic, providing food to support a weekly middle school backpack program and also operating as an emergency food center.

Congratulations again to Nancy, Christine and Karl and thank you for your dedication and commitment to our community.