![Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
William Stanton, a longtime volunteer at Project ECHO homeless shelter in Prince Frederick, received the \"Calvert You Are Beautiful\" award from Calvert County Commissioners’ President Susan Shaw (R) Tuesday at a reception at Calvert Pines Senior Center. Twenty-one volunteers were nominated for the award and recognized for their work.](/storyimage/PN/20110923/NEWS/709239874/AR/0/AR-709239874.jpg "Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
William Stanton, a longtime volunteer at Project ECHO homeless shelter in Prince Frederick, received the \\"Calvert You Are Beautiful\\" award from Calvert County Commissioners’ President Susan Shaw (R) Tuesday at a reception at Calvert Pines Senior Center. Twenty-one volunteers were nominated for the award and recognized for their work.")
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners honored 22 local volunteers, ranging in age from senior citizens to just 7 years old, on Tuesday at the 2011 Calvert You Are Beautiful ceremony at Calvert Pines Senior Center.
While all nominees were awarded a plaque for their volunteer efforts in the community, William “Bill” Stanton, a Port Republic resident and Project ECHO volunteer, was chosen as this year’s overall winner by a panel of local judges.
“This gentleman devoted many years to making sure the homeless population of Calvert County had at least a temporary home,” Commissioners’ President Susan Shaw (R) said. “He has made a difference in the lives of many, many people.”
According to Project ECHO Executive Director Trisha Gipson’s nomination essay, Stanton became a volunteer after visiting the old county homeless shelter, the Linda House, in 1997, only after a neighbor “bamboozled” him into doing so. Since then, he has worked from 6 to 10 a.m. every Monday and in 2005 he helped lead the mission to have the second ECHO shelter built as the need for it increased. In 2009, the mission was completed, and 14,000 square feet of living space became available.
“Bill’s passion for helping the less fortunate without expecting anything in return is apparent to many,” Gipson wrote. “Through his efforts, the ECHO House provided over 12,000 bed-nights and over 18,000 warm meals to the homeless of the county in 2010. Although one man didn’t make the new shelter overnight, Bill was certainly a driving force among them.”
Gipson also cited a statement Stanton made in a speech he once prepared: “‘People deserve our love not because of what they do, but because of who they are.’ Bill led our community by example of humility and grace to simply stand by those less fortunate and love them,” she wrote.
Following the ceremony, Stanton modestly recalled his efforts to build the new shelter.
“I’m moved, but there were so many people really that made the new house happen,” he said, including Wayne Boyle of the Calvert County Housing Authority, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the BOCC and the Project ECHO board of directors.
As for his passion for helping the homeless, Stanton said, “I think we all are driven to do things for different reasons.”
For him, his reason was Tom Morgan, a former Project ECHO board president who didn’t even let cancer get in his way and worked right up until his death.
“It just struck me that if somebody can do that with cancer, then I ought to be able to go there and volunteer my time,” Stanton said.
Shaw said the You Are Beautiful event “is one of my favorite things to do on the board of county commissioners.” Addressing the other nominees, she said, “Your warm hearts, strong shoulders and very active imaginations provide a spark in a community that cares.”
“This whole county is full of beautiful people,” Commissioner Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark (R) said, referencing the recent destruction of Hurricane Irene and the various individuals who pulled out their chain saws and helped their neighbors in the cleanup efforts. “People got out there and worked together.”
Other nominations were submitted by Calvert Collaborative for Children and Youth, Calvert Hospice, American Chestnut Land Trust, the Calvert Marine Museum, North Beach Mayor Mark Frazer, SMILE Ecumenical Ministries Inc., the Prince Frederick Volunteer Rescue Squad, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Kimberly Harris, the University of Maryland Master Gardener program, Nance Pretto Simmons, the Solomons Volunteer Fire Department, Beverly Barth, the Calvert County Historical Society, Birthright of Prince Frederick, Calvert County 4-H and George Leah Jr.
Judges for the event included: Wanda Hassler, 2010 Calvert You Are Beautiful winner; Carrie Lovejoy, The Calvert Recorder; Sally Lounsbury, Voice of Southern Maryland; Sandra O. Martin, Bay Weekly; and Sean Rice, The County Times.
mrussell@somdnews.com
2011 Calvert You Are Beautiful nominees
Marie L. Andrews
Francis “Ed” Baker Jr.
Paul Berry
Christa Conant
Sally Jean Donaldson
Shirley Jean Havelka
Stanis Inscoe
J. Evans “Van” Ireland
Jeff Klapper
Heather Maertens
Denise Moroney
Ginny Murphy
Joseline Pretto Simmons
Nancy B. Radcliffe
Norman H. Rea IV
Ken Romney
Paula Rosnage
William “Bill” Stanton
Christine Stelloh-Garner
Volunteer counselors at Birthright
Gerard “Jerry” P. Worrell
Nancy Zinn
