SAIL presents Third Annual Community Service Award in annual meeting

Buttons created by the Eastern Panhandle Campaign for Masks sit on a display table in front of the Shepherdstown Public Library during the Shepherdstown Farmers Market this summer. Jessica Wilt
SHEPHERDSTOWN — Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Michele Goldman has been working to make a difference in her community, by organizing the Community Organizations Active in Disasters and helping to lead the Eastern Panhandle Campaign for Masks.
The campaign has helped educate local residents of all ages on the dangers of not following social distancing guidelines or wearing masks. This educational endeavor has been conducted everywhere from the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle to the Shepherdstown Farmers Market this summer.
“This is a message we’re going to keep putting out there,” Goldman said. “[At the Boys and Girls Club,] it’s helped children learn about helping other people. We’re not wearing the mask for ourselves. We’re wearing it because we care about other people.”
The campaign’s hard work has led to many people recognizing it as a contact point for help in other areas of addressing the pandemic. Some teachers, hearing about the campaign, reached out to Goldman at the beginning of the school year, for help getting face masks for their students.
“It’s good people know we’re here,” Goldman said. “We keep trying to remember we’re not in a sprint; we’re in a marathon. We just keep pushing and pursuing when we can.”

Goldman
On Friday morning, Shepherdstown Area Independent Living gathered together on Zoom for its first virtual annual meeting, during which it presented its Third Annual Community Service Award to Goldman.
“I have the pleasure of presenting this year’s Community Service Award to Michele Goldman,” said SAIL member Susan Kemnitzer. “You all know Michele, because she has helped us over the last year. Michele Goldman effectively supported the health and wellness of SAIL members, by helping us to live safely as a community, thus helping SAIL.”
The past year’s addition of 14 new members to SAIL and decrease in organizational expenditures allowed the organization to, for the first time, present a monetary prize, along with the award’s customary certificate.
“Michele chose the Eastern Panhandle Campaign for Masks as the recipient for a donation SAIL offered to make, in honor of her award,” Kemnitzer said. “The purpose of the campaign is to promote the current public recommendation that everyone should wear a mask, when possible. I can speak for myself, that I need reminders to wear a mask, because I forget sometimes, so I appreciate having a group like this in Shepherdstown! We can’t thank you enough, Michele!”
According to Goldman, the monetary award will be used to create more educational signs and buttons for people to wear, to spread accurate, compassionate messages about the need to follow social distancing and mask wearing guidelines.
“Thank you so much for giving this award to me! I was so touched, when I received the letter that I was receiving this award. It means a lot to me!” Goldman said. “Because we’re a little grassroots organization and we make no money, I was very thankful to receive this award, so we can continue to get these signs out to the community! Thank you all very much!”
- Goldman
- Buttons created by the Eastern Panhandle Campaign for Masks sit on a display table in front of the Shepherdstown Public Library during the Shepherdstown Farmers Market this summer. Jessica Wilt