Olive Bloom Service Award

Fred and Nancy Kerr were honored for their extensive service to the South Central Community Foundation (SCCF) at the annual meeting on March 28.  Fred and Nancy are SCCF Founders who worked diligently to help start the South Central Community Foundation.  They served a two year partial term on the founding board and completed three, three-year terms as board members.  Fred will continue as past president in 2006-2007 and Nancy will continue on the Grants Committee as a non-board member.

They have both served on the Executive Committee, Fred as vice-chair and chair and Nancy as chair and secretary.  They have been very active on committees throughout their years on the board, Fred on the Investment Committee and Executive Director Search Committee and Nancy on the Grants Committee. 

They continue to actively work to increase the SCCF endowed funds, frequently stop by the office to offer assistance to Denise Unruh, Executive Director, and are available to help with special events, mailings or whatever needs to be done.  They quickly answer board member questions concerning the foundation and offer advice when it is requested.

The Kerr’s names were placed on the plaque that hangs in the SCCF office and they received certificates of remembrance of the presentation. 

At the 10th Anniversary of South Central Community Foundation, October 14, 2004, the Olive Bloom Outstanding Service Award was awarded for the first time.  This first award went to Olive.

The Olive Bloom Outstanding Service Award goes to a Board Member who has had a high level of involvement in many areas of the foundation, such as Executive Committee, various committees and offices, has volunteered his/her time to assist the executive director, has actively worked to increase the endowed funds in SCCF, and has gone above and beyond the normal amount of board member involvement as well as working behind the scenes.  This is not an annual award, but is presented when appropriate.

Celebrating a decade of progress at a 10^th Anniversary Dinner Tuesday night, South Central Community Foundation board members gave a name to the qualities of commitment, compassion, dedication, enthusiasm, generosity, hard work, organization and service.

They named it Olive Bloom.

SCCF Board Chairman, Fred Kerr, punctuated the honor with the presentation of the first SCCF Olive Bloom Outstanding Service Award that brought a standing ovation honoring the former board member who was among the founding directors of the organization.

As recipient of the first award recognizing exemplary service to SCCF bearing her name, Bloom was presented an engraved crystal bowl and a plaque that will be displayed at the SCCF office in Pratt, where other names will be added in future years as additional recipients are selected.

"Olive has never sought praise or attention for her generosity,” Denise Unruh, SCCF executive director said. “That is why it is such a pleasure to present her with this award. She has been an example to me of what real charitable giving is all about." 

As an active SCCF board member from 1994 to 2003, Bloom served in a variety of capacities, according to Unruh, who joined Kerr in making the presentation at the program at Pratt Community Center .

"Olive recognizes the things that need to be done, and just does them." Kerr applauded.

One of Bloom’s many contributions to SCCF was serving as an active member of the Investment Committee. She also organized the annual Grants Awards festivities for five years and served on the Advancement Committee that conducted the search for the first executive director and for office space.

Once the executive director had been selected and began her job, Bloom assisted her in many ways, "Olive always seemed to say just the right thing at the right time to keep me encouraged," Unruh said of the honoree.

Bloom has been active in other volunteer community service as well. In the past, she has headed the Pratt and Kingman counties' United Way drives after serving as volunteer for both agencies. As a volunteer and one of the organizing founders of South Wind Hospice, she also trained as a caregiver. She is a familiar face to Pratt Regional Medical Center staff, patients and visitors as a “Pink Lady” –– and she served similarly with Kingman Memorial Hospital and Wesley Medical Center in Wichita .

Another of Bloom’s interests has been the Kansas Medical Alliance, serving on the state’s board of directors and holding office as secretary or treasurer during her 40–plus year membership.

As an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Pratt, Bloom has been a member of the United Methodist Women, Sunday School teacher and Youth Group volunteer.

She and husband Dr. Theil Bloom celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary two years ago at a family dinner hosted by their three sons and families –– Dr. Lamont and Vickie Bloom and Dr. Barry and Alice Bloom, all of Wichita, and Jim and Susan Bloom of Hutchinson. The Blooms were married August 23, 1952 at the First United Methodist Church , Dighton.

According to Unruh, the criteria for future awards –– which she said would not necessarily be given annually –– specify that the award may go “to a board member who has had a high level of involvement in a variety of ways.” These include: serving on the SCCF Executive Committee and/or other committees, holding office, assisting the executive director, working to increase endowed funds, working behind the scenes and contributing financially at any level to SCCF.

“The significant aspect of the Olive Bloom Outstanding Service Award,” Kerr said, “is that it exemplifies service ‘above and beyond’ what is normally expected of a director.”

"Tuesday night’s presentation to Olive Bloom was kept secret," Unruh said, chuckling that she had a few butterflies when Bloom first indicated she might not be able to attend because of a scheduled trip to Colorado . “I really hope you can come,” Unruh told her. “It just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

In her normal, unassuming way, Bloom responded, “Oh, I bet you say that to everyone.”

“Not really,” the executive director said, with a huge sigh of relief when Bloom said she would readjust plans so she could attend.

South Central Community Foundation
107 West Second/ PO Box 8624
Pratt, KS 67124
(620) 672-7929
Fax: (620) 672-7669