Columbus, Ohio (Feb. 27) –– A Columbus woman received the national “Heroes In Our Midst” award today for her extraordinary commitment to connecting with youth in need in her community and for the role she plays in making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Heroes In Our Midst, a national recognition program of the Greeting Card Association, named Linda Flynn, 58, a national hero during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. For more than forty years, Flynn has devoted herself to making a difference in the lives of children in Camp Fire USA programs in Columbus.
Heroes In Our Midst honors everyday heroes who give of themselves to connect with others to show they care, and encourages Americans to send cards to the heroes in their own lives. Since its launch last year, Heroes In Our Midst has generated thousands of cards for community and personal heroes.
“We give communities an opportunity to express their gratitude to local heroes,” said Chris Bouchard, the national spokesman of Heroes In Our Midst. “Volunteers like Linda deserve recognition, and we hope that today’s presentation has inspired people to convey their appreciation to Linda and to the heroes in their lives."
In addition to her part time job and caring for her young granddaughter on weekdays, Flynn has led Camp Fire groups for the past thirty years and leads initiatives at Camp Fire’s Camp Wyandot.
“Linda is willing and able to help in any way possible and is very dedicated to the council and the children we serve,” said Amy Boyd, CEO of Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council.
An avid outdoorswoman, Flynn has helped countless Camp Fire children learn confidence, leadership, and groundedness through a variety of wildnerness activites at Camp Wyandot as well as leading three Camp Fire Club groups, which form when the children are eight-years-old and meet weekly until the participants graduate from high school.
“For me, it’s about the satisfaction of helping other people. I think you pay it forward to get it back,” said Flynn, describing her work with several Club members who eventually went on to careers in community service themselves. “I’ve loved seeing these kids that I’ve known since they were very young grow up and become great adults. Some of them had challenges, but they inevitably turned around and made the right decisions.”
At the ceremony, Bouchard, several of Flynn’s Camp Fire mentees, Boyd, and Sara Vance, president of the Board of Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council, presented Flynn with the bronze hero medallion and greeting cards from grateful members of the community.
Heroes In Our Midst and Camp Fire USA are asking the Columbus community to send cards or notes expressing their thanks to Flynn, as well as cards to the heroes in their own lives. Cards for Flynn should be addressed to:
Linda Flynn
c/o Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council
1890 Northwest Boulevard Suite 240
Columbus, Ohio 43212
“Heroes In Our Midst is all about the rewards of connecting with others and building human ties,” said Bouchard. “Greeting cards are a cherished tradition for connecting and showing that you care about others. People everywhere have a special story of how someone impacted their life or created a shared memory through a greeting card.”
At the ceremony, the Heroes In Our Midst program said a check for $1,000 would be donated in Flynn’s name to Camp Fire USA Central Ohio Council to support the efforts of volunteers like Flynn who are reaching out to connect with others in their community and make such significant impacts on the lives of local children.
To learn more about Heroes In Our Midst, visit www.HeroesInOurMidst.org.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the U.S. It has been the leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact of the lives of young people. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves 240,000 children, ages 6 through 18, in all 50 states. The national offices are located in Philadelphia. To volunteer or donate, visit www.bbbsa.org.
The Greeting Card Association, headquartered in Washington, DC, represents nearly 300 U.S. and international greeting card publishers and suppliers. It is dedicated to celebrating, promoting and preserving the tradition and cultural values of exchanging greeting cards.
