Green Bay Community Church staff member Lori Cuene was named the winner of the Morgan Stanley Heart of Gold Lifetime Achievement Award today at the 30th annual WPS Volunteer Awards Event at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay.
Lori works at GBCC’s Crossroads campus and has volunteered in a variety of capacities at Community Church over the years.
More than 700 people attended the awards event. Lori received recognition for devoting her life to giving back to her community. Sandy Fletcher, senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley, presented Lori with the award and said: "In the last eight years she has gone into 30 classrooms and mentored countless students. Motivated and encouraging, Lori is willing to serve whenever and however she is needed.
"Lori jumps at the chance to work in at-risk schools because she knows and understands the value in reaching their students. Through the Junior Achievement curriculum, Lori inspires her students to think about their financial futures and to believe that they will be successful. But perhaps more importantly she inspires them to lead by making each student feel as though they are her priority. Lori adeptly teaches her students to have a healthy relationship with money and those around them.”
Lori has dedicated her time to Junior Achievement, Destination Imagination, Mosaic Arts, On Broadway, Downtown Green Bay, Freedom House, Celcom Green Bay Marathon, Girls on the Run, Joshua, Young Life and the Brown County Coalition for the Prevention of Suicide.
"Lori has a rich history of volunteering in the community, and the spirit of volunteering is something she learned from her parents and grandparents,” said Fletcher. "Today Lori similarly models the importance of giving back to her two daughters, often making volunteering a family affair. She has taught not only her girls but also the many students she has worked with over the years that they have a responsibility to the community and to one another. We can all feel confident that the next generation of engaged citizens will continue to be active in the communities thanks to Lori Cuene.”
GBCC GO Director Tricia Murphy said Lori is always the first person to say she will do something to help around the church.
“Lori is eternally optimistic,” Tricia said. "She brings hope in situations, especially in people’s lives where there isn’t any hope left. I think when Lori is engaged with people, because she has been through so much in her life, I think she brings this hope that is so genuine and comes from so deep within, it’s contagious. I think people think if she’s hopeful, I can be hopeful.”
When asked what the award means to her, Lori replied: “It means that I’ve been given many, many opportunities to enter the lives of others. It’s such a privilege to be able to walk alongside people and share their journey and share whatever God is putting in my path and use that for the greater good somehow.”
Lori Cuene on volunteering
On why she does it: “I’d like to say it’s who we are. It’s what we do. I can’t imagine life without volunteering. It’s just our call as human beings to help others and be part of the lives of other people.”
On what energizes her about it: "Everything about that excites me. It’s just living life to the fullest. It’s living all in, living surrendered, being joyful. It’s very humbling and very much an honor to be in the lives of others.”
On her initial reaction to receiving the award: "Totally totally floored. This is a lifetime award and I was sure that this was not me. I was sure somebody’s else’s life has been more fulfilling and more dedicated to service. So I don’t know what the second half of my life is going to look like. But I’m just getting started.”
On advice she would give someone considering volunteering: "Jump in, figure out where you can serve, how can you serve. Just open up your heart and trust that the Lord will put you where He wants you. Just say yes.”
On GBCC: “Green Bay Community Church gave me a second chance at life, an opportunity to do life right when I was living for myself. It was very dark and very lonely. When I became part of Green Bay Community Church I recognized the abundance that God had surrounded me with. Green Bay Community Church changed my life, upside down, inside out, all the way around for the better. I can’t say enough good. So incredibly blessed."
