On January 19, 2026, we honored Crystal Martin, Annette MacMillan, and  Jim MacMillan.

Crystal Martin met a local single mom mid-December 2024. As they were talking, the mom told Crystal she had recently moved to Wildwood, and there would be no Christmas this year for herself and two young sons as they were truly struggling. This story touched Crystal’s heart, and she thought ‘we can do better’. Crystal reached out to the TCWV’s about the situation, and donations poured in. Donations were both monetary and material, from household goods to clothing to food and gifts for the boys.  Then Crystal invited this family to her home for Christmas dinner, where she presented them with the gifts that had been donated by TCWV members.

Annette MacMillan was also moved by this struggling family’s situation, and when she took food to their apartment, she saw that they literally had nothing but an old mattress that she and her sons were sleeping on. So Annette’s husband, Jim contacted Bargains and Blessings, who agreed to have this mother come and pick out furniture for their apartment. Bargains and Blessings allowed her to choose living room furniture, kitchen table and chairs, and bedroom furniture, and donated all the items to her! Jim and Annette, with the help of friends, transported the furniture to her apartment and did the heavy lifting to set everything up. 

These acts of kindness were a life-changing Christmas miracle for this family!

Our deepest thanks and gratitude to you, Crystal, Annette, and Jim!

On January 8, 2026, we honored Mary Ellen Shea.  Mary Ellen has been a hospice professional for over 20 years. She is a Certified Grief Educator, a twice-bereaved widow, twice-bereaved parent, as well as a bereaved daughter, and bereaved sibling. She has turned her trying experiences in coping with grief, into giving back to others to help them deal with loss. In her words, she helps those experiencing loss to "journey through grief, plant seeds of hope, and turn pain into purpose". 

Here in The Villages, she is known as the "Widow Mentor" and provides grief counseling to those who have lost spouses. People who have worked with her say she is one of the kindest, gentlest people they have ever known. Thank you Mary Ellen for showing such deep kindness to those around you and sharing your gifts. 

On October 8, 2025, we honored Marc and Su Langroth for their leadership of The Villages Friends of the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranches, where they are positively impacting the lives of children in the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranches program.

One of their crowning achievements was establishing a summer camp within The Villages, providing 60 children ages 6 to 12 with a safe, enriching, and joyful experience that many had never known before.

On August 5, 2025, we honored Jeff Hamlin for his work with the VHA Helping Hands Program and also with Villages Honor Flight. 

VHA Helping Hands has assisted over 9,000 Villages residents with free medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, and much more). Jeff works tirelessly to stock and maintain this equipment. He also works with Honor Flight to supply this equipment for their events. He is truly the epitome of kindness.   

On June 25th we honored Mary Inwood with VHA Helping Hands. 

Mary is responsible for 50+ Helping Hands volunteers and 5 daily phone operators. She works this position like it’s a full-time job, keeping everyone organized and efficient in the office as well as with the transportation of medical items.

On June 21, 2025, we celebrated Gordon Hamm, nominated by Bill Saak and Randy Swink for his support and dedication to the Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School.

For over 12 years Gordon has worked tirelessly for this school!  He organizes volunteers for the classrooms.  He has collected over 6,000 books for students, and countless boxes of cereal, shoes, and Christmas gifts! One of his biggest accomplishments was making sure that each and every student received a logo’ed school t-shirt!  He has personally donated over $50,000 to the school that he earned by cleaning and detailing over 600 cars!  

Outside of the school, he sells t-shirts for Red Shirt Fridays in support of the Marine Corps League.  

There is no person more deserving of recognition than Gordon!

On June 4, 2025, we honored Van Bui-Thompson at the Abundance of Love Fundraiser. 

Van has an amazing story which includes being imprisoned by the Viet Gong and escaping from Communist Vietnam. She has led a life of giving back ever since!  

Here in The Villages, she serves as a cultural ambassador, and is a dancer and dance instructor.  She uses her skills to organize and arrange artistic variety shows, and has raised 10s of 1000s of dollars for groups like the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1036, the Rotary Club of The Villages, relief efforts for Ukraine refugees, and several social and volunteer clubs.

On May 22, 2025, we honored Peter Russell who was responsible for making VHA (Villagers Homeowners Advocates) what it is today and worked tirelessly to build Shared Harvest, The Villages community garden that grew and donated over 27,000 lbs. of produce to the needy in 2024! 

On March 11, 2025, we honored Barbara McManus, the President of the Wildwood Soup Kitchen, and an endless giver to the Kitchen and its patrons.

Barb started volunteering in 2015 as the Drivers Coord. Soon after she became the President. She works extremely well with donors, clients, and volunteers. 

2024 Soup Kitchen stats: 364 active volunteers, 314 on-call volunteers, 108,813 home-delivery and take-out meals provided, 48,064 sandwiches made, and 11,845 weekend snack packs prepared! Open 6 days/week, with dine-in and take-out available T/Th/Sat.

On March 4, 2025, we honored Rocco Tucker at a softball game at Everglades. Our thanks to his neighbor, Francois Hansen, for playing a part in this. Rocco was honored for his exceptional kindness. 

He recently rode his bike from The Villages to Paris Island to raise $12,000, along with his softball team, to help those with brain injury. 

On March 4, 2025, we honored Al Arnold, president of VHA Helping Hands at their board meeting. Al has shown exceptional kindness in his work with this group, which loans  medical equipment to any Villager or visitor in need. 

Al is also very active in several military related groups, is a leader in Villages Honor Flight, and does work for the Military Officers Association.  He is selfless to these causes and a constant Giver of his time and talents.

At the presentation he kept saying that it wasn’t HIM, it is all the great people around him!  Just another testament to his humility!

On January 14, 2025, we had the privilege of honoring John Scott from the Woodworkers Clubs for the exceptional kindness he has shown in his work with this group.