Our Senior of the Year, Ellen Meixner, has worked tirelessly serving others throughout the pandemic

Vernon’s Senior of the Year Ellen Meixner was honored at the Senior Holiday Luncheon, which took place in the beautiful Diamond Ballroom in Minerals Hotel.

As we made it through another year of Covid-19, we continue to cherish every moment we get to spend together, whether that was in person or via Zoom. So many of the things that we once looked forward to have been slowly coming back around, allowing us to enjoy making new memories and finding new ways to help and support those who were a little less fortunate throughout the strains of this pandemic.

The 2021 Senior of the Year has proven to be selfless and wholehearted as she was one of the first volunteers to join an energized group of volunteers that came to be known throughout our town as the Vernon Cares organization. This organization was set in place to put together free meals seven days a week to ensure that no one in our community went hungry.

Since the first day of the Covid-created shutdown, our Senior of the Year Ellen Meixner was delivering meals to homebound seniors on a daily basis. She went above and beyond taking seniors shopping, to doctor visits, as well as taking seniors to get their Covid and flu vaccinations.

Ellen Meixner’s work continues beyond helping our seniors. This amazing individual also makes time weekly to shop, organize and distribute food at Vernon United Methodist Church Pantry, which helps hundreds of people in need, and also volunteered on the Vernon Beautification Committee. Our senior of the year has proven that she truly deserves this award.

Here are a few comments from some of the individuals who nominated Ellen Meixner:

“Everyone who crosses her path is greeted with kindness and generosity.”

“She is always finding time for others, and for lending a helping hand.”

It is truly an honor to have Ellen Meixner in our town, and with new traditions we have enhanced recognition in the form of a street sign that will be posted for all of 2022 at the driveway entrance to the senior center, bearing the name of our Senior of the Year!

Meg Wahnon

Vernon